Pulitzer Prize winning historian Jack Rakove of Stanford discusses the U.S. Constitution and the concept of originalism, or how true we should constrain ourselves to the original meaning of the Constitution.
Jim Crow Wisdom: Memory and Identity in Black America Since 1940
James Basker & Johnathan Holloway discuss the novel written by Mr. Holloway, Jim Crow Wisdom: Memory & Identity in Black America Since 1940.
America at the End of the 20th Century, Part 1
James T. Patterson, historian at Brown University, discusses the end of the 20th century, focusing on the changes in the United States from Watergate to Bush v. Gore.
Brown v. Board of Education and its Effects on Civil Rights
Larry Kramer, former Dean of Stanford Law School and constitutional scholar, discusses Brown v. Board of Education and its effect on civil rights, and the question of resolving segregation.
The Legal History of Desegregation
Pulitzer prize winning historian Jack Rakove of Stanford discusses the legal history of desegregation, focusing on the analytical problems facing the struggle for desegregation.
The Civil Rights Movement
Clarence Taylor, historian at Baruch University, discusses the Civil Rights Movement from Brown v. Board of Education to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
In Pursuit of Equity: Women, Men, and the Quest for Economic Citizenship in 20th-Century America
Alice Kessler-Harris of Columbia University discusses citizenship for men and women in the context of the Industrial Revolution and increasing economic tensions.
Constitution Day Across the Country
Various free, downloadable lessons across grades K through 12 to facilitate providing educational programs on Constitution Day. These interactive lessons teach about the development and evolution of the U.S. Constitution. Students are able to express themselves through discussion and debates while engaging in various activities.
The President’s Roles and Responsibilities: Communicating with the President
In order to become informed participants in a democracy, students must learn about the women and men who make decisions concerning their lives, their country, and the world. The president of the United States is one such leader. As a nation, we place no greater responsibility on any one individual than we do on the president. Through several activites, students learn about the roles and responsibilities of the U.S. president and their own roles as citizens of a democracy.
Freedom Summer
In the summer of 1964, student volunteers from around the country joined organizers and local African Americans in a historic effort to shatter the foundations of white supremacy in Mississippi, one of the nation’s most segregated states . The website features historical background essays, bonus video of interviews with participants and original art work.