Go on the Folsom Tavern Tour
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | American Independence Museum, Exeter, NH, United States
Folsom Tavern Tours will examine the tavern’s unique history, the place that taverns held in colonial and revolutionary history. Tours will highlight how groups such as women, craftsmen, merchants, and enslaved people experienced this one space in different ways.
Tours will take place:
Thursdays 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Fridays 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Saturdays 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Tours will start every hour on the hour and will require pre-registration. Tours are limited to 6 people and masks are required.

Does an amendment give you the right to vote?
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, United States
You’ve likely heard, perhaps on the news or in the classroom, that the Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave or granted African American men the right to vote. It’s a turn of phrase that works as a shorthand. Unfortunately, it’s also a bit misleading.

Peaceful transfers of power? Not a guarantee in early America
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Monticello, United States
Journalists and commentators have invoked historic precedents to contextualize the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. While unprecedented in many ways, those events are also part of a long history of bitter partisanship and political violence in the United States. Thomas Jefferson’s election in 1800 offers an example: the peaceful transfer of power was anything but a foregone conclusion. Historian Lindsay M. Chervinsky discusses historic examples of sedition, violence, and mob action in the early decades of American history.

Join a Collective Video Response to "A Hard Road to Freedom"
2099-01-01 00:00 (Pacific/Niue) | Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, NC, United States
A Hard Road to Freedom: Positively Impacting the Present
View a video on the Black experience on North Carolina’s Outer Banks during the Civil War and early Reconstruction that includes period photography and drawings. Viewers ages 18-30 participate by answering lending input related to the video that will be turned into a video response to A Hard Road to Freedom and viewable on the museum’s website.
A Hard Road to Freedom informs viewers of the struggle of enslaved and formerly enslaved people that flocked to Hatteras Island and Roanoke Island, NC during the war to seek freedom, refuge, and work. Viewers can gain an understanding of a transitional and complex time in history where society was battling views of enslavement and freedom. The video brings to the fore the challenges faced by African Americans in the 1860s. It highlights the successes and failures of the Freedman’s Colony on Roanoke Island -where the Union Army was encamped and where more than 2,000 African Americans flocked between 1862-1867. The video also invites dialogue on how the past helps us understand the present and inform the future.
With the latter in mind, the 2022 Civic Season program includes a questionnaire created to illicit response and provoke thought on how, with knowledge, people can gain understanding and bring people closer to one another in an inclusive and humanitarian sense. The goal is to provoke self-reflection, inspire action, and examine the role history education can play by following this little-known chapter of history to modern day. In the end, the goal is to make a lasting personal and emotional impact that motivates positive action.
Questionnaire
This questionnaire will be posted on our website and open to viewers between the ages of 18-30. The criteria for choosing questionnaire answers to include in the subsequent video will be those that share positive ideas and reflective thought to make a difference in life.
Participants also will provide an image of themselves or one that they identify with in a positive way to be included with their answers that will be combined to create a collective video response to A Hard Road to Freedom. The response will be called Positively Impacting the Present and posted on the museum website with A Hard Road to Freedom.
1. How did this video affect you emotionally and intellectually and why?
2. What image(s) in the video moved you the most and why?
3. Do you feel the Freedman’s Colony was successful? Explain.
4. What could have been done to improve conditions in the Colony? How would your idea be implemented?
5. How can you reach your age demographic with your message?
6.How can this video influence your future actions?
7. Share an idea or plan to make a difference through a community program or a personal action based on equality, inclusion, and the specific needs of a community.
8. How does this video affect your views on the presentation of history in education?
9. Does social inequity affect your life? If so, how, and how have you managed?
10. Has history affected your life and how?
11. What role does language play in promoting inclusion?
12. What is the most important thing you learned by watching this video?
13. How can understanding the past inform the future?

America We Want To Be: Founding Aspirations
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | Living Room Conversations, United States
When the Declaration of Independence was written, not everyone was included in the famous statement about “pursuit of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” And while the aspirations expressed in our founding documents resonate for some more than others, there are many views regarding the degree to which we have advanced these aspirations for everyone. Some focus more on the great strides we have made; others point to how far we still need to go. Some believe that focusing on the past prevents forward progress; others think we still need to come to terms with our shadow side. This conversation guide walks folks through exploring this topic together.

