What factors go into a decision to enter a war? Use a collection of primary source documents and images to prompt a discussion about the American Revolution and the reasons for entering a war against Britain.

This is an excellent resource for teachers to use for incorporating the motion picture Glory into the classroom! Breaking down the film into particular noteworthy and telling scenes, the guide offers important considerations for...

If you are previewing the film Glory for your young historians, this packet may help you spark ideas for discussion and offer some interesting facts and quotations that may add to your presentation of this Civil War narrative. It...

A unique group of historical documents, a 71-week run of the newspaper printed for the American soldiers on the Western Front in World War I. These are digitized copies of the paper ordered by Pershing to give the troops a sense of unity...

A complete discourse on the incorporation of black soldiers into the Union Army during the Civil War. The 54th Massachusetts Regiment is discussed in regard to the recruitment and the attack on Fort Wagner.

The events of D-Day are described by an American soldier. Article also includes a video interview with the soldier.

The passion of Revolutionary literature is found in pamphlets, the most popular form of political literature of the day. Over 2,000 pamphlets were published during the Revolution. The pamphlets thrilled patriots and threatened loyalists;...

One section of this "Booker T. Washington Era" page of the LOC's African American Odyssey site is devoted to a very brief biography of Booker T. Washington. Other sections of the page summarize the history of African Americans between...

Describes the history of the Buffalo Soldiers, African Americans who served in four Calvary peacetime units in the 19th and 20th centuries. Highlights the experiences of Emanuel Stance, a freed slave who joined the military in 1866.

Examines the history of the buffalo soldiers in Texas after the Civil War, the obstacles they faced due to racism, and how other African Americans perceived them.

Describes the clothing and uniforms worn by soldiers during the Revolutionary War. Also explains what the rank of officer meant in the British military and how a man became an officer. How Congress eventually created an army is...

Many African American veterans joined the Civil Rights Movement after World War II when they found themselves facing continued discrimination at home. Learn about some of the veterans who were prominent activists.

The origins of the United States Sanitary Commission is discussed and its work in the aid of Union soldiers of the Civil War, trying "to do what the Government could not" for soldiers. From "The Photographic History of the Civil War" by...

As the country prepared for yet another war with Britain, the United States suffered from internal divisions. While the South and West favored war, New York and New England opposed it because it interfered with their commerce. The...

In July 1780 France's Louis XVI had sent to America an expeditionary force of 6,000 men under the Comte Jean de Rochambeau. In addition, the French fleet harassed British shipping and prevented reinforcement and resupply of British...

Bedford was born in 1747 at Philadelphia and reared there. The fifth of seven children, he was descended from a distinguished family that originally settled in Jamestown, VA. He usually referred to himself as Gunning Bedford, Jr., to...

In this encyclopedia article, you can learn about Col. Charles Young, the first African-American colonel in the U.S. Army.

History for kids provides a brief overview of the Apache Tribe and their encounters with American soldiers.

Frederick Douglass had the ear of Abraham Lincoln. Read about how he used his influence to allow African Americans to join the Union Army,

After a brief history of African-American regiments from New York, you can read about the United Stated Colored Troops in general, where they fought, how they were paid, and the number of casualties among the troops.

This encyclopedia entry from Wikipedia explores the role of Native American code talkers during World War II. Content focuses on how the code was developed, as well as why the code remained unbroken throughout the duration of the war.

In French, read about the Navajo specialists who used their language to help defeat the Japanese in WWII. These Native Americans saved 1000s of lives with their spy code skills.

Read a good overview of the Meuse River-Argonne Offensive at the very end of World War I. Find out about the "lost batallion" and the African Americans who fought in this long battle.

Biographical profile of a boy soldier of the Civil War, John Clem, who went on to have a lifelong career in the U.S. military.