A & E Biography
http://www.biography.com
In association with the Biography Channel, this website offers the viewer access to a tremendous amount of information in the form of biographies. What makes this site so good is that there are over 25,000 biographies easily located just by typing the name of the person into the search box. As with nearly all commercial websites, there are many ads and banners that can distract from the quality content. For the purpose of biographical information, this site is an easy quick-reference page.

Ad*Access
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu:80/adaccess/
“The Ad*Access Project, funded by the Duke Endowment "Library 2000" Fund, presents images and database information for over 7,000 advertisements printed in U.S. and Canadian newspapers and magazines between 1911 and 1955.”
Advertisements and marketing schemes for commercial products offer a fascinating and entertaining glimpse into the history of our culture. Hosted by Duke University’s Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, this archive features magazine advertisements from the early to mid 20th century. It is divided thematically and also can be searched via an internal search engine. The WWII Era propaganda adds for War Bonds, rationing, and other social programs to support the war are particularly interesting and potentially usable in the classroom. Other ads for beauty and cosmetic products may not be as useful in the classroom, but amusing nonetheless. The simple organization of the archive and search engine should facilitate easy access and research. These ads could be effectively incorporated into a wide range of lessons dealing with the early 20th century and World Wars. (BR)

America on the Move
http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/
“America on the Move explores the role of transportation in American history. Visit communities wrestling with the changes that new transportation networks brought. See cities change, suburbs expand, and farms and factories become part of regional, national, and international economies. Meet people as they travel for work and pleasure, and as they move to new homes.”
For those desiring to learn more about transportation and its revolutionary effects on American society, America on the Move is the place to start. Based on an exhibition at the National Museum of American History, this website traces the evolution of transportation from the Early Republic to Modern American History. Images and historical narratives show how transportation methods influenced the size and composition of cities, businesses and commerce throughout the nation, even the types of food that Americans eat. Finally, interactive games make this website enjoyable for younger browsers, while lesson plans proffered on the site can help teachers with in class activities.

American Studies
http://xroads.virginia.edu
American Studies, from the University of Virginia, offers the visitor many great features. Among the many categories are Hypertexts (W.E.B. Dubois, R.W. Emerson, and Harriet Beecher Stowe), Cultural Maps (including Territorial Expansion, Revolutionary America, and Union Expansion), Museum Exhibits (The 1939-40 New York World’s Fair, The World’s Columbian Exposition, etc.), and The 1930s. Another great aspect to this site is that it offers an extensive section pertaining to the history of the United States Capitol building as well as a virtual tour.

America’s Library
http://americaslibrary.gov
"This Web site is brought to you from the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., the largest library in the world and the nation’s library… Here you can discover what Abe Lincoln had in his pockets on the night he was assassinated… or you can read about other ‘Amazing Americans’ such as Buffalo Bill Cody…”
America’s Library offers a fair amount of information on interesting subjects in American history. This website is broken into distinct main areas, Meet Amazing Americans (Jane Addams, Cesar Chavez, John Joseph Pershing (of Nebraska importance), Duke Ellington, etc…), Jump Back in Time (brief information on time periods such as Colonial America, The Gilded Age, The Depression, etc…), and See, Hear and Sing (among others). One great feature on this website is that in the See, Hear and Sing section one can listen to music such as George M. Cohen’s “Over There” and many other selections. Each musical selection is quick to load, along with historical information about the selection.

America’s Story from America’s Library
http://www.americasstory.com
"America's Story from America's Library" wants you to have fun with history while learning at the same time. We want to put the story back in history and show you some things that you've never heard or seen before.”
Presented by the Library of Congress, this site offers information, games, quizzes, and audio/visual material. The America at Play section talks about American leisure and pastimes and has lots of fun activities. The Meet Amazing Americans section deals with a variety of individuals from Buffalo Bill Cody to Duke Ellington and from King Kamehameha I to W.E.B. Du Bois. Throughout the site there are links to audio and video clips that are both informative and very entertaining. The site also helps contextualize the myriad of topics by placing everything on a timeline. If not anything else, this site could provide some fun supplemental material for lessons on almost any topic. (BR)

Arlington National Cemetery Homepage
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/homepage.htm
With detailed history of its grounds and information of various memorials located within Arlington, the Arlington National Cemetery Homepage is a good resource for anyone seeking information on this specific subject. Developed and maintained by Michael Patterson, the son of a former United States Army officer, the site contains information on such subjects as the cemetery’s history as written by Enoch Aquila Chase in 1929, stereographic photographs of Arlington Cemetery, and a National Geographic article on the Cemetery from 1928. Worth looking at (and listening to) are several nice audio selections from various persons buried on the grounds, including Robert F. Kennedy's remarks about the late Martin Luther King Jr.