How We Became America: The Untold History (Videos)
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | American Battlefield Trust, United States
How We Became America: The Untold History shines light on stories that don’t always make it into the classroom. This free collection of short, riveting history videos is designed for teachers and students alike but can be enjoyed by all. Untold is here to fill in the gaps of knowledge that exists outside of our history textbook and brings new stories to life.
While the initial series premiered last year, a new installment of 15 videos was introduced in 2022 with an eye toward the American Civil War. A conflict of immense depth, the Civil War is explored through several lenses in the Untold series. Viewers will learn about such things as the vital and diverse roles of women during the war, the emergence of new technologies and innovations, how the camera changed the way war was viewed by the mass public, the great weight of the two-minute Gettysburg Address, the evolution of medical kits and how they empowered medics in the field, how Native Americans chose sides in the war and why Black soldiers put their lives on the line to preserve the Union. And at no longer than three minutes, they are sure to hold even the shortest of attention spans.
How We Became America: The Untold History stems from the partnership between the American Battlefield Trust and the Driving Force Institute for Public Engagement (DFI), and this latest Civil War installment received generous financial support from the HTR Foundation.

Living Room Conversations LIVE: Juneteenth
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | Living Room Conversations, United States
In this Living Room Conversation LIVE, six Black community leaders gather to share what Juneteenth means to them, offer ways others can honor this day, and consider their vision for continued liberation.
Join us in this Living Room Conversations LIVE to witness a heartfelt conversation exploring themes of race, freedom, Juneteenth celebrations, and liberation.

The Abolitionist Movement and John Brown
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | State Historical Museum of Iowa, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines, 50319, United States
A resource developed in partnership with the Library of Congress, from the earliest days of our nation’s history, there were those who were opposed to the practice of slavery and wanted to “abolish” it. They became known as the abolitionists. It is important to know that, before the Civil War, the abolitionists were always small in number.
Abolitionists played a major role in supporting the Underground Railroad.
John Brown was a radical preacher determined to stir up a massive slave rebellion in the South. He gathered and trained a small band of followers on a Quaker farm near Springdale in Cedar County, Iowa. His assault on Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, failed to rouse slaves to rebellion, and he was captured and hanged. However, he became a symbol of resistance to slavery throughout the North and an object of deep hatred in the South.
Students will reflect on the following questions:
How did public opinion about John Brown change after his raid at Harpers Ferry?
How did Iowans view John Brown’s actions to help slaves escape?
What imagery did supporters of John Brown use to justify his actions?

Talking About Politics: Conversation Resources
2099-01-01 00:00 (Pacific/Niue) | Living Room Conversations, United States
Talking about politics has a bad rap for being divisive. Our guides are designed to help you navigate this space. If you are interested in meeting with the same group or bringing dialogue to your community, our conversation pathways may be a great place to start.

Intertwined: The Enslaved Community at George Washington’s Mount Vernon (Podcast)
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | George Washington’s Mount Vernon, United States
Intertwined tells the story of the more than 577 people enslaved by George and Martha Washington at Mount Vernon. Told through the biographies of Sambo Anderson, Davy Gray, William Lee, Kate, Ona Judge, Nancy Carter Quander, Edmund Parker, Caroline Branham, and the Washingtons, this eight-part podcast series explores the lives and labors of Mount Vernon’s enslaved community, and how we interpret slavery at the historic site today.
Intertwined is narrated by Brenda Parker. It is co-created and co-written by Jeanette Patrick and Jim Ambuske. The series is a production of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association and CD Squared.

Explore the Freedom's Way National Heritage Area
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | Freedom’s Way Heritage Asociation, Fort Devens, MA, United States
The interactive Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area website lets you explore the nature, culture and history of 45 communities in Massachusetts and Southern, NH. Discover the area’s involvement in the American Conservation Movement, American Revolution and Transcendentalism. Then, create your own personal itineraries featuring the people, places and stories that make Freedom’s Way unique!

30 Stories for 30 Years
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | American Independence Museum, United States
As the American Independence Museum marks its 30th anniversary, we are taking this opportunity to examine our interpretations of the past and introduce a 21st-century view of ten historic items in our collection. Each item presented includes a traditional interpretation and a contemporary interpretation to highlight the ways our understanding of history has evolved over time. By revisiting these interpretations, we are expanding the story to include Americans who have not always received recognition. We hope that this exhibition will show you how one object can tell many different stories.

