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Classroom Resources

Historical Context: American Slavery and Abolition through Hollywood

5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Throughout the twentieth century, many influential Hollywood films, such as Birth of a Nation , Gone with the Wind , Glory , and Amistad , have helped shape the way Americans have thought about slavery and its legacy. Birth of a...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: Jacksonian Democracy

Government and Civics

9, 10, 11, 12

Reading 1: The aristocracy of our country . . . continually contrive to change their party name. It was first Tory, then Federalist, then no party . . . then National Republican, now Whig. . . . But by whatever name they reorganize...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: Indian Removal

Geography, Government and Civics

7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

Reading 1 Toward the aborigines of this country no one can indulge a more friendly feeling than myself, or would go further in attempting to reclaim them from their wandering habits and make them a happy, prosperous people. Humanity...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: Political Battles of the Jacksonian Era: The Bank War

Government and Civics

9, 10, 11, 12

Reading 1: It is to be regretted that the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their selfish purposes. Distinctions in society will always exist under every just government. Equality of talents, of education, or...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: Political Battles of the Jacksonian Era: Nullification

Economics, Government and Civics

9, 10, 11, 12

Reading 1: And, sir, let it be remembered that a revenue system, grossly and palpably unequal in itself--a system which, under the most favorable modification, would levy the entire amount of the federal taxes from one-fifth part of...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: Origins of the Cold War: The Containment Policy

Economics, Government and Civics

9, 10, 11, 12

Reading 1 Soviet power...bears within itself the seeds of its own decay, and the sprouting of these seeds is well advanced...[If] anything were ever to disrupt the unity and efficacy of the Party as a political instrument, Soviet...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: Origins of the Cold War and Soviet-American Confrontation

Economics, Government and Civics, World History

9, 10, 11, 12

Reading 1 From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague,...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: The Korean War

Economics, Government and Civics, World History

9, 10, 11, 12

Reading 1 In Korea the Government forces, which were armed to prevent border raids and to preserve internal security, were attacked by invading forces from North Korea. . . . The attack upon Korea makes it plain beyond all doubt that...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: Anti-Communism at Home

Economics, Government and Civics, World History

9, 10, 11, 12

Reading 1 Sec. 2: (a) It shall be unlawful for any person— (1) to knowingly or willfully advocate, abet, advise, or teach the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: Roots of Reform: Religion and Social Reform

Religion and Philosophy

9, 10, 11, 12

From 1801 for years a blessed revival of religion spread through almost the entire inhabited parts of the West. . . . The Presbyterians and Methodists in a great measure united in this work, met together, prayed together, and preached...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: Antebellum Social Reform

Government and Civics

9, 10, 11, 12

Reading 1: “The elementary schools throughout the state are irresponsible institutions, established by individuals, from mere motives of private speculation or gain, who are sometimes destitute of character, and frequently, of the...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: Religion and Social Reform: Abolitionism

9, 10, 11, 12

Reading 1 Assenting to the “self-evident truth” maintained in the American Declaration of Independence, “that all men are created equal, and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights” . . . I shall strenuously contend...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: Urban Political Machines

Economics, Government and Civics

9, 10, 11, 12

Reading 1 An army led by a council seldom conquers: It must have a commander-in-chief who settles disputes, decides in emergencies, inspires fear or attachment. The head of the Ring is such a commander. He dispenses places, rewards...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: The Rise of the City

Economics, Government and Civics, Religion and Philosophy

9, 10, 11, 12

Reading 1 To-day, what is a tenement? . . . When last arraigned before the bar of public justice: “It is generally a brick building from four to six stories high on the street, frequently with a store on the first floor which, when...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: Problems of Youth

9, 10, 11, 12

Reading 1 Every American boy, a hundred years ago, lived either on a farm or in such close touch with farm life that he reaped its benefits. He had all the practical knowledge that comes from country surroundings; that is, he could...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: Progressive Reform and the Trusts

Economics, Government and Civics

9, 10, 11, 12

Reading 1 The dull, purblind folly of the very rich men; their greed and arrogance . . . and the corruption in business and politics, have tended to produce a very unhealthy condition of excitement and irritation in the popular mind,...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: World War I

Economics, Government and Civics, Religion and Philosophy, World History

9, 10, 11, 12

Reading 1 The United States must be neutral in fact, as well as in name, during these days that are to try men’s souls. We must be impartial in thought, as well as action, must put a curb upon our sentiments, as well as upon every...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: Reconstruction

Government and Civics

Reading 1 We hold it to be the duty of the government to inflict condign punishment on the rebel belligerents, and so weaken their hands that they can never again endanger the Union; and so reform their municipal institutions as to...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: Slavery

Economics, Government and Civics, Religion and Philosophy

Reading 1: The whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of the...most unremitting despotism on the one part, and degrading submissions on the other.....Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: Sectional Conflict

Economics, Government and Civics

9, 10, 11, 12

Reading 1 I do not . . . hesitate to avow before this House and the country, and in the presence of the living God, that if by your legislation you seek to drive us from the territories of California and New Mexico, purchased by the...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: Secession and the Civil War

Economics, Government and Civics

9, 10, 11, 12

Reading 1 The leaders and oracles of the most powerful party in the United States have denounced us as tyrants and unprincipled heathens through the whole civilized world. They have preached it from their pulpits. They have declared...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: Conflict over Ratifying the Constitution

Government and Civics

9, 10, 11, 12

View these Guided Readings as a printable PDF.

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: African Americans after Slavery

Government and Civics

9, 10, 11, 12

Reading 1 All freedmen . . . over the age of eighteen years, found on the second Monday in January, 1866, or thereafter, with no lawful employment or business, or found unlawfully assembling themselves together, either in the day or...

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: Indian Policy

Geography, Government and Civics, Religion and Philosophy

9, 10, 11, 12

Reading 1 One [infantry] battalion...left Fort Lyon [Colorado] on the night of the 28th of November, 1864; about daybreak on the morning of the 29th of November we came in sight of the camp of friendly [Cheyenne and Arapaho] Indians.....

Guided Readings

Guided Readings: The Changing Status of Women

8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Reading 1 Man is or should be woman’s protector and defender. The natural and proper timidity and delicacy which belongs to the female sex evidently unfits it for many of the occupations of civil life. . . .The paramount destiny and...

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1,565 items

Historical Context: American Slavery and Abolition through Hollywood

Guided Readings: Jacksonian Democracy

Guided Readings: Indian Removal

Guided Readings: Political Battles of the Jacksonian Era: The Bank War

Guided Readings: Political Battles of the Jacksonian Era: Nullification

Guided Readings: Origins of the Cold War: The Containment Policy

Guided Readings: Origins of the Cold War and Soviet-American Confrontation

Guided Readings: The Korean War

Guided Readings: Anti-Communism at Home

Guided Readings: Roots of Reform: Religion and Social Reform

Guided Readings: Antebellum Social Reform

Guided Readings: Religion and Social Reform: Abolitionism

Guided Readings: Urban Political Machines

Guided Readings: The Rise of the City

Guided Readings: Problems of Youth

Guided Readings: Progressive Reform and the Trusts

Guided Readings: World War I

Guided Readings: Reconstruction

Guided Readings: Slavery

Guided Readings: Sectional Conflict

Guided Readings: Secession and the Civil War

Guided Readings: Conflict over Ratifying the Constitution

Guided Readings: African Americans after Slavery

Guided Readings: Indian Policy

Guided Readings: The Changing Status of Women

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