“In October 1792, the United States of America was still a new country, not even a decade old, fresh from a complete government overhaul just four years earlier. With only one federal election by that point, and one president, it was a nation long on ambition, but short on history. There were hero

“The attacks of September 11, 2001, shocked the nation. Nearly 3,000 people were killed and thousands more injured after Islamic extremists hijacked planes and flew them into the World Trade Center buildings and the Pentagon; a fourth plane, bound for D.C., was brought down by intervening passenge

This rare silk banner was probably carried in a public parade in Philadelphia in the mid to late 1790s. Its elaborate design suggests the importance of such festivals, which provided a place for many Americans, voters and non-voters, to express patriotic sentiments or partisan views on current ev

Following independence, citizens of the new nation sought to forge their own identity and create a unique history. They established holidays such as the Fourth of July and later Thanksgiving Day and chronicled the story of America from the landing at Plymouth Rock through the Founding Fathers and

Before the advent of radio and motion pictures, art and illustration were the primary forms of mass communication. With the outbreak of World War I, governments, militaries, and service organizations hired artists and illustrators to depict the ravages of war and to rally patriotism. Poster image

In 1776 Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence on this portable desk of his own design. It features a hinged writing board and a locking drawer for papers, pens, and inkwell. By the summer of 1776 members of the Second Continental Congress prepared to declare thei

This historical investigation is aligned with the C3 Framework and is from C3teachers.org. This inquiry is focused on the compelling question “Is protest patriotic?” The question challenges the no

This historical investigation is aligned with the C3 Framework and is from C3teachers.org. This eighth grade annotated inquiry places students in the middle of an important debate—a debate that goes

This historical investigaiton is aligned with the C3 Framework and is from C3teachers.org. Throughout this inquiry students investigate the complex interconnected roles of individuals and groups as we

This searchable site from Thinkport/Maryland Public Television offers lesson plans and interactives on the War of 1812 from the National Park Service, Star-Spangled Banner Flag House, and related historic sites.