Immigration: Has America always wanted 'your poor, your tired, your huddled masses'? “
2099-01-01 00:00 (Pacific/Niue) | State Historical Museum of Iowa, IA, United States
A resource developed in partnership with the Library of Congress asks, “has America always wanted ‘your poor, your tired, your huddled masses’? “
Immigration is as old as human history. People move from one place to another for many reasons. When migration occurs across a national border, it is called immigration. When relocation happens within the same country, it is termed emigration. Historians often attribute the movement to “push-pull” factors. Sometimes conditions at home become so dangerous or challenging that people are forced to move elsewhere. Wars, famines, economic issues or political oppression are often “push” factors encouraging people to seek safety or better conditions somewhere else. Sometimes opportunities in a new land attract newcomers. Cheap and fertile farmlands in the United States lured hundreds of thousands of immigrants in the latter 19th century. Political and religious freedom, good jobs and educational opportunities “pulled” many to America to seek a fresh start in the states.
You’ll reflect on the following questions:
How have laws regulating immigration changed over time?
How have responses and support for immigrants and refugees evolved over time?
How have attitudes or viewpoints about immigration changed over time?

African Americans and the Civil War
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | State Historical Museum of Iowa, United States
A resource developed in partnership with the Library of Congress, asks, “how should the African-American story of the Civil War be told?” While slavery was the major issue separating the North and South, it was not slavery itself that sparked the conflict. The South wanted to secede from the Union, and the North refused. While President Abraham Lincoln personally opposed slavery, he recognized that it was legal under the U.S. Constitution at the time. He also recognized that few in the North were ready to go to war to free the slaves. For Lincoln and the northern majority, preservation of the Union was the foremost goal.
Students will reflect on the following questions:
How did President Abraham Lincoln and Congress’ approach to handling slavery evolve throughout the Civil War?
What contributions did enslaved people and free African Americans make to the Union war effort?
After a Union victory and the close of the war, what possibilities did the future hold for all African Americans?

Reflecting on the Reconstruction Era
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | State Historical Museum of Iowa, Des Moines, United States
A resource developed in partnership with the Library of Congress asks, “did the Reconstruction Era following the Civil War result in freedom, equality and civil rights for African Americans?” The Reconstruction Era lasted from the end of the Civil War in 1865 to 1877. Its main focus was on bringing the southern states back into full political participation in the Union, guaranteeing rights to former slaves and defining new relationships between African Americans and whites. While very little fighting occurred on Iowa soil and Iowa had never legalized slavery, black migration of former slaves into the region and the national focus on civil rights forced Iowa to reconsider its own racial relations.
Students will reflect on the following questions:How free were African Americans during Reconstruction?Were African Americans considered equal members of society and treated as such?How much political power did African Americans have during Reconstruction?

Emir Abd el-Kader’s Life, Legacy and Connection to Elkader, Iowa
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | State Historical Museum of Iowa, IA, United States
This webinar focused on Elkader and its fascinating namesake Emir Abd el-Kader, known as the so-called “George Washington of Algeria”. Watch to learn more about Emir Abd el-Kader’s life, legacy and his impact on Iowa.

Rediscovering Heroes, Heroines & Helpers on Central Iowa's Underground Railroad
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | State Historical Museum of Iowa, United States
Learn about the Underground Railroad in Iowa, with a focus on the Jordan House in West Des Moines, as well as the Forever Free program which introduces the heroes, heroines and helpers of the Underground Railroad in central Iowa.

Black Migration In Iowa
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, IA, United States
In this session, genealogist Ricki King presents a journey of Iowa’s Black history, starting with Iowa’s statehood, that illustrates some of the reasons why families and individuals moved to Iowa, moved around Iowa, left Iowa, returned to Iowa and then left again.

For Educators + Students: What’s YOUR Civic Superpower?
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | New American History, United States
Civic Season is about finding your Civic Superpower! This includes motivating young people to make space for more telling stories from the past, more voices from the present, and more input on what an annual tradition for civic participation could look like. When Civic Season kicks off in June 2025, you can explore a multitude of offerings and activities filtered by topic, location, and format, designed to support your own personal exploration into history and democracy. These learning resources include digital content to support schools, students, and communities participating in virtual and place-based events. What role will you play? How will you tell your story? We can help!