Basic Readings in United States Democracy
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/demo.htm
This website, taken from the book of the same name, offers the viewer a tremendous amount of history through documents and pictures. The strength of this site is that it offers many interesting topics to learn about and teach in the classroom, such as "Industrial America", "On the Road from Slavery to Freedom", "Cold War Issues", and "A More Inclusive America". The information is easily found, and the topics are wide-ranging and interesting.

Belgian-American Research Collection
http://webcat.library.wisc.edu:3200/BelgAmrCol/
“A pilot project was undertaken in 1975-1976 to establish a Belgian-American Ethnic Resource Collection in the Special Collections Department of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Cofrin Library. The objective was to record the undocumented historical, social, and cultural legacy of this unique ethnic group…”
With funding provided by the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration, the Wisconsin American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, this website offers information pertaining to the Belgian-American Ethnic group. The information that can be located on this site is a good source for tracing the history of Belgians as they immigrated to this country and settled in northeastern Wisconsin. Focusing primarily in the mid 1850s onward, one can view census information from the time period, as well as some of the culture that these people encountered when they arrived, as well as the culture that they helped shape for later generations.

A Biography of America
http://www.learner.org/biographyofamerica
"A Biography of America is a telecourse and video series that presents American history as a living narrative…”
Created as the companion website to the video series and telecourse of the same name, A Biography of America does an excellent job at bringing general United States history to the visitor. The information is divided into categories broken down into time periods such as The Coming of Independence, The Civil War, and Industrial Supremacy. Each time period offers key events in the form of a time-line, maps, and a webography (which provides links to sites with primary and secondary source materials related to the specific period). The site is very well organized which makes it very easy to locate information.

A Brush with History: Paintings from the National Portrait Gallery
http://www.npg.si.edu/cexh/brush/exhibition/catalogue.htm
"The portraits in ‘A Brush with History’ date from the 1720s to the 1990s… These paintings, collected by the Gallery because of the sitter’s role in American history and culture, also form a narrative about American portraiture in all its variety…”
A Brush with History, in association with The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, is a very interesting and well thought out site. Easy to navigate through to find information, it allows the visitor a chance to view portraits of many influential people in American history with a brief description of their contribution(s). Among the list of many are Samuel F.B. Morse, Benjamin Franklin, Anne Green, Frederick Douglass, John C. Calhoun, Lena Horne, and Dolly Madison.

The Center of Military History
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/default.htm
“Ever since its formation, CMH has provided historical support to the Army Staff, contributing essential background information for decision making, staff actions, command information programs, and public statements by Army officials. In recent decades it also has progressively expanded its active role in the vital areas of military history education, the management of the Army’s museum systems, and the introduction of automated data retrieval systems.”
Sponsored and maintained by the United States Army, this website houses online publications, electronic images, and explanations of Army regulations. The digital images are divided into artwork and photography. Subjects span from the Spanish-American War to Desert Storm. They have good resolution and depict the wide spectrum of Army activities. Most importantly, the online publications for this website are loaded with information. Browsers can access literature on every major engagement in the History of the United States. The authors of these works—often active or retired servicemen and women—support their arguments with evidence and illustrations, thus making them a good source for online research.

Close Up Foundation
http://www.closeup.org
“Close Up's mission is built on the belief that textbooks and lectures alone are not enough to help students understand the democratic process and make it work.”
The Close Up Foundation website is the nation’s largest nonprofit (501(c)(3)), nonpartisan citizenship education organization which offers civic education programs for high school and middle school students, as well as teachers and adults. This site brings together a tremendous number of digitized full text documents ranging from the Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776) and the Declaration of Independence (1776), to the Declaration of Sentiments, Seneca Falls (1848) and Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963). Also worth noting on this site is the vast amount of links to other civic-related information, such as the Constitution and the three branches of our federal government.

Cuban Heritage Collection Digital
http://digital.library.miami.edu/chcdigital/chcdigital.shtml
“The CHC brings together in one repository many kinds of materials in different formats, including audiovisual resources, correspondence, illustrations, manuscripts, maps, memorabilia, photographs, postcards, and posters. Here you will find finding aids for our collections of personal and corporate papers and special format materials.”
From the Spanish-American War of 1898 to the Cuban Missile Crisis, Cuban-American relations have played a significant role in national history. In contemporary American society, these issues remain in the form of immigration, economic relations, and foreign relations. The Cuban Heritage Collection offers some of this history in the form of primary documents and photographs of Cubans, Cuban-Americans, and Cuban exiles living in the United States. The Manuel R. Bustamonte Collection contains beautiful images of Cuban society, landscape, and industry. The Tomás Estrada Palma Collection offers viewers stunning images of the Presidential Palace in Havana. Primary documents are found in abundance at this site, some in English and others in Spanish. For students and teachers seeking to learn more about Cuban culture, CHC Digital provides bibliographic sources.

