Mocomi & Anibrain Digital Technologies
Mocomi: The Bill of Rights
Learn about the Bill of Rights and when it was added to the Constitution.Provides a list of the ten Amendments.
Danuta Bois
Distinguished Women of Past and Present: Antoinette Louisa Brown Blackwell
Antoinette Blackwell was the first American woman to be ordained as a minister. She was a champion of woman's rights and lived to vote at age 95 after the adoption of the 19th amendment into the U.S. Constitution.
Library of Congress
Loc: Biographical Directory of the u.s. Congress: Hiram Revels
The United States Congress offers a biography of Hiram Revels, the first African-American Senator.
Illinois Institute of Technology
Oyez Project: United States v. Butler (1936)
This U.S. Supreme Court case declared the first Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) of the New Deal illegal because of the issue of Federalism. This resource provides an abstract containing a concise summary, a link to the full text of the...
Read Works
Read Works: News Debate: Religion on Display
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text debating whether or not schools should be allowed to display the 10 Commandments. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Foreign War and Domestic Freedom: (Civil Liberties Lesson Plan)
A lesson plan that directs students to review the concept of civil liberties and to examine examples from American history wherein rights were restricted. They will investigate key arguments between those who seek to restrict liberties...
US National Archives
Nara: Teaching With Documents: United States vs. Thomas Cooper
The information, documents and lessons relating to the United States vs. Thomas Cooper case. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mit: The Tech: Cnn Foils Prior Restraint
An essay by a freshman at MIT gives a definition and examples of "Prior Restraint." The Tech is the MIT school newspaper. (Published Dec. 7, 1990)
Illinois Institute of Technology
Oyez Project: Masson v. New Yorker Magazine, Inc. (1991)
This summary examines the impact of the 1991 US Supreme Court decision regarding the attribution of quotes to sources used in journalistic articles. Includes links to the full case, audio files, and how the justices voted on the case.
Illinois Institute of Technology
Oyez Project: Schenck v. United States (1919)
This U.S. Supreme Court case established the famous "clear and present danger" doctrine by dealing with the issue of freedom of speech. This resource provides an abstract containing a summary, a link to the full text of the decision, and...
George Mason University
George Mason University: The Espionage Act of May 16, 1918
The original text of Section 3 of the Espionage Act of May 16, 1918 is provided at this site.
Other
Newseum: Petition Overview
This well-documented resource provides an overview of the right to petition the government, as well as answers to frequently asked questions about this right. Recent cases and expected reforms are also explained.
PBS
Pbs Liberty!: Congress Adds a Bill of Rights
Informative site recounting the events of December 15, 1791, when the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution. Learn about the Bill of Rights and the freedoms it was designed to protect!
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Classroom: The Bill of Rights Interactive Quiz
Many Americans take for granted the freedoms contained in the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. As students play this game, they will discover surprising facts about the story behind the Bill of Rights and gain a clearer...
University of Groningen
American History: Biographies: George Mason the Virginia Bill of Rights
The Virginia Bill of Rights was the framework for the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights. Some of Mason's actual phrasing appear in the first ten amendments passed fifteen years later. He is credited for authoring the first American...
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: The Purpose of the Bill of Rights
Text of the first ten amendments of the Constitution found in the Bill of Rights.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Classroom: The Preamble
The preamble is the introduction to the Constitution. It outlines the general goals of the framers: to create a just government and to ensure peace, adequate national defense, and a healthy, free nation. With its first three words, "We...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: A 3 Minute Guide to the Bill of Rights
A brief video that summarizes the first ten amendments to the Constitution. [3:36] Followed by a quiz and a list of additional resources to explore.
Vocabulary.com
The Bill of Rights
This site contains a list of 50 words from the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution. Teachers can digitally assign this list to their students to reinforce the spellings, pronunciations, and meanings of these words.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Classroom: Presidential Succession
This website contains an interactive timeline about the history of Presidential succession.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Constitutional Rights Foundation: Illustrated Bill of Rights
For elementary students, an easy to understand illustrated explanation of the Bill of Rights is offered.
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Colonial Williamsburg: Politics in Colonial Virginia
This site explores the politics involved in Colonial Williamsburg, leading up to the American Revolution. Content focuses on famous speeches, documents, and influential people.
Digital History
Digital History: President Johnson Impeached [Pdf]
No love was lost between the Congress' trying to pass Reconstruction plans and President Andrew Johnson's attempts to thwart those plans. Read a short biography of Andrew Johnson to get an idea of the man. Follow the timeline of...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Classroom: Terms and Succession
Check out this interactive timeline that documents the history of terms of succession in the United States.