In 1878 Senator Aaron Sargent became the first member of Congress to formally propose a constitutional amendment specifically to extend voting rights to women. The Senate never voted on Sargent’s proposal, but the idea and the suffragists who supported it persisted. Senators—some of them working closely with activists—continued to debate women’s political rights over the […]
January 1, 2018 marked the 155th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. See how much you know and learn more along the way.
Every chapter in the history of criminal justice and incarceration in the United States has a few pages written about Sing Sing Prison. The 1825 Cellblock is a rare example of the architecture of confinement. Despite many attempts to demolish this monumental landmark, the massive stone walls have survived.
Join our expert panel as we examine the impact of fake news, misinformation and conspiracy theories on American democracy, past and present. Panel historians will look at instances of these phenomena to help us understand the challenges they present to our democracy both historically and today and what remedies we might pursue. Experts on child […]
What lessons might we learn from the stories of the families of the victims, survivors, and witnesses of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire? The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire prompted many legislative and workplace-related reforms that still help keep workers safe. But there is also the human side of the story which, like most tragedies, can often get […]
“The Good Fight: Oklahoma City Sit-Ins” tells the inspiring story of the Oklahoma City sit-in movement, which started in 1958. You’ll learn how students used non-violent protests to help end segregation in public places (like restaurants) across Oklahoma. It even includes interviews with sit-in participants! Best to access this resource on desktop (not mobile).
You will analyze historical records of the House and Senate to understand the sequence of steps in the legislative process.
In this activity, you will examine the impact of westward expansion and settlement on Native American communities following the Civil War. You will explore a variety of documents to get a sense of the issues faced by Native Americans due to settlement and U.S. Government Indian policy.
Examine the appointment of one particular Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor, who was also the first female Justice in the 191-year history of the Court. Learn about the process by which a President makes the appointment selection and the steps that lead to that person being confirmed by the Senate (or not).
What is the role of art as we get out the vote and build larger movements for change? In this national conversation with engaged artists held on October 29, 2020, hear about the importance of voting in both local and national elections, using art to challenge and shift culture, and how we build powerful—and beautiful—movements. […]
Players develop the skills to become news-literate by practicing four distinct skills in a game format: distinguishing news articles from opinion pieces, advertisements from other types of information, false evidence from factual evidence, and fact-based statements from opinion-based statements. Informable is an innovative step toward building more responsive tools for real-world learning — expanding beyond […]
Taking a cue from the popular protest call-and-response—"Show me what democracy looks like! This is what democracy looks like!"—this site explores what democracy looks like from the perspectives of five organizers working in today's undocumented movement. Through their stories, these organizers invite us to look beyond the headlines and the issues often associated with undocumented […]