Digital History
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu
“This Web site was designed and developed to support the teaching of American History in K-12 schools and colleges and is supported by the Department of History and the College of Education at the University of Houston.”
A combined project of the University of Houston, Chicago Historical Society, Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, National Park Service, Department of the Interior, and Project for the Active Teaching of American History (PATH), this information source is extensive. Digital History provides its readers with a massive list of materials including, but not limited to, a digital textbook and encyclopedia; images, pictures, interactive games and activities, and political cartoons (good for research or sheer enjoyment); lesson plans; primary documents; and a guide on writing and researching history. The latter item on this list captures the interest of those acquainted with typical on-line resources. A website offering capable suggestions and guidelines on researching and writing history is a rarity. The lessons teach students and novices valuable tools such as choosing a topic, finding primary sources, locating information in journals, and utilizing archives and local institutions. Finally, Digital History contains links to other websites and organizations. Overall, this site is a useful and easily accessible source of information.

The Educator’s Reference Desk: Resources Guide
http://www.eduref.org
“While the U.S. Department of Education will discontinue the AskERIC service December 19th, you will still have access to the resources you've come to depend upon. Through The Educator's Reference Desk (http://www.eduref.org) you can access AskERIC's 2,000+ lesson plans, 3,000+ links to online education information, and 200+ question archive responses.”
The Educator’s Reference Desk is a teacher’s paradise for lesson plans, resource guides, and of course, access to ERIC. Lesson plans are easily accessed and contain some wonderful activities. Students should find the Indian Leather Painting and Roanoke Mystery lessons entertaining. If a teacher prefers research oriented assignments to group activities, the site provides a myriad of choices. Overall, this is an exceptional tool for research and lesson planning. It is definitely worth book marking.

Encyclopaedia of USA History:
Immigration to the United States of America 1840-1960
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAimmigration.htm
The Encyclopaedia of United States History, from The Spartacus Internet Encyclopedia, offers an interesting look into European Emigration to the United States from 1829-1920. An interesting feature of this site is that it offers statistics on immigration and occupation, immigration and crime, and immigration and literacy (among others). By providing information on events and issues dealing with immigrants such as the Haymarket Bombing and The Red Scare (1919-20), this site effectively provides the visitor with a complete look into the lives and influence(s) of immigrants.


The Evolution of the Conservation Movement: 1850 - 1920
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/amrvhtml/conshome.html
“The Evolution of the Conservation Movement, 1850-1920 documents the historical formation and cultural foundations of the movement to conserve and protect America's natural heritage, through books, pamphlets, government documents, manuscripts, prints, photographs, and motion picture footage drawn from the collections of the Library of Congress. The collection consists of 62 books and pamphlets, 140 Federal statutes and Congressional resolutions, 34 additional legislative documents, excerpts from the Congressional Globe and the Congressional Record, 360 Presidential proclamations, 170 prints and photographs, 2 historic manuscripts, and 2 motion pictures.”
The synopsis above, taken from the Library of Congress website, makes clear the impressive content of this virtual exhibit. The most obvious value are the number and range of primary documents dealing with the Conservation Movement. The time period spans 70 years and organizes the content into a timeline. Within the timeline is information about events and links to the aforementioned primary sources. The events in the timeline are described in an easily understandable fashion and the primary sources are an excellent supplement. The exhibit may also be searched by a number of parameters and is easily navigable. This is a great blend of primary documents with the necessary background information and historical context.

