Although the U.S. Constitution of 1787 strengthened the national government and provided for the reestablishment of a national navy, congressional debate on rebuilding the Navy did not begin in earnest until the end of 1793. On March 27, 1794, Congress reestablished the Navy with authorization for six vessels. In 1797 the launching of the first…

When Orville and Wilbur Wright began their studies of aviation, they did not overlook the great experts on the subject the birds. The brothers became interested in flight as children, when their father brought home a little flying toy powered by a rubber band. Later, they corresponded with the Smithsonian Institution (Washington, DC) which sent…

Life in the western United States was reshaped by a series of patents for a simple tool that helped ranchers tame the land: barbed wire. Nine patents for improvements to wire fencing were granted by the U.S. Patent Office to U.S. inventors beginning with Michael Kelly in 1868 and ending with Joseph Glidden in 1874. Vast and undefined prairies and…

Tension has existed between the legislative and the executive branches of the U.S. government over war powers since the United States Constitution simultaneously vested Congress with the power to declare war and the President with the power of Commander in Chief. When Texas declared its independence and claimed additional territory to the Rio…

On the battlefield during World War II, maintaining military secrecy went far beyond poster campaigns because it was essential for victory and breaking enemy codes was necessary to gain the advantage and shorten the war. The ability to send and receive codes without the risk of the enemy deciphering the transmission was the most desirable end…

Describes a project where students in an Iowa City, Iowa middle school recreated their town at the turn of the century using electronic and manipulative media. Discusses initial studies of structures, construction principles, and architectural terminology; student research of primary source documents and interviews with local architects; and…

This publication, the second installment of the Dwight D. Eisenhower series, spans nearly a quarter century of U.S. history and Eisenhower's life from age 20 to 45. The early military period of Eisenhower's life prepared him to assume leadership roles during World War II and his U.S. presidency. Eisenhower sometimes thought his career was going…

In 1805, a U.S. Senate committee urged the building of a road that would connect the eastern United States with the western United States. The road came to be known as the National Road (or Cumberland Road). It began in Cumberland, Maryland, and eventually reached to Vandalia, Illinois. It was the first and only U.S. road built entirely with…

Every 10 years since 1790, the U.S. government has taken a census to enumerate the population to apportion seats in the House of Representatives. In each decennial census, citizens from the famous to the unsung and the infamous appear. They include favorite figures of literature, such as Laura Ingalls and Almanzo Wilder, who were not just…

In the mid-19th century people believed religious, moral, social, or political perfection was obtainable, not unlike Mrs. Amelia Bloomer. Bloomer's battles reflected and influenced gender roles in the 19th century as the United States debated social reforms and constitutional rights, such as the right to petition and the right to vote, among…

In this lesson, students will explore daily life in the 13 original British colonies and its influences in the late 1700s for two families in different colonies--Delaware and Massachusetts. The lesson asks students to become historical detectives and learn to gather information from artifacts and make inferences about the lives and time they…

Describes the use of primary source documents and maps in a seventh-grade geography class. Maintains that 90 separate topics were divided into 6 main categories for student research. Asserts that the use of primary documents encouraged the development of the students' critical thinking skills. (CFR)

The Booker T. Washington National Monument preserves and protects the birth site and childhood home of Booker T. Washington while interpreting his life experiences and significance in U.S. history as the most powerful African American between 1895 and 1915. The programs and activities included in this guide about the Burroughs Plantation…

This lesson is based on the National Register of Historic Places registration file, "University of Virginia Historic District," and other primary and secondary materials about Thomas Jefferson and the ctreation of the University of Virginia. Thomas Jefferson did not begin the effort of designing the University of Virginia…

The Maine Folklife Center is a division of the University of Maine (Orono) College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and helps the University fulfill its mission of teaching, research, and public service. The Maine Folklife Center offers courses in folklore, oral history, and public history. This curriculum guide can help teachers fulfill the Maine…