James Madison Center
http://www.jmu.edu/madison/center/index.htm
“The James Madison Center was founded in 1999 to honor the legacy of the nation's fourth President and Father of the United States Constitution. Located on the campus of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, the Center serves as a repository for information on Madison's life and times (1751-1836) as well as that of the Federalist Era.”
As a founding father and early president, James Madison’s career and ideology helped shape American politics. Utilizing narratives, images, and primary documents, this website illustrates his centrality to early American political history. Regarding narratives on the Madison Administration, students will find information about political parties, American expansion, U.S.-Native American relations, slavery, and the Supreme Court. Finally, browsers will find historic documents scattered throughout the website.

Land of Golden Dreams
http://www.huntington.org/Education/GoldRush/Entrance/index.htm
“The discovery of gold in California in 1848 changed the world – find out how and why! This Web presentation of the Huntington Library’s remarkable collection of Gold Rush manuscripts, drawing, and rare printed materials brings this unique event to life”
The Land of Golden Dreams exhibition ended in 2000 but thanks to a grant from the California State Library, it has been made available as an excellent web exhibit. The presentation progresses chronologically through the Gold Rush using images, documents, and background information to tell the story. Along with this exhibit there are two sets of lesson plans. The 7-12 grade level set includes eight lessons that cover topics like Manifest Destiny, routes to California, mining, gold Rush towns, racial diversity and others. The lesson plans include between ten to twenty primary sources (documents, pictures, illustrations) and document analysis sheets that help the students understand and form their own opinions of the sources. Between the online exhibit and these lesson plans, the Huntington Library lives up to its prestigious reputation. (BR)

Teaching with Documents: Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/teaching_with_documents.html#expansion
These National Archives and Records Administration lesson plans are of excellent quality. Each uses one or more primary documents to explore a topic in American History. Along with the document, there are worksheets and teaching activities provided. (BR)
The lessons plan titles are as follows:
 · The Lewis and Clark Expedition
 · Anti-Railroad Propaganda Poster: The Growth of Regionalism, 1800-1860
 · The Amistad Case
 · Lincoln's Spot Resolutions
 · The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
 · Petition of Amelia Bloomer Regarding Suffrage in the West
 · Migration North to Alaska
 · The Sioux Treaty of 1868

Teaching with Documents: Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)
http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/teaching_with_documents.html#revolution
These National Archives and Records Administration lesson plans are of excellent quality. Each uses one or more primary documents to explore a topic in American History. Along with the document, there are worksheets and teaching activities provided. (BR)
The lessons plan titles are as follows:
 · Images of the American Revolution
 · Observing Constitution Day
 · Launching the New United States Navy
 · Eli Whitney's Patent for the Cotton Gin
 · United States v. Thomas Cooper: A Violation of the Sedition Law
 · Tally of the 1824 Electoral College Vote

Territorial Kansas Online
http://www.territorialkansasonline.org/cgiwrap/imlskto/index.php
“Explore the turbulent times of ‘Bleeding Kansas.’ Hundreds of personal letters, diaries, photos, and maps bring to life the settling of Kansas during the fierce debate over slavery.”
This site is absolutely loaded with primary documents and images surrounding “Bleeding Kansas,” the debate over slavery, and the territorial process of state formation. It includes digital copies of letter, legislation (the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 et al), the Annals of Kansas, and much more. The website designers also include lesson plans covering John Brown and the Wyandotte Constitution. In creating this site, the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences, Kansas State Historical Society, and University of Kansas have done a wonderful job.