Eye Witness to History: History Through the Eyes of Those Who Lived It
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/
This is one of the most user-friendly and informative collections of primary documents available on the Internet. It includes both the primary documents and background information to help contextualize the primary sources. The documents are all eyewitness accounts of the different historical events. Each entry first gives historical background, then introduces the eyewitness and then gives their account. Citations for the primary sources are provided. The documents are split up into chronological and thematic categories. The “Voices from the 20th Century” has a good selection of audio clips including presidential speeches, the crash of the Hindenburg and many others. The Snapshots offers similar glimpses into history through photographs. The presentation of primary documents in this contextualized fashion is an excellent resource. The casual browser could easily spend hours reading and exploring the fascinating content presented on this site. (BR)

Famous Trials (by Doug Linder 2002)
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/ftrials.htm
This is yet another site created by Doug Linder (professor of law at the University of Missouri-Kansas City) that deals with, as the site title suggests, famous trials in American history. Some of the different trials to chose from (among many) are the Salem witch trials of 1692, the Lincoln assassination trial of 1865, the Johnson impeachment trial of 1868, the Lindbergh baby trial of 1935, and the O.J. Simpson trial of 1995. What makes this site so good is the fact that with all of the trials there are trial records, evidence, and even pictures or images (depending on how long ago the trial was). With so much information to view on this site it would definitely be worth visiting if a mock trial were being considered for the classroom!

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
http://www.gilderlehrman.org/
“Founded in 1994, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History promotes the study and love of American history. Increasingly national and international in scope, the Institute’s initiatives target audiences ranging from students to scholars to the general public.”
This website contains a wide range of useful resources for teachers, students, and history fanatics. From the digital collections, readers can access original documents, letters, literature, and artwork. The Lehrman collection spans a significant portion of American history, and the digital reproductions are of a very high quality. In addition to general information and special collections, teachers visiting the site will discover a wide variety of lesson plans. They generally include easy-to-follow outlines; an overview of the time period; primary documents; reading assignments accompanied by review questions; high quality pictures; quizzes; timelines; detailed maps; a recommended readings list; and the sources utilized while formulating the lesson plan. The daily assignments focus on instructing students in the proper use of archives, databases, primary and secondary sources, and other history resources. Moreover, the activities are group-oriented to nurture social skills and teamwork.

Great Lakes Maritime History Project
http://webcat.library.wisc.edu:3200/GreatLakes/
“The state of Wisconsin has a proud and colorful history. One of its richest and most romantic chapters is its maritime history, staged on the waters of Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, on hundreds of smaller lakes and a whole network of rivers. Much of that fascinating story has been captured in photography and art and this web site brings to the public eye some of its highlights.”
The collaborative effort of various Wisconsin state agencies, Great Lakes Maritime History Project visually reveals the story of maritime activity on Wisconsin waters. The web site provides browsers with quality visual images and a small collection of videos. Perusing the various snapshots, one realizes the breadth of activity that occurred on these lakes and rivers. When addressing the role of maritime traffic in frontier trading, state settlement, colonization, and modern industry in the Great Lake states, these images magnify the dynamic nature of these processes. Great Lakes Maritime History Project also provides its visitors with links to other Wisconsin historical societies. It would be well worth the reader’s time to visit these links, as some contain historical documents, newspaper articles, government documents, and images.

Historical Census Browser
http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/histcensus/
“The data presented here describe the population and economy of U.S. states and counties from 1790 to 1960. The available data differ somewhat from decade to decade, according to what was collected in the census and the items chosen for transcription to electronic form. For the early decades, most of the characteristics have been transcribed.”
This website is an amazing resource, especially for students to which accessing Census data may seem a daunting task. This website allows you to choose a census year, pick variables and view the results. Once those results are processed, variables can be added or deleted to further expand or focus the results. Variables such as General Populations Education, Economy, Ethnicity, Agriculture and Slave Population can be traced over time and compared by region, age, gender and other variables. This usage of this website would make for an excellent assignment or paper. It allows students to easily access and analyze census information and could be easily incorporated into a challenging assignment. BR

History Now
http://www.historynow.org/03_2005/index.html
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History presents here their quarterly journal, History Now. Issues of the journal each focus on a certain aspect of American History. Now on its 3rd issue, the topics covered so far have been Elections, Slavery and Primary Sources, and Immigration. Each issue contains articles from well renowned historians, lesson plans submitted by teachers and interactive activities or resources. In addition, there is also a question and answer forum with the archivist and list of useful online resources relevant to the issue’s topic. The lesson plans and interactive resources will definitely be useful and interesting for teachers. However, the scholarly articles should not be overlooked. They represent excellent scholarship and provide the strong historical background and context needed for understanding and teaching these topics.

A Hypertext on American History
http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/usa.htm
"...a World Wide Web-site dedicated to the pre-World War I history of the United States of America..."
A Hypertext on American History, maintained and managed by the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, offers a unique experience. Not only are there many documents pertaining to United States history, but there are also essays written on many subjects, which serve to offer some non-American, global perspectives on American matters. The information on this site is easy to locate as it is organized by time period and subject.

