This lesson plan will give students an overview of the role and purpose of taxes in American history.

Those writing the Constitution had many issues to deal with in forming a document to govern the country. One thorny issue was the status of the states in regard to representation in the federal legislature. Read about the Virginia Plan...

The Constitutional Convention of May 1787 is explained in kid-friendly terms. Suggestions for research projects, resource links and some activities are included. The rest of the site has lots more information on the US government.

[Free Registration/Login Required] Students use primary source documents to investigate the central historical question about slavery. In this investigation students consider the positions of delegates to the Constitutional Convention...

Read about the woeful lack of understanding Americans have of their own guding document, the Constitution.

Read the story of a young Japanese-American girl whose family was sent to an internment camp after Pearl Harbor.

Learning module with multi-media resources helps students understand the constitutional basis and history of the State of the Union Address, identifying important historic themes and significant topics. Includes video, graphic...

The University of Groningen provides information about the 17th century British liberal philosopher. Includes concise biographical information and a link to the text of "A Letter Concerning Toleration." Read about what part of his...

This page has some puzzles and activities using terms from the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution. It also provides an extensive word list pertaining to the Constitution.

[Free Registration/Login Required] Students use primary source documents to investigate central historical questions. In this structured academic controversy, students examine constitutional amendments, a Black Code, a personal account...

This site from the University of Groningen profiles Edmund Randolph and chronicles his role as Attorney General of the US. Also includes his role as the presenter of the Virginia Plan to the Constitutional Convention.

Why is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, important to Tennessee? Early Tennesseans honored both the people and the acts that made Philadelphia the center of freedom.

An interesting look at the background of the men who gathered in Philadelphia to frame a new constitution for the new country.

Lesson and activity looks at leadership in U.S. history focussing on presidents, past and present, to determine what makes a good leader. Questions for discussion and class activity guidelines included.

A chart illustrating the order of states as they ratified the new constitution. Find the delegates from the states, vote, population, and outcomes.

See how unique the U.S. Constitution has been over the 200 plus years of our government.

This article gives highlights on the career of this delegate from Pennsylvania to the Constitutional Convention. Ingersoll was considered one of the best lawyers in Philadelphia at that time.

As new free and slave states were admitted to the Union prior to the Civil War, political divisions kept growing, despite attempts to balance the numbers of each. The South pushed for slavery to expand westward, while anti-slavery...

Article presenting the story of Jackie Robinson and how he challenged segregation through American baseball.

A detailed, 5-page article giving an in-depth look at the problems in Kansas after the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

A quick snapshot of what the city of Philadelphia was like in terms of population, wealth, and appearance at the beginning of the Constitutional Convention held there in 1787.

This site provides a biography of James McClurg (1746-1823), a noted scientist and doctor in the early days of the United States. He was also a politician. McClurg was part of the Virginia delegation of the Constitutional Convention.

A lesson plan that considers how the American founders answered the question, What is government? Examines why, from the point of view of the founders, government is not only necessary, but good for human beings.

Compare the meanings of "freedom" and "liberty." Students watch a video about what liberty meant to Thomas Jefferson, then consider different definitions of the word "liberty" by analyzing founding documents of both the United States and...