President Barack Obama Participates in a Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The 100th Anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

In recognition of the 100th Anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in November 2021, we have several new teaching resources, and will present a live program for young learners.

Testimony of Bridget Donaghy to the Board of Special Inquiry

Decisions of the Board of Special Inquiry: The Story of Irish Immigrant Bridget Donaghy

In this guest post, former intern Griffin Godoy shares how he researched federal records to trace the immigration and naturalization story of an Irish Teenager.

Photograph of Lee Tso attached to his identification papers

Questioning Chinese Exclusion: The “Chinese Village” at the 1899 National Export Exposition

In this guest post, teacher Maria Adamson shares techniques for drawing students into the messiness of history, and giving them practice asking critically minded questions of the sources they encounter. Using this approach, she developed two new teaching activities focusing on identification papers of several Chinese people who were "on exhibit" in an ethnographic display in Philadelphia in 1899.

A New World War II Teaching Resource

Our new World War II page includes hundreds of primary sources and teaching activities!

Ronald Reagan giving a speech in Berlin

Teaching Resources Related to American Presidents

Find primary sources and educational activities for teaching about American Presidents.

Pearl Harbor Primary Sources & Teaching Activities

As the Pearl Harbor anniversary approaches, we're sharing historical documents, posters, photographs, and more related to the attack and its impact on U.S. History. On DocsTeach, the online tool for teaching with documents from the National Archives, you can find primary sources like maps and speeches – even images taken by the Japanese military during … Continue reading Pearl Harbor Primary Sources & Teaching Activities

Thanksgiving Day with images of people praying and mourning

Lincoln’s 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation

In the new teaching activity "Lincoln's 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation," students learn the origins of Thanksgiving, then examine President Lincoln’s 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation that created a national holiday.