Immigration: The Changing Face of America
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/features/immig/immigration_set1.html
“This feature presentation links educators to primary sources from the Library of Congress' online collections. These Web resources can make history come alive for students! The feature provides an introduction to the study of immigration to the United States. It is far from the complete story, and focuses only on the immigrant groups that arrived in greatest numbers during the 19th and early 20th centuries.”
As conceded by this website’s overview, it is only an introduction to U.S. immigration. Nevertheless, it is definitely worth looking at as it goes far beyond an average cursory introduction. Along the left hand side of the main page there are small images that link to different nationalities of immigrants. Within each section, the story of that group’s immigration to the United States is summarized. These presentations are enhanced by the inclusion of primary source materials from the Library of Congress (mainly images). Other Library of Congress websites with relevant information are also linked within these summaries. The historical information and explanations give an excellent picture of the reasons for, modes of and diverse groups that participated in U.S. immigration. Other features include several interactive games provided for students about the “Irish” language and Native American place names, interviews with recent U.S. immigrants, an international cookbook and a few excellent teacher lesson plans. This website is indeed an excellent introduction to U.S. immigration and offers many avenues for more in-depth investigation and interest. (BR)

The Innocents Abroad
http://library.thinkquest.org/C006287/
“The Innocents Abroad is a discussion of how American foreign policy has been shaped by the men who made it and the unique political environment they made it in…”
As another ThinkQuest website created by pre-collegiate students, The Innocents Abroad does a good job at presenting specific, topical information in an easy-to-follow site format. The visitor to this site can view the information not only in chronological order (represented in a timeline), but also by specific name(s). There is an in-depth section with key events that the timeline does not have room to address, as well as a section for Policy Today. Of particular interest on this website is a section of online resources for the educator with external site links to lesson plans.

International Quilt Study Center
http://www.quiltstudy.org
“The INTERNATIONAL QUILT STUDY CENTER was established to encourage the interdisciplinary study of all aspects of quiltmaking and to foster preservation of this tradition. The IQSC's mission is two-fold: to study those past and present who have practiced the tradition, the objects they have made and the materials they have used, and to collect, conserve and exhibit quilts and associated textiles.”
Founded by the Department of Textile, Clothing, and Design in the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska, the International Quilt Study Center houses over 1,650 quilts from around the world. The program started in April 1997 with the Ardis and Robert James Collection. Since then, the center has received the Robert & Helen Cargo Collection, the Sarah Miller Amish Crib Quilt Collection, and the Jonathan Holstein Quilt Collection. The International Quilt Study Center employs an interdisciplinary approach to study quilts as an art form, and to understand the spiritual and artistic significance of these textiles. The website reflects the breadth of this collection. For those interested in this subject, the IQSC provides dates and information on new exhibits, conferences, and collections. The site also has a search engine that allows visitors to see the vast array of quilts. Although there are a few images with unclear resolution, the majority of the digital pictures reveal breathtaking quilts of various themes and cultural origins. While this website is relatively new, the content offers browsers a relatively in depth view of the world of quilt making. Hopefully, future additions to the site will give the browsers a general overview of the quilts, as well as a guide to understanding their meanings.

Internet Modern History Sourcebook
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook.html
“The Internet Modern History Sourcebook is one of a series of history primary sourcebooks. It is intended to serve the needs of teachers and students in college survey courses in modern European history and American history, as well as in modern Western Civilization and World Cultures.”
This site covers a wide variety of subjects, countries, and time periods. Nonetheless, American history students and teachers can benefit greatly from its resources. Speeches from World War II leaders, charters from British colonies in the Americas, or general American History documents are found on this website in an easily referenced, easily accessed format. Moreover, the designers provide links to images, maps, and audio/visual format. For instance, browsers can access pre-1920 Victrola recordings from one of the links. Last but not least, teachers can accentuate their lectures or group activities by using the primary materials located on this site. Overall, a great, comprehensive website on modern history.

The Internet Public Library
http://www.ipl.org
The Internet Public Library basically provides visitors with an on-line library of electronic sources and links to various sites. For teachers and students, this site has much to offer. First, the IPL search engine quickly locates other websites that house primary and secondary sources. Second, students at all levels can use IPL to hone their writing, research, and study skills. There is an especially nice selection under the “TeenSpace” topic that helps high school students learn how to write a research paper or project, and how to overcome some of the dread that comes with large projects. Overall, this is a wonderful site.

