The Dirksen Congressional Center
Congress Link: Lesson Plans
The Dirksen Congressional Center provides abundant lesson plans on all aspects of the US Congress and the US Constitution. All lessons contain time frames, objectives, and links to material, and are built around Bloom's taxonomy.
Digital History
Digital History: Religious Freedom and the Founders
Read the background for the Founding Fathers' support of freedom of religion and separation of church and state. Included are parts of letters in which George Washington and Thomas Jefferson celebrate the fact that the United States was...
Digital History
Digital History: Alexander Hamilton's Financial Program
Young Alexander Hamilton was the first Secretary of the Treasury. Read about his ideas for reducing the huge national debt, and see how his views of the nation and national government were so different from Thomas Jefferson's.
Digital History
Digital History: Hamilton and Jefferson the Men and Their Philosophies [Pdf]
Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton played a huge role not only in crafting important documents in U.S. history, but also by serving as secretaries in George Washington's first cabinet. Read about their diametrically opposing...
Digital History
Digital History: Years of Crisis
It's not surprising the United States would have challenges in its first years. Read about the problems with foreign countries, its own citizens who resisted taxes, and dealings with Native Americans.
Read Works
Read Works: We the People
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the Constitution of the United States. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Other
Truthout
Progressive based news outlet. Here you will find links to news stories from the Washington Post, New York Times, BBC, Associated Press, and other reputable sources. You will also find editorial pieces on current events, environmental,...
Thomson Reuters
Find Law: Founding Fathers: Edmund Randolph
The major focus of this site is Randolph's role in the creation of the Constitution and his views on the structure of the executive branch of government.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Hamilton's Financial Plan
George Washington tasked Alexander Hamilton as the man to clean up the economic mess of the new republic. Read about his ideas, what they were unpopular at the time, but were really very forward thinking.
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Ratification
This site from the University of Groningen provides a synopsis chronologically written on the ratification of the U.S. Constitution beginning with the first states who accepted the document to pressures exerted by the Federalists to...
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Constitutional Convention
George Washington wrote of the period between the Treaty of Paris and the writing of the Constitution that the states were united only by a "rope of sand."Disputes between Maryland and Virginia over navigation on the Potomac River led to...
University of Washington
Digital Collections: Society and Culture Collection
The Social Issues Collection is an image database of the Western United States and the Pacific Northwest region. The collection covers a variety of political and social topics, from women's issues, government, labor organizations such as...
University of Virginia
Miller Center at Uva: u.s. Presidents: Herbert Hoover
This resource contains a detailed biography on Herbert Hoover. From the left-hand toolbar, select information on his life before the presidency, campaigns and elections, domestic affairs, foreign affairs, and life after the presidency....
A&E Television
History.com: Controversial Supreme Court Nominations Through History
Presidents dating back to George Washington have faced opposition to their nominees for the nation's highest court. The justices who sit on the Supreme Court of the United States hold a unique governing power, making their selection...