Smithsonian's History Explorer Resources Related To "Gateway to the 19th Century: The William Steinway Diary Homepage"

The Civil War

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:22:31 GMT

From 1861-1865, Americans battled over preserving their Union and ending slavery. The Civil War is the focus of this section of The Price of Freedom: Americans at War, an online exhibition. This pivotal and complicated period of American history is divided into sections that allow students to focus either on a specific aspect of the war, or the conflict as a whole. The sections included are: John Brown, Fort Sumter, the Battle of Bull Run, major turning points, the war at sea, Wilderness to Appomattox, political leaders, military leaders, soldiers in blue and gray; battles and casualties and Reconstruction and the legacies of the war. A non-flash version of this site is available: The Civil War.

Go Back in Time

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:39:30 GMT

In this interactive game, students will match primary source materials and museum artifacts to the appropriate time period in order to learn about the everyday lives of Americans from different eras of our nation's history. This activity is one of the educational resources included in the online exhibition entitled Within These Walls.

Brown v. Board of Education: Segregated America

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:24:56 GMT

In this online exhibition, students will learn how racism, social attitudes and policies such as Jim Crow laws and poll taxes led to the Plessy v. Ferguson case which legalized segregation. Segregated America is the first section of the online exhibition entitled Separate is Not Equal: Brown v. Board of Education.

Transportation History Videos

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 11:24:36 GMT

Three short videos provide an overview of American transportation history in three different eras: 1800-1900, 1900-1950, and 1950-2000. These videos are included in the online exhibition entitled America on the Move, which focuses on transportation in US history.

Transportation Infrastructure Videos

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 13:44:27 GMT

Three short videos provide an overview of the history of America's transportation infrastructure in three eras: 1800-1900, 1900-1950, and 1950-2000. These videos are included in the online exhibition entitled America on the Move, which focuses on transportation in US history.

Transportation Technology Videos

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 11:25:06 GMT

Three short videos provide an overview of transportation technology in three eras: 1800-1900, 1900-1950, and 1950-2000. These videos are included in the online exhibition entitled America on the Move, which focuses on transportation in US history.

Ocean Crossings 1870-1969

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 10:53:13 GMT

Ocean liners were ships of transport for immigrants and machines of leisure, status, and national prestige. Students will learn about the roles that these ships played during the massive immigration of people to the United States from both Europe and Asia during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries in this section of On the Water: Stories from Maritime America, an online exhibition. Students will also learn how passenger liners such as the Mauretania, Titanic, and the S.S. United States became a popular, and sometimes dangerous, mode of leisure travel for those who could afford it.

Paper Ballots

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 16:28:56 GMT

Nineteenth century paper ballots, known as party tickets, are discussed in the online exhibition entitled Vote: The Machinery of Democracy, from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. This section illustrates the methods of voting during the nineteenth century, in which each political party controlled the paper ballots used in elections. Students will learn about party ticket voting, as well as the restrictions and fraud that could result from this method. Through museum objects, advertisements, and images, students can explore paper balloting as well as the effects of the 15th Amendment on the practice of democracy.