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U.S. History

Native Americans

Exploration

Colonial Period

American Revolution

Westward Movement

Slavery and the Underground Railroad

U.S. Civil War

General Sites on American History

American Heritage Library
Looking for the words to a patriotic poem or song, the text of the Articles of Confederation, or Washington's Thanksgiving Day proclamation?  Try this site.
American Memory from the Library of Congress
Documents and images from the Library of Congress organized into online exhibits such as: The African-American Odyssey, Baseball Cards, Early Motion Pictures, Lincoln manuscripts, and  more.
America's Library
Discover America's Story at America's Library--the Library of Congress. A fun, interactive site where you can "Meet Amazing Americans", "Jump Back in Time" to another period, "Explorew the States," or "Join America at Play."
Animated Atlas
Growth of a Nation is a free, ten minute movie which depicts the geographic history of the United States from the beginning of the nation to fifty states.  Geographic elements are interactive, as is the timeline.
Beyond Black History Month: The African American Studies Toolkit for Grades 6 -12
A huge collection of links to information on the African-American experience.
A Chronology of U. S. Historical Documents
Famous treaties, speeches, and proclamations from The Iroquois Constitution to Pres. Bush's 2002 State of the Union address.
A Guide to American Flags
Images of versions of the American flag, historical flags, and state flags.
KidInfo: Homework Help and Reference Resources
Select American History to find lots of links to other web pages about U.S. history.
Kid's Stuff from the Henry Ford Museum
Go on a Treasure Hunt in the Time Machine or be a History Detective and investigate clues of a Colonial American family! An American history site with games and resources.
The Net's Educational Resource Center
Links to web sites on a variety of topics, mainly historical.
History in The National Park Service
Do you have a question about the national parks, the National Park Service or American history? Ask a historian by sending e-mail.
Historic Speeches Index
Great speeches by Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, Patrick Henry, Chief Joseph, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr, and others.
History of U.S. Armies in Uniform
See G.I. Joe dressed as a Revolutionary War soldier, a Civil War soldier, a modern Marine. This website depicts a 250 year chronological history of U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps uniforms.
National Archives Online Exhibit Hall
View the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, as well as other famous documents at the National Archives Exhibit Hall.
Popular Songs in American History
Looking for music and words for Barbara Allen, Yankee Doodle, or Dixie?  This site has background information on the songs, the tunes, the lyrics, and links to more information.
Today in History
Every day, enjoy a well-researched and beautifully-presented bit of American history, with links to related resources in the Library of Congress American Memory collection.
USA Encyclopedia: 1840-1960
Scroll down to find links to an encyclopedia of US History.
You Be the Historian
Learn about the daily life of an American family 200 years ago. From the Smithsonian's Hand on History project.

Native Americans

California Indian Heritage
Features a California Indian timeline, information on tribal groups and their way of life, a directory of California tribes, and links to resources.  From Senator Barbara Boxer.
The Cherokee Trail of Tears
Extensive history of the events leading up to the Trail of Tears march by the Cherokee people.
First Nation Histories
Brief histories of Indian tribes, with links to more extensive information.
 A Guide to the Great Sioux Nation
A site from South Dakota with information on history, landmarks and legends, artifacts, art, powwows, and points of interest. There is also a profile of each of the tribes in the nation.
History of the Cherokee
History, images, and maps on the Cherokee Indians.
The History of Tisquantum (Squanto)
Read the story of Squanto, one of the first Native Americans to meet Europeans.
Homes of the Past: The Archaeology of an Iroquoian Longhouse
Find out how one kind of Native American home was put together.
The Klamath Indians of Southern Oregon Cascades
Find out about the Native Americans who lived around Crater Lake in Oregon.
The Living Culture and History of California Indians
The Home page is a map of California Indian group areas.  Index Page of resources for Chumash, Miwok, Ohlone, Pomo, Yokuts, and Yurok tribes.  Student and teacher resources included.
Moccasins
Click on "Menu" to see images and descriptions of moccasins from different tribes.
Native American Shelters
Select a region on the map for information on the types of shelter American Indians used, including igloo, wigwam, tipi (teepee),

     long house, mogollon, sod house, and cliff dwellings.
Four Faces of Pocahontas
Which picture shows the real Pocahontas?
Pocahontas
Read about Pocahontas, legendary Indian princess, daughter of the mighty Chief Powhatan.