Links to the Past: National Park Service Cultural Resources
http://www.cr.nps.gov/history.htm
"Today, more than half of the 386 park areas administered by the National Park Service have been set aside as symbols and evidence of our history and prehistory."
The main goal of this website is to offer the visitor history of the United States through the many American national parks. There is quite a bit of information on this website, and as the individual park histories vary, the information found here is interesting and just as varied. This website does offer a new way to look at our country's history by reconnecting our national landmarks with their own personal stories.

Massachusetts Historical Society
http://www.masshist.org/welcome
“In the two centuries since the founding of the MHS, its mission has remained constant: to collect, preserve, and communicate historical information about Massachusetts and the nation to the widest possible audience.”
The Massachusetts Historical Society website surveys a wide spectrum of the state’s history. Utilizing primary documents, pictures, illustrations, maps, and narratives, this site gives browsers an introduction to the defining events of Massachusetts history, and in some cases, American History. Also, teachers can access a lesson plan on John Quincy Adams. The lesson plan is applicable for an individual or classroom setting, and the web team has provided the necessary text and images. Finally, this site deserves high marks for accessibility. Browsers should experience minimal difficulty finding what they need here.

National Park Service Data Information
Site URL: http://www.nps.gov/gis/data_info/clearinghouse.html
“The National Park Service Data and Information Web site contains several helpful links for data related to the Parks.”
The National Park Service Data Information Web site offers the visitor national and regional data sets in such areas as civil war and land status, local/regional historic and scenic trails, and information on the Virgin Islands. All of the information is in a well-designed and easily “browseable” format that utilizes an interactive map, making information retrieval very quick whether you are looking for general or specific state information. Some of the more interesting information can be found in the Civil War section that contains information on battery positions, burials, forts, guns, historical campsites, and the railroad.

Nebraska Studies
http://www.nebraskastudies.org/
“Nebraskastudies.org offers teachers, students, and history buffs access to archival photos, documents, letter, video segments, maps and more – capturing the life and history of Nebraska from pre-1500 to the present.”
This is by far one of the best websites on Nebraska history. It not only offers some amazing resources, but it does so in a very organized and easily navigable way. The site is set up on a timeline stretching from pre-1500 to the present. Within each segment there is a timeline featuring important events in Nebraska history as well as corresponding events on the national and international scene. Each topic includes extensive historical analysis, primary documents, stories, images and audio/visual resources. The Tools section provides teachers some useful worksheets and resources on interpreting and understanding primary documents. There is also a Teacher Resources section that provides full lesson plans complete with primary documents, worksheets, student assignments and quizzes. Teachers will find here not only ideas for lesson topics, but also background information for their own understanding and more than enough resources for bringing it into the classroom. The site should definitely be examined by any teacher wanting to teach lessons on almost any topic in Nebraska history. BR

The New Americans
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/newamericans/
“Follow a diverse group of immigrants and refugees as they leave their home and families behind and learn what it means to be new Americans in the 21st century.”
Based on a PBS series, this website gives a rich and fascinating glimpse into the current events of a historic and integral part of U.S. History – immigration. One of the best ways to understand historical phenomena is to investigate their current counterparts, and immigration is a subject in which this technique works especially well. The issues, trials and problems faced by U.S. immigrants in centuries past are still faced today by the immigrants entering our country. On this website there are interactive activities, audio and video clips from the series, immigrant stories and an excellent section on immigrant culture. Most useful are the set of lesson plans found under the “For Teachers” section. The questions asked of students in these lesson plans do an excellent job of helping them relate and connect with peoples they are separated from by culture, experiences and time. Nearly all of the United States has a recent immigrant past, and these lesson plans, TV series and website can help us better understand that past.

Our Documents
http://www.ourdocuments.gov
This new site, consisting primarily at the moment of constitutional history information, will be adding three new documents weekly from their list of the “100 Milestone Documents” (documents that have influenced the course of human history). This site has high resolution images with pertinent text and history in PDF format making it easily printed. The downside to this is the large file sizes and thus the long time taken to download the files. Also worth mentioning is the section on this website titled the Teacher’s Toolbox, which will provide key resources for working with the 100 milestone documents in the classroom.

An Outline of American History
http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/history/toc.htm
"'An Outline Of American History' is one of the oldest continuing publications of the United States Information Agency (USIA) the entire volume has been extensively revised by the staff editors."
An Outline of American History-online offers all of the information from the textbook in an easy to follow (and locate) format. This website is very well organized; it not only breaks the information down by chapter headings, but also into individual subjects from each chapter. Because it is so well organized, this site and content would make a great quick-reference guide for educators and students. With so much information offered, this site is helpful in finding not only constitutional history, but also general American history.

