The data presented here describe the people and the economy of the US for each state and county from 1790 to 1970. A series of lessons and activities that address constitutional issues, correlate to national academic standards, and encourage the analysis of primary source documents. The lessons that have been developed are arranged according to historical era. Top of Page American Slave Narratives , From 1936 to 1938, over 2,300 former slaves from across the American South were interviewed by writers and journalists under the aegis of the Works Progress Administration. Using a collection of interviews and oral histories of Americans from the 1930s, students explore social history in this lesson.
Students then learn to conduct oral history interviews of their own.
The Valley of the Shadow Providing an in-depth view of two communities during the Civil War, this site uses public records, newspapers, letters and other resources to paint the picture of what life was like for typical communities of the Union and the Confederacy. In this lesson students analyze a single photograph from the American Memory collection Selected Civil War Photographs, 1861-1865. Using the skills developed, students then find and analyze other images. Conclusions reached will allow students develop links between the Civil War and American industrialization. Teaching activities, historical documents, and photographs explore the issues of emancipation and military service.