Primary Source Sets

Primary source collections exploring topics in history, literature, and culture developed by educators — complete with teaching guides for class use.

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California Gold Rush
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
- US History,
- Migration
Treaty of Versailles and the End of World War I
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
Cotton Gin and the Expansion of Slavery
- Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s),
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
Pablo Picasso's Guernica and Modern War
- The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
- World History,
- Arts
Victorian Era
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861),
- The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)
Immigration through Angel Island
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
Beginnings of the American Red Cross
- The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900),
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
- US History,
- Women
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
- The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
- American Literature
Commodore Perry’s Expedition to Japan
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
- US History,
- World History
Women and the Temperance Movement
- The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)
Fake News in the 1890s: Yellow Journalism
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
- US History
Reservations, Resistance, and the Indian Reorganization Act, 1900-1940
Second Ku Klux Klan and The Birth of a Nation
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
- US History,
- Social Movements
John Brown's Raid on Harper’s Ferry
- Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
- US History,
- Social Movements
Space Race
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
- US History,
- Science and Technology
World War II’s Eastern Front: Operation Barbarossa
- The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
- World History
Cuban Immigration After the Revolution, 1959-1973
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
Exodusters: African American Migration to the Great Plains
- The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)
Frank Lloyd Wright and Modern American Architecture
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
- US History,
- Arts
Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie and the Urbanization of Chicago
- The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900),
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
- US History,
- American Literature
Eugenics Movement in the United States
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
- American Literature,
- African Americans
Mormon Migration
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
- US History,
- Migration
The American Whaling Industry
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
- US History
The Columbian Exchange
- Three Worlds Meet (Beginnings to 1620)
Lyndon Johnson's Great Society
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
- US History,
- Law and Government
Elie Wiesel's Night and the Holocaust
- The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945),
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
- American Literature,
- World History
The Panic of 1837
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
- US History
Truth, Justice, and the Birth of the Superhero Comic Book
- The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
- US History,
- Arts
Cherokee Removal and the Trail of Tears
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
Pop Art in the US
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
- US History,
- Arts
Battle of Gettysburg
- Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
- US History
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
- American Literature,
- Women
Nineteenth-Century Schools for the Deaf and Blind
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
- US History,
- Social Movements
Blackface Minstrelsy in Modern America
- The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900),
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
Stonewall and Its Impact on the Gay Liberation Movement
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s),
- Contemporary United States (1968 to the present)
- US History,
- Social Movements
Powhatan People and the English at Jamestown
- Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763)
- US History,
- Native Americans
Voting Rights Act of 1965
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
Revolutionary War Turning Points: Saratoga and Valley Forge
- Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)
- US History
The Rise of Italian Fascism and Its Influence on Europe
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930),
- The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
Dutch New Netherland
- Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763)
- US History
Women in the Civil War
- Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
- US History,
- Women
Ida B. Wells and Anti-Lynching Activism
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
- Contemporary United States (1968 to the present)
- American Literature,
- Native Americans
Environmental Preservation in the Progressive Era
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
ACT UP and the AIDS Crisis
- Contemporary United States (1968 to the present)
- US History,
- Social Movements
World War I: America Heads to War
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
- US History,
- Law and Government
Puerto Rican Migration to the US
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
The Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1878
- The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)
- US History,
- Science and Technology
The Underground Railroad and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
- Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
When Miners Strike: West Virginia Coal Mining and Labor History
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
- US History,
- Labor History
Fannie Lou Hamer and the Civil Rights Movement in Rural Mississippi
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
- Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)
- World History,
- Law and Government
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs
- Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
There is No Cure for Polio
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
- US History,
- Science and Technology
The Equal Rights Amendment
- Contemporary United States (1968 to the present)
Japanese American Internment During World War II
- The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763),
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
- American Literature
Boomtimes Again: Twentieth-Century Mining in the Mojave Desert
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930),
- The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
Settlement Houses in the Progressive Era
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
- US History,
- Women
Spanish Missions in California
- Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
The United Farm Workers and the Delano Grape Strike
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
- Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877),
- The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)
- American Literature
Full Steam Ahead: The Steam Engine and Transportation in the Nineteenth Century
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
- US History,
- Science and Technology
The Poetry of Maya Angelou
- Contemporary United States (1968 to the present)
The Fifteenth Amendment
- Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
Busing & Beyond: School Desegregation in Boston
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