PBS – American Experience
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/index.html
“As television's longest-running, most-watched history series, American Experience brings to life the incredible characters and epic stories that helped form this nation. American Experience Online premiered in November of 1995 and has since won accolades from viewers and critics alike. To date, American Experience Online has produced over 85 feature sites.”
This resource is valuable as a companion to the PBS American Experience programs or simply as a resource website. Be sure to check first with the season schedule to see what programs are going to be run soon on your local PBS station. The program sites are listed thematically, alphabetically, and chronologically. They can also be searched by keyword. Within each site there are primary documents, biographies and often games, video clips and other multimedia resources. There is a good selection of topics so it should be easy to find something of interest. This site would be great for students to learn about new topics and find out what events in history interest them the most. If coupled with a viewing of one of the programs, the teacher resources would prove very helpful to facilitate good classroom activities. BR

Smithsonian National Museum of American History
http://americanhistory.si.edu/
Brought to you by the Smithsonian National Museum, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History offers some great online virtual exhibitions. These exhibitions include both pictures and educator sections on such topics as September 11, West Point, July 1942, and the American presidency. The information is easily located thanks to a great timeline that uses objects from the museum’s own collection as visual markers. With a great search function, in coordination with the timeline feature, this website makes researching for information, pictures, visual aids, etc. pertaining to American history quick and easy.

The Social Studies Help Center
http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/index.html
“Social Studies help for the 11th grade American History and 12th grade Economics and AP Government. There are class notes, numerous Supreme Court case summaries and information on how to write a research paper inside.”
David K. Miller, a teacher of 12 years and recently promoted assistant principal, started this website six years ago to help his students with their social studies classes. Since its inception, it has grown to include information ranging from American History to AP American Government. History materials include narratives about the major issues, periods, and events, which are reinforced with a variety of primary documents. Also, students looking to supplement their class notes can find resources here, since portions of his material come in the form of outlines. Just as important, Mr. Miller offers his visitors information on writing a research paper and documenting sources. Teachers also stand to gain from this website. There is a section with sample rubrics for general assignments or thematic papers. Finally, Miller supplements his website by providing links to others.

Statistical Summary: America’s Major Wars
http://www.cwc.lsu.edu/other/stats/warcost.htm
The Statistical Summary: America’s Major Wars website from the Civil War Center brings together statistical information from every major American war. While there is not a tremendous amount of information, the information found on this page would be a nice statistical supplement to any classroom discussion. The statistics offered on this page break down into three main categories: Military Participation Ratio, Casualties, and Financial Cost. This page is a good source for quick facts for the classroom.

Subject Research Guides: American and British History
http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/rr_gateway/research_guides/history/history.shtml
This is one of the most impressive portal sites around! It is hosted as a research guide by Rutgers University Libraries. Besides the enormous content of the site, it is wonderfully organized. The categories are Reference Resources, Archival and MSS. Guides, General History Portals, Sites Organized by Subject, Sites Organized by Period, Full-text Documents by Period and History Associations & History Listservs. Obviously, there are a wide variety of research approaches offered. Within each category, there are hundreds of links that include explanatory annotations. Although much of the content deals with British history as indicated in the sites title there is an equal amount of American history resources. The resources on American history merit the time requisite to sorting through any unrelated British links. (BR)

Teaching American History
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/
This website, hosted by the Ashbrook Center for Public Affairs at Ashland University, offers some very useful resources. Foremost is the digital library. It offers an extensive selection of documents on American political thought from the revolution through the 20th century. The documents are organized chronologically in the Founding, Expansion, Civil War, Progressive and Post World War II Eras. Within each Era, the documents are listed by author and topic as well as in a category entitled “General Readings.” This additional category offers a host of other significant documents related to the time period. One feature that sets this digital library apart from others of similar content is its internal search engine that makes browsing and researching much easier. This collection is an indispensable collection of the most important primary documents in American History and should be used often in lesson planning and presentation. Also available on this website are audio recordings of lectures and seminar presentation on various topics. Another feature is a link to all Teaching American History Grant websites. (BR)

Teaching the Journal of American History
http://www.indiana.edu/~jah/teaching/
"Teaching the JAH uses online tools to bridge the gap between the latest scholarly research…”
This website, as the title would suggest, is primarily for educators, although there is excellent information located here for students as well. Located on this site are not only links to past Journal of American History articles, but also a Current Feature selection. With both past and current selections, there is information on how to teach the article, and how to better incorporate primary sources into the lesson (links to the sources are included). With each feature there is also a list of articles and books one can read for further information on the topic addressed; reading for both educators and students.

