What was the Trail of Tears? What incidents led to the Trail of Tears? Who was removed from their native land? Where did they resettle? What was President Andrew Jackson's opinion on Indian removal? What was John Ross's opinion on Indian removal? What is your opinion on the event? This Collection was created to be used as an introduction to the "Trail of Tears" event that occurred during the period of Westward Expansion. This Collection contains images of then President Andrew Jackson, John Ross, Chief of the Cherokee nation, and General Winfield Scott. It also includes Jackson's message to Congress, "On Indian Removal", the Treaty of New Echota along with a letter that Chief Ross wrote to the U.S. Congress denouncing the Treaty of New Echota which the government used as legal authority to remove the Cherokee from their native land. Background Information: In 1838 and 1839, President Andrew Jackson ordered the relocation of the Cherokee people from their native lands east of the Mississippi River to an area in what is known as present-day Oklahoma. The Cherokee people called this forced migration the, "Trail of Tears" because of its devastating effects. The Cherokee people suffered hunger, disease, and exhaustion during their journey, resulting in 4,000 deaths out of the 15,000 Cherokees who were forced to relocate. Source citation: "Trail of Tears." Africans in America. PBS Online. nd. Web. 7 Jan 2016.

In 1775, the now-legendary frontiersman Daniel Boone blazed a trail through the Cumberland Gap - a notch in the Appalachian Mountains located near the intersection of Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee - through the interior of Kentucky and to the Ohio River. Known as the Wilderness Road, the trail would serve as the pathway to the western United States for some 300,000 settlers over the next 35 years. Boone’s pioneering path led to the establishment of the first settlements in Kentucky, including Boonesboro, and to Kentucky’s admission to the Union as the 15th state in 1792. Source: The Wilderness Road. History.com. A&E Network. 2010. Web. 2 Aug 2016. URL: http://www.history.com/topics/wilderness-road

Is there ever a time when war can be justified? World War I, or The Great War, started in Europe in 1914. The Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat in 1915. Yet, throughout all of these events America remained neutral. Why was President Woodrow Wilson hesitant to get involved? What finally made him change his mind? What came out of America's involvement in WWI?

This is a topical collection of resources depicting the Kennedy family.

The Dred Scott case was one of America's most controversial Supreme Court decisions. Who was Dred Scott and did he have a right to his freedom? The goal of this Collection is to engage students to read and research people and texts that comprised this historical event then write a persuasive essay based on opinion gathered from details and facts procured from their readings and research. Keywords: Dred Scott Dred Scott vs Sanford Dred Scott vs Sandford U.S. Supreme Court Supreme Court Chief Justice Taney Declaration of Independence Missouri Compromise Emancipation Freedom Slavery Abolition Pre Civil War Era

Research the Spanish explorers pictured in this Collection. Put them in chronological order. Answer the following questions: 1. What regions did they explore? 2. What did they discover?

This collection contains images and videos of the seven natural wonders of the world, along with the men who conquered them through expedition and discovery.

The sandwich is arguably a mainstay of the American diet. This collection depicts a variety of sandwiches through drawings, photographs, sculpture, and advertisements. It is intended to be a fun exercise for students to experience by discussing the history and appeal of the sandwich using resources from the Smithsonian's collections.

The witchcraft trials in Salem, Massachusetts, during the 1690s have been a blot on the history of America, a country which has since come to pride itself on the concepts of free speech and justice as well as on its religious principles. Guilt by association, unconfirmed testimony, judges blinded by their biases, and individuals determined to use the system of justice when no evidence of a crime existed. These kinds of social or political problems did not go away with the completion of those trials. U.S. Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's relentless determination to find un-American citizens and communists in all areas of American life in the early 1950s prompted Arthur Miller to write The Crucible, a play about the Salem witch trials as an allegory to McCarthyism. The play no doubt prompted the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1956 to subpoena Miller for questioning, but Miller refused to cooperate when asked to identify writers who had once been communists. Richard H. Rovere calls Miller, "the leading symbol of the militant, risk-taking conscience" of that time. Learning Goals - student will: Understand that in 17th Century New England, people were persecuted for allegedly practicing witchcraft. Examine the allegations and offer alternatives to witchcraft that might explain people's behaviors. Read and comprehend Arthur Miller's, "The Crucible" to make connections to and comment on 20th Century examples of people being persecuted for allegedly being Communists during the McCarthy Era of the 1950s.

In the United States, the 1952 polio epidemic would be the worst outbreak in the nation's history, and is credited with heightening parents' fears of the disease and focusing public awareness on the need for a vaccine.

Who are the women who have most influenced our world over the past century? What did they do to make themselves noteworthy? Your task is to research each woman, establish a timeline and place her in the proper order then write 4-6 sentences about her accomplishments and their historical impact on the world.

The dictionary defines an object as, "a thing you can see and touch: something that makes you feel a specific emotion." This is a collection of objects that represent moments throughout history. What event is behind each object? Who does the object belong to? Why is the object significant? Suggested Activity: Teachers can copy and edit this collection, then add or remove specific resources. Build out this collection to ensure that it has enough resources so your students can work in pairs or small groups to analyze 2-3 sources. Have student pairs/groups place each resource in its proper time and place then have the entire class work together to place all resources on a timeline. As each student pairs/groups place their resources on to the timeline, have them explain what they learned about each resource to the whole class.