Exploration

Discoverers Web Homepage
Links to information found on the web about voyages of discovery and exploration. Look for the alphabetical list of explorers.
Discoverers by alphabet
Part of the Discoverers Web.  List of links to information on many explorers, including hard-to-find names like Anza, Cabrillo, Cabeza de Vaca, and Vizcaino.
Explorers of the Millennium
A Thinkquest student webiste devoted to explorers and the places they have traveled. Sail over to the quiz and test your knowledge on the explorers you have learned about. You can also search for more information about explorers that interest you.
Voyage of Exploration: Discovering New Horizons
Another student Thinkquest site. "Our aim is to take the users on a journey through past centuries looking at these adventurers, the dangers they faced, where they went and their motivation for exploration."
Conquistadors, from PBS
Join Public Television in exploring the careers of Cortes, Pizarro, Cabeza de Vaca, and Orellana.
European Voyages of Exploration
In the early fifteenth century the sea-faring countries of Europe were poised to expand their influence in the rest of the world. Read about explorers from Portugal and Spain here. Includes maps.
KidsClick! Exploration

Look through this list for a link to a web site about the explorer that you are interested in.

Colonial Period

13 Originals: Founding the American Colonies
Short summaries of the founding and expansion of the original thirteen colonies, with links to other pages, and an animated map of the changing state boundaries.  Scroll down to read about individual colonies.
Colonial America
Information on the original 13 colonies and colonial wars, from a website on genealogy.
ClassBrain State Reports
Pick your state, then look for the history section for information about it as a colony.  Also--famous people, state symbols, and maps.
Colonial American History Resources
Links to web sites about the colonies, including people, religion, maps, and skills.
Colonial Games and Toys
You may still play some of the same games as colonial children.  Read about their toys and games, and try out some colonial tongue twisters and riddles.
Colonial Kids: A Celebration of Life in Colonial Times
A ThinkQuest web page made by kids for kids about life in colonial America.
Early America Archives
Primary source material from 18th Century America displayed digitally. A unique array of original newspapers, maps and writings come to life on your screen just as they appeared to our forebears more than 200 years ago.  Good for images.
Jamestown Rediscovery
Visit an archeological dig at Jamestown, Virginia.
Virtual Jamestown
Explore the Jamestown Colony through maps, images, first-hand accounts, letters and newspapers.
Lost Colony of Roanoke
A student-made ThinkQuest page that investigates the mystery of what became of the Roanoke settlers in Virginia.
Plimoth-on-Web
Learn more about Plimoth Plantation, the Pilgrim Story, the history of Plymouth Colony (1620-1692), the Wampanoag Indians, Thanksgiving, and find links to related sites on the Web.
Colonial Williamsburg
Visit historic Williamsburg, meet the people, see the places, and learn about life in Colonial America.  Register for an electronic field trip.

American Revolution

America's Freedom Documents
View historic copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
The Battle of Saratoga
View images from the reenactment of the battle and read about the life of Revolurionary War soldiers.
Colonial Hall: A Look at America's Founders
Read biographies of 103 founding fathers of our nation.  High reading level.  (Doesn't display in Netscape.)
Early America Archives
Primary source material from 18th Century America displayed digitally. A unique array of original newspapers, maps and writings come to life on your screen just as they appeared to our forebears more than 200 years ago.  Good for images.
The Founding Fathers: Delegates to the Constitutional Convention
Biographies of the 55 men who wrote the U.S. Constitution.  From the National Archives.
A Journey Toward Freedom: The Revolutionary War
An online reference tool and a forum for discussion on American History around the time of the Revolution. A ThinkQuest page made by students.
Historic Valley Forge
Read the story of the 6-month encampment at Valley Forge. Plus a timeline, weather reports, the French Connection, Franklin, spies, mysteries, and more!
Paul Revere
Everything about Paul Revere is here---biography, map, images, his silver shop, and Longfellow's poem.
USHistory.org
MOstly abouty Philadelphia.  Includes the Betsy Ross homepage, a 65-stop walking tour of America’s "Most Historic Square Mile," the Liberty Bell homepage, Valley Forge, Brandywine Battlefield, and a Virtual Marching Tour of the entire American Revolution.  Lots of pictures. From the Independence Hall Association.
Valley Oak Elementary School "Timeline of the American Revolution"
Students at Valley Oak Elementary School in Davis, California put together this  "Timeline of the
Revolutionary War" in celebration of the Fourth of July.

