The progressives had a lot of forward thinking social ideas that helped make America a more equitable place to live. Politics, civil and human rights, economic and tax ratifications, and the constitutional amendments that made their...

Working in groups, middle and high schoolers describe and discuss photographs depicting working conditions experienced by child laborers in the 19th century. They then write a persuasive paragraph supporting an amendment to regulate the...

New ReviewSuffragettes, suffragists, and anti-suffragists. A two-day, richly detailed lesson plan has young historians investigate the twentieth-century suffrage movement. Groups examine primary and secondary source materials about Jane Addams and...

New ReviewDespite some advances made during the Reconstruction Era following the Civil War, the period from 1887 through 1929, African Americans serving in Congress suffered severe setbacks due to Jim Crow Laws and voter suppression. Class members...

A short video compares the work of 20th century reformer Grace Abbott with that of 21st century activist Christina Jimenez. The digital short focuses on the commitment of  both women to immigrant rights, child labor, and health care.

Political activist, suffragette, pacifist, and the first woman elected to Congress, Jeannette Rankin has been largely ignored in history and history textbooks. Young historians set out to rectify that situation by examining primary...

On March 25, 1911, 146 garment workers died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. Class members use primary source documents to research the tragedy and how it lead to the creation of labor unions and new labor laws. As an exit...

Before Prohibition, America was literally awash in alcohol, according to one historian of the topic. When the Eighteenth Amendment was enacted, loopholes allowed Americans workarounds, such as the ability to make up to 250 gallons of...

When sparks ignited a fire at the Iroquois Theatre in Chicago in 1903, it was one of the greatest public safety tragedies of the twentieth century. Even though the theater did not take basic safety precautions, no one was held...

The Gilded Age was one of prosperity—but also poverty. Using cartoons from the era, individuals consider the social tensions of the era of The Yellow Kid and robber barons with primary source analysis and class discussion. Once finished,...

Were unfair taxes really the cause of the American Revolution? Learners explore the complicated historiography behind the revolutionary period using authentic College Board prompts. The free-response questions from the exam feature...

As part of a study of the women who were elected to Congress from 1917 to 1934, groups research and then design a museum exhibit that describes the life and the congressional service of one of these women.

How can primary sources bring history to life? Scholars create detailed lesson plans on the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in American history. The 17th installment of a 22-part program exploring American history examines...

The Progressive Era brought about a word that often leads to turmoil—change! Learners research the late 1800s in American history to uncover societal issues gripping the nation back in the day. The 15th lesson of a 22-part series...

Though Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle shocked the American public into a thorough examination of the meat-packing industry, the author was disappointed that his book's main argument—the exploitation of American immigrants—was not part...

The women working for equal rights in the early 20th century weren't a part of one large group; rather, they were members of dozens of small groups focused on social reform. Explore the ways groups in the Progressive Era like National...

The National Women's History Museum provides this interactive resource that permits users to explore women who played key roles during the Progressive Era in the quest for workers' rights, the Settlement House Movement, the Suffrage...

What kind of treatment could a patient expect in an asylum during the 1800's? The abusive and neglectful conditions in 19th century asylums are the focus of a lesson that examines the work of reformers Nellie Bly, Dorothea Dix, and Dr....

The benefits and drawbacks of convict leasing following the Civil War are the focus of a lesson that asks groups to examine primary source materials to gain an understanding of the program before individuals decide whether they are in...

Democracy cannot exist where not everyone has equal rights. Discuss the state of democracy and women's suffrage during World War I with class discussions, debates, and primary source analysis, in order for class members to connect with...

What were political machines and whom did they serve? As part of a study of US immigration patterns and how these patterns influenced politics, groups investigate how Tammany Hall and other political machines gained support from voters.

How did women use President Wilson's ideals and rhetoric in their bid for suffrage? To answer this essential question, class groups analyze primary written documents and visual images.