What happens when a people decide to govern themselves? America’s national treasures come to life in this compelling exhibition that examines the bold experiment to create a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” American Democracy: A Great Leap of Fait

This online exhibition commemorates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. The website covers each major period of Lincoln's private and public life, especially his years in Washington when he made the crucial decisions that ended slavery and preserved the nation. Also

Through the use of downloadable images of the original documents and 4 brief videos using Lincoln's words to answer questions about the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation, students will learn how Abraham Lincoln struggled with the same questions that many Americans had about th

This online exhibition features approximately 100 objects from the Museum's collections to tell stories from the earliest days of America's colonial history through the 2008 presidential election. Each object is used as the starting point for a larger story about American history. The exhibition

This website, from the U.S. Government Printing Office, offers students explanations of America's founding documents, descriptions of the functions of each branch of American government, an outline of the American lawmaking process, and interactive games relating to American government

“January 3, 2018, would have been Lucretia Coffin Mott’s 225th birthday. When it came to birthdays, Mott had a particular way of celebrating: she made candies without sugar for her guests. Mott is well known as an educator, an abolitionist, and a pioneer of women’s rights. But what did she hav

This online exhibition explore the role of the portable printing press in conveying information during the Civil War. The ability to communicate quickly in wartime can profoundly affect military actions and outcomes. The invention of portable tabletop printing presses at the time of the American

This historical investigation is aligned with the C3 Framework and is from C3teachers.org. The goal of this inquiry is to introduce students to historiography as they wrestle with historical significa

In this handheld, small booklet carried and distributed by Union soldiers, it contained the brief but powerful words of the Emancipation Proclamation. Some of those Union soldiers were African American, and they carried and read this message granting freedom to those enslaved. Have students think ab

Abraham Lincoln came to understand that to achieve a lasting peace, slavery must end. He had always opposed slavery, but had never sided with abolitionists who called for its immediate end. Lincoln had sought solutions that would make slavery gradually fade from white society—limit its location