The Westward Movement

California History page
The American West
This site gathers links and information about cowboys, American Indians, pioneers, outlaws, emigration trails, "critters," and events that took place in the Old West.
Black Cowboys and Pioneers
Information on African-Americans who helped settle the West.  Click on "specific individuals" to read about people like Jim Beckwourth, Bill Pickett, and Nat Love.
The End of the Oregon Trail
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the Oregon Trail, a diagram of a prairie wagon, information on trail provisions, and a history of the Trail.
Interactive Santa Fe Trail
Explore the old southwest route through photos, maps, and links to other sites.
Laura Ingalls Wilder, Frontier Girl
Find information about Laura's "little houses" and her friends and family who were made famous in her books.  Listen to the songs played on Pa's fiddle, and see pictures of the places the Ingalls and Wilder families lived.
Mountain Men and the Fur Trade
On-line Research Center devoted to the history, traditions, tools, and mode of living of the trappers, explorers, and traders known as the Mountain Men.  Includes a Museum of artifacts: tools, weapons, and clothing.
The Oregon Trail
A companion web site to the PBS documentary film, with historic sites to visit, fun facts, and a teacher's guide.
People of the West
Buffalo Bill, Crazy Horse, Sacagawea, Father Serra and many more. This interactive biographical dictionary profiles men and women of the Old West.  From PBS.
The West
Companion site to the PBS documentary, with pictures and information on the people, places, and events.  Includes lesson plans.

Slavery and the Underground Railroad

Beyond Black History Month: The African American Studies Toolkit for Grades 6 -12
A huge collection of links to information on the African-American experience.
The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad wasn't "underground," and it wasn't a "railroad," but it provided an escape route for slaves in the American South.  Find out more at this National Georgraphic site.

 The American Civil War

American Civil War
This comprehensive and easy to use site has a Civil War Timeline, State Battle Maps, Alphabetic Battle List, sections on Colored Troops, Women in the War, Battle Statistics, Picture Album, Civil War Documents, and Biographies.
American Civil War Homepage
Huge collection of links to every aspect of the Civil War: biographies, battles, black soldiers, reenactments, etc.
Civil War Battle Summaries by State
Short descriptions of every batle of the Civil War, including location, date, commanders, and casulties.
Civil War Biographies
Dozens of brief biographies, with pictures.
Civil War for Kids
Mrs. Huber's class  in Sleepy Hollow, New York brings you a timeline,  bar graphs about the North and the South in 1861, Civil War battle victories, maps, Confederate and Union flags, Civil War uniforms, and short bio's.
Civil War Homepage
Battles, documents, Frequently Asked Questions about the Civil War, plus Civil War photographs, poetry, and music, and much more.
Civil War @ Smithsonian
Information and pictures from the Smithsonian Institution’s collections on the U. S. Civil War. Topics include slavery and abolition, Abraham Lincoln, weapons, leaders, cavalries, navies, the surrender at Appomattox, and the life and culture of the time.
Encyclopedia of U.S. History:  American Civil War
Articles on Chronology, Battles, Political Figures, Military Leaders, and other famous people and events.  Well-organized and informative.
The Extraordinary Story of the Battle of Gettysburg
A virtual look at the history of the famous battle told in words and pictures.
Food in the Civil War
Click on "Food" to get recipes for everything from beef jerky to swamp cabbage stew.
Lesson Plan: The Civil War
 Lesson plan for an upper elementary unit on  the Civil War containing links to other Internet sites.
Music of the American Civil War
Popular music of the time, with sound files.
A Nation Divided
This site presents a year-by-year timeline of the civil war, with quotes from major participants and many photos.
Selected Civil War Photographs
This collection contains 1,118 photographs and includes scenes of military personnel, preparations for battle, and battle after-effects. From the Library of Congress American Memory project.
United States Civil War
Information on battles, causes of the war, leaders, monuments, music, and food.
U.S. Civil War Generals
A concise biographical index to the Generals who fought on both sides of the US Civil War.