If he follows long-standing tradition, then sometime this coming November, President Trump will issue a proclamation for a Day of Thanksgiving as his predecessors have done for generations. It will likely be written to inspire the nation and will include reminders of the origins of our very American Thanksgiving celebrations and will urge all Americans to feel gratitude for our myriad blessings, etc.
E Pluribus Unum, We the People, self-evident truths—these were the touchstones of the 1770s and 1780s. The historic collaboration between Alexander Hamilton and James Madison on the Federalist essays in the late 1780s quickly gave way to a political disagreement so sharp that it sundered US politics permanently into (at least) two rival parties.
Teaching American History’s philosophy is that the best way to learn American history is to read the words of those who lived it. That’s why we maintain an extensive database of original documents.
Mark your calendars! Our summer sale starts June 2nd!
Educators—this is your chance to stock up on volumes for your classroom! We’re offering three ways to save:
50% off select individual volumes
$25 library sets
Bulk pricing classroom sets
Memorial Day. A three-day weekend that marks the ending of the school year, the beginning of BBQ and pool season, and the unofficial beginning of American summer. However, this federal holiday was created with a different purpose in mind. Intended to be less a celebratory day off and more of a day of remembrance, Memorial Day is a chance for us to honor the sacrifices of our nation’s soldiers and their families.
Ginny Boles needed to build her content knowledge in American history. Paradoxically, her love of this history had led her to major in classics as an undergraduate at UCLA, so as to read the Latin and Greek texts the Founding Fathers read as they formulated their plans for self-government. Now, having taught social studies for two years at Oakcrest School in Vienna, Virginia—an independent girls’ school in the Catholic tradition—she knew what she didn’t know. She needed more knowledge to answer students’ questions. She hoped to study part-time while continuing to teach.
Invited to attend a TAH multiday seminar on the Cold War at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, social studies teacher Cade Lohrding was thrilled. At his rural Kansas school, he has few chances to discuss history with colleagues. He is also too young to have experienced the end of the Cold War, a time, he thinks, when American politics were less polarized than they are today.
One-Day seminars are the easiest way to engage with Teaching American History in person. These are free to attend for all social studies teachers and can be in historical locations, school districts, and educational service centers. For a few hours, teachers can dive into the content of primary source documents through a discussion with colleagues facilitated by a scholar. Lunch is provided, and at the end of the day you head home with an attendance letter.
In honor of women’s history month, we bring you a reading selection that highlights the upheaval American society experienced in the 1920s as regards gender roles. The media popularized the
Early in his first term, President Donald Trump signed the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017, establishing March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day. The law honored the