Teaching with Historic Places
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/
“Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) uses properties listed in the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places to enliven history, social studies, geography, civics, and other subjects. TwHP has created a variety of products and activities that help teachers bring historic places into the classroom.”
One of the struggles for history teachers is to help students connect with the historical events being taught. One way to make history more relevant and approachable for students is to use tangible artifacts or historic places. This website offers over 100 lesson plans that use historic places to teach broader trends. The lesson plans are complete with historical information, pictures and activities. These lesson plans can be searched by location or theme. If a particularly difficult concept needs to be taught in class, hopefully there will be a historic place lesson plan that will help illustrate and explain the topic. There is only one lesson plan from Nebraska, but many from the Great Plains. The lesson plans survey a good range of social and cultural topics and could be easily and effectively used in any U.S. history class. (BR)

This Day in History
http://www.historychannel.com/tdih
Brought to you by The History Channel, This Day in History offers the visitor a chance to view key events that occurred on the current day in history. One can even choose the subject that they want to view for the daily fact such as The Civil War, Cold War History, Old West History, Vietnam History, and World War II History among others. This Day in History offers educators good information that could be used effectively to focus the attention of the classroom at the beginning of the period.

United States Air Force Museum
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/index.htm
“The USAF Museum (USAFM) portrays the history and traditions of the United States Air Force through specialized displays and exhibition of historical items at the USAFM. The museum manages the worldwide USAF Museum System (USAFMS) for museums and historical property, maintaining accountability for all USAF historical property.”
The United States Air Force Museum website provides visitors with detailed information about military airplanes used since World War I. The descriptions come with high-quality photographs, design specifications, and an explanation of the machines’ purposes. Moreover, the web designers included a section about major American conflicts and the role of the USAF. Overall, this is a great site. The historical narratives are very informative and accessible to a wide range of people. This site is definitely useful to students and teachers interested in military history.

U.S. Army Military History Institute
http://carlisle-www.army.mil/usamhi/
"USAMHI collects, organizes, preserves, and makes available source materials on American military history to the defense community, academic researchers, and the public…”
The U.S. Army Military History Institute website offers the visitor information on nearly every major war in our country’s history. Located on this site is a great digital library where one can access information searchable by chronological order or alphabetical listing. As it seems that the information is nearly all saved in PDF format, one would need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on their computer to properly view their findings. Also of interest on this site are many good military photographs from wartime as well as oral histories.

United States Historical Documents Archive
http://www.ushda.org
United States Historical Documents Archive does a good job at presenting a lot of material for the viewer in an easy to locate manner. Information on this site is separated not only by period (ex. 17th & 18th centuries), but also by topic/subject. Some of the subjects the viewer is able to choose from are general history, Federalist Papers, Speeches and Songs, Inaugural and Farewell addresses, etc. Also of importance, this site presents information on the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution.

Wars and Conflicts of the United States Navy
http://www.history.navy.mil/wars/index.html
Wars and Conflicts of the United States Navy is a site located on the United States Naval Historical Center home page. There is a lot of textual information on this site, but after taking a few moments to orientate themselves, the visitor is able to locate information easily. This site provides information on specific dates in American naval history, the general history of the United States Navy, casualties (“U.S. Navy and Marine Corps personnel killed and wounded in wars, conflicts and incidents with hostile forces, 1775-present”), and Instances of Use of United States Forces Abroad (1798 – 1993). On tremendously valuable asset of this site is its Naval History By Period section that allows the visitor easy access to a lot of detailed information.

Within These Walls
http://americanhistory.si.edu/house/home.asp
Within These Walls, from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, brings an interesting look at our nation’s history through the history of one house. This site tells the story of five families who lived in this house over a 200 year period, focusing on the impact that the families had on the political environment around them. Through stories of meetings with important historical figures in their kitchens and parlors, and everyday choices and personal acts of courage and sacrifice, this site is able to bring social and political history to the visitor in an interesting format. The one drawback to this site is that it takes a while to load because it utilizes Flash technology. Even the non-Flash version seems to take some time. However, having said all that, this site does present the visitor with some very good resources and pictures from the historical time period in question.

WWW-VL HISTORY: UNITED STATES
http://vlib.iue.it/history/USA/
Hosted and maintained by the University of Kansas, this site, while not too flashy, does offer a lot of information on many subjects in American history. There are many areas to choose from ranging from pre-Europeans to the present, and covering many areas such as the revolutionary and civil war. One of this sites strength lies in the fact that every subject area addressed is quickly identified and seen on the main page either in subject topics or chronological periods, thereby eliminating a lot of scrolling and "surfing" time.