Social progress in the United States often seems to take two steps forward and one step back, with hard-fought civil rights wins countered by a seemingly inevitable backlash. In this spirited talk, writer Charles M. Blow makes the case...

At the end of the Civil War, though slavery was technically illegal in all states, it still persisted in the last bastions of the Confederacy. This was the case when Union General Gordon Granger marched his troops into Galveston, Texas...

At the end of the Civil War, the United States was still a very divided place. 700,000 people had died in a bitter fight over slavery. Reconstruction was the political process meant to bring the country back together. It was also the...

In which John Green teaches you about the Progressive Era in the United States. In the late 19th and early 20th century in America, there was a sense that things could be improved upon. A sense that reforms should be enacted. A...

Pupil outcome: I can edit my own and my peer's early life section of a biography about Harriet Tubman. Key learning points: - The purpose of an editing lesson is to improve writing and to make necessary corrections or additions. -...

Pupil outcome: I can use my research and understanding of Harriet Tubman’s activism to plan a section of a biography. Key learning points: - In the sections, writers share detailed, specific information about an aspect of the person's...

Pupil outcome: I can use my research about Harriet Tubman’s life to help me plan and write the introduction of a biography. Key learning points: - The introduction provides the reader with general information about who the biography is...

Pupil outcome: I can research and gather information about Harriet Tubman’s life in preparation for writing a biography about her. Key learning points: - When preparing to write a biography, it is important to thoroughly research the...

What happened after the Civil War ended? In this video, we take a simple look at the Reconstruction Era, the time when the United States tried to rebuild the South and reunite the country. Learn about the major changes, including the...

In 1860, tensions over slavery pushed the United States to the brink of collapse, leading to secession of 11 states and the creation of the Confederacy.

The Reconstruction Acts aimed to unify the United States after the Civil War by readmitting Southern states and addressing racial inequalities, but their impact was all too brief.

The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States in 1865. But it was just the beginning of a long fight for equality and civil rights.

Liberty is a founding principle of the United States, but many of the people who helped build the North American colonies were not free. The resilience of enslaved people and their contributions to what would become the United States...

On April 12, 1861, Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter, South Carolina, marking the explosive start of the Civil War. The conflict led to short-lived progress and long-term struggles for true racial equality.

Every year on June 19th, the United States celebrates the end of slavery. In this video, learn about the history and meaning of Juneteenth.

The Great Migration saw over a million African Americans relocate from the South to urban areas in the North, sparking significant cultural and social change.

The 1860 presidential election, pivotal in U.S. history, catapulted Abraham Lincoln to power, intensified national divisions over slavery, and led directly to the Civil War.

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 gave the federal government new powers to capture and return escaped enslaved people, but its failures intensified divisions between Northern and Southern states.

The Great Lakes are a tremendous resource for the United States. In an age of climate change where water is becoming more scarce, the states and surround the Great Lakes are in an enviable position for the future. Despite this, however,...

The eastern half of the United States is home to about 80% of the country's total population. Despite this, there's a relatively large part of the East Coast that has far fewer people and no major cities. This region, stretching along...

The Gulf Coast of the United States is a beautiful area with miles of beaches and weather that most regions of the world would love. Despite this, a large section in the middle of the Gulf Coast has very low population compared to Texas...

Learn about the life and career of the famous game designer of Life and many other popular games, Milton Bradley.

Learn about Jefferson Davis, the politician who became the controversial President of the Confederate States during the American Civil War.

This video examines the Compromise of 1877 and its consequences for Black Americans in the South. Discover how this agreement ended federal intervention in the South, leading to increased voter suppression, violence, and the rise of...