- US History,
- African Americans
Immigration and Americanization, 1880-1930
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
- US History,
- Migration
The American Indian Movement, 1968-1978
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
Patronage and Populism: The Politics of the Gilded Age
- The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)
- US History,
- Law and Government
The Watsons Go To Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s),
- Contemporary United States (1968 to the present)
- American Literature,
- African Americans
Feeding the Hungry with Food Stamp Programs
- The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945),
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
- US History,
- Law and Government
African American Soldiers in World War I
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
- US History,
- African Americans
Women of the Antebellum Reform Movement
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
The Poetry of Emily Dickinson
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
- American Literature,
- Women
Latin American Revolutionaries
- Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)
- World History,
- Law and Government
Texas Revolution
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
- US History,
- Law and Government
The Invention of the Telephone
- The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)
- US History,
- Science and Technology
The Boston Tea Party
- Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)
- US History,
- Law and Government
The Homestead Strike
- The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)
- US History,
- Labor History
Exploration of the Americas
- Three Worlds Meet (Beginnings to 1620)
The New Woman
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
The Populist Movement
- The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)
- US History,
- Labor History
Attacks on American Soil: Pearl Harbor and September 11
- The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945),
- Contemporary United States (1968 to the present)
- US History,
- World History
Colonial Religion
- Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763)
- US History
The Wounded Knee Massacre
- The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)
- US History,
- Native Americans
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
- Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763),
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
- American Literature
Rise of Conservatism in the 1980s
- Contemporary United States (1968 to the present)
- US History,
- Law and Government
Women and the Blues
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
Beloved by Toni Morrison
- Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877),
- Contemporary United States (1968 to the present)
Electrifying America
- The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)
- US History,
- Science and Technology
The Great Migration
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
The War of 1812
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
- US History
Northern Draft Riots During the Civil War
- Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
- US History
Rock 'n' Roll: Beginnings to Woodstock
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
- Arts,
- Social Movements
Social Realism
- The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
- Arts,
- Social Movements
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
- American Literature,
- Women
Creating the US Constitution
- Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)
- US History,
- Law and Government
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
- The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
- American Literature
The Golden Age of Broadway
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
- Arts
Jitterbugs, Swing Kids, and Lindy Hoppers
- The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
- Arts
Secession of the Southern States
- Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
- US History,
- Law and Government
The New Deal
- The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
- US History,
- Law and Government
Manifest Destiny
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
- US History,
- Native Americans
Henry Clay: The Great Compromiser
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
- US History,
- Law and Government
Cross-Cultural Colonial Conflicts
- Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763)
- US History,
- Native Americans
Shays' Rebellion
- Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)
- US History,
- Law and Government
The Hudson River School
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
- Arts
The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston
- Contemporary United States (1968 to the present)
Visual Art During the Harlem Renaissance
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
Women’s Suffrage: Campaign for the Nineteenth Amendment
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
The Homestead Acts
- The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)
The Scopes Trial
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
World War II: Women on the Home Front
- The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
- US History,
- Women
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
- Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
- American Literature,
- Women
Postwar Rise of the Suburbs
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
- US History
The Freedmen's Bureau
- Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
The Panama Canal
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
- US History,
- World History
The American Abolitionist Movement
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
American Imperialism: The Spanish-American War
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
- US History
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
- The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
- American Literature
The Transatlantic Slave Trade
- Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763)
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
- Contemporary United States (1968 to the present)
- American Literature
The Colonies: Motivations and Realities
- Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763)
- US History
Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln
- Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
Perspectives on the French and Indian War
- Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763)
- US History
The Atomic Bomb and the Nuclear Age
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
- US History,
- Science and Technology
Negro League Baseball
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
- US History,
- African Americans
Jacksonian Democracy?
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
The Black Power Movement
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
American Indian Boarding Schools
- The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)
- US History,
- Native Americans
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
- American Literature
The Lewis and Clark Expedition
- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
- US History,
- Native Americans
The Impact of Television on News Media
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
- US History
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
- Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
- American Literature,
- Women
Mexican Labor and World War II: The Bracero Program
- The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
Early Chinese Immigration to the US
- The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
- Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
Road to Revolution: 1763-1776
- Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)
- US History,
- Law and Government