C-SPAN
On This Day: The Ratification of The Bill of Rights
The cherished rights included in the first ten amendments to the Constitution almost didn't happen! Pupils tour via video a National Archives exhibit on the Bill of Rights, as well as listen to how a modern judge applies them. Once...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address was a short speech—only about two minutes in length—but its reach has been long. Video segments from a panel of scholars, an historian talking about the printing of the speech, a re-enactment of the speech, and a...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Mayflower Compact
Learners consider how the Mayflower Compact created a sense of order for the new residents of North America. Video clips include a scholar and a re-enactor playing Plymouth Gov. William Bradford, and others include Native American...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Kristallnacht
Krristallnacht—the night of broken glass—shattered lives in a watershed moment in Holocaust history. Learners listen to the testimony of survivors of the violent night that marked a pivotal moment of the early Holocaust. The three video...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Barack Obama Becomes the First African American to Win a Presidential Election
The election of Barack Obama in 2008 was a watershed moment in African American and American history. Using clips from the acceptance and concession speeches, as well as the words of outgoing president, George H. W. Bush, budding...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Attack on Pearl Harbor
Curious historians relive the "day which will live in infamy" using video clips from C-SPAN on the Pearl Harbor attack. The curated collection includes veteran testimonies and vintage newsreels. Additional footage includes scholars'...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Ratification of the 21st Amendment
What led to the end of Prohibition? In a word: money. To use the words of one historian: the government was desperate for tax revenue in the midst of the Depression. With a series of curated videos, scholars examine the causes of and the...
C-SPAN
On This Day: The Creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The Environmental Protection Agency often doesn't register as a critical government function, but the EPA works to protect communities. Using video segments from Scott Pruitt's confirmation hearing, a Barack Obama speech on the agency's...
C-SPAN
On This Day: The Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine is one of the longest-lasting presidential policies, and it still impacts foreign policy today. Using three clips from historians and archivists, scholars explore the world of James Monroe and his watershed statement....
C-SPAN
On This Day: Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks is considered a symbol of the American Civil Rights movement—but what about her story? A series of video clips examines her role in the movement, as well as her legacy. Scholars listen to historian Jeanne Theoharis discuss her...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Sand Creek Massacre
The Sand Creek Massacre refers to the killing of hundreds of native peoples at the hands of federal troops. Today, the site is marked as a sacred spot by the National Parks Service. Young people consider the impact of the atrocity and...
C-SPAN
On This Day: The Assassination of Harvey Milk
Harvey Milk, a key figure in the LGBTQ+ rights movement, was gunned down for his activism. Video clips, highlighting a museum exhibit and interviewing a former aide, profile Milk's career in San Francisco city politics and the movement....
C-SPAN
On This Day: The Establishment of the Department of Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security—established about a year after the September 11 attacks—changed national security. Using video clips, individuals explore the political rationale behind the new department. A carefully curated...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Charles Darwin's "On The Origin of Species" is Published
Charles Darwin's work, On The Origin of Species, fundamentally changed the study of science. Using clips from an author talk, young historians connect the scientific ideas behind evolution to American history. Afterward, they consider:...
C-SPAN
On This Day: The Nuremberg Trials
Were the Nuremberg Trials vengeance or justice? After World War II, the trials of Nazi officials were supposed to bring justice for genocidal atrocities. However, scholars debate whether it was just an act of retribution by the victors....
C-SPAN
On This Day: The Soviet Counteroffensive during the Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad cost anywhere from one to two million lives over the course of months. Using a propaganda clip from the Office of War Information and video segments from experts on the battle, individuals consider why the deadly...
C-SPAN
On This Day: FDR Lays Cornerstone of First Presidential Library
Franklin D. Roosevelt is best known for his role in the Great Depression and World War II. However, he also was one of the first politicians to think about how future generations would remember the history of his time. Using video clips...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Continental Congress Adopts the Articles of Confederation
While today, people laud the accomplishments of the United States Constitution, pupils sometimes forget that the Articles of Confederation came first. The documents—while flawed—raised questions of government duties and obligations as...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall divided a city.. Using clips of discussions between historians, segments from contemporary films, interviews with political operatives, and speeches, learners consider what it was like to look over a wall and behind the...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Veterans/Armistice Day
While Veterans Day started as a way to remember World War I, it now honors veterans from all conflicts. Scholars consider the meaning of the day while viewing clips of ceremonies, presidential speeches, and military historians talking...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Battle of Tippecanoe
What do the War of 1812 and the accidental presidency of John Tyler have in common? Historians ponder the question as they learn about the Battle of Tippecanoe, how it led to the declaration of war with Great Britain in the War of 1812,...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Iranian Hostage Crisis
The history behind the Iranian Revolution and hostage crisis is long and complicated. The hostage crisis directly affected a presidential election, and it played into Cold War fears of a global crisis. Using video clips of an historian...
National WWII Museum
The Bomb
The spectacular explosion of the first atomic weapon is documented with dramatic video footage in a short film. Using pictures and videos of the bomb's preparation, as well as its aftermath, scholars consider the ramifications of this...
Geography Now
Geography Now! Jamaica
Jamaica is iconic, thanks to Bob Marley and its gorgeous beaches. A video resource uncovers some of its lesser-known natural treasures, such as the Blue Lagoon, as well as its colonial history. Learners also discuss the importance...