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.

Meet Anna Dickinson: Trailblazing orator and political firebrand
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, United States
At only 21 years of age, Dickinson cemented her status as one of the most famous abolitionists in the nation. But it was a shocking news article that sparked her first foray into public activism when she was just 13 years old.

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?

Collect Stories of Your Community
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | Memria.org, United States
Memria provides software and services to help organizations create story collection and story sharing projects for their communities

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.

Beyond the Battlefield: Redefining Trauma
2099-01-01 00:00 (Pacific/Niue) | Fort Monroe Authority, 30 Ingalls Rd. , Fort Monroe, VA, 23651, United States
Join us for the first installation of our new exhibit at the Casemate Museum — Beyond the Battlefield: Redefining Trauma.
Visit our museum and take a historical deep-dive into topics of mental health struggles in the military from the perspective of lived experiences at Fort Monroe found within our archival collection, beginning in May for #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth! Explore the lives of four individuals’ stories from 19th century Fort Monroe and how they coped with the trauma they suffered.
Save the dates for a special guest speaker series!
Visit us on Saturday, July 16, 2022 from 1-2 p.m. Karie Murrillo from Fleet & Family will talk about Mind, Body, Mental Fitness. This program will be at the Visitor & Education Center at Fort Monroe, 30 Ingalls Rd.
Exhibition Dates: May 14 through September 11, 2022
Cost: FREE!
Pick up your timed entry ticket for the Casemate Museum at the front desk of the Visitor and Education Center located at 30 Ingalls Road, Fort Monroe, VA 23651.

Save As: NextGen Heritage Conservation Podcast
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | Heritage Conservation Programs, University of Southern California, United States
Glimpse the future of heritage conservation from some of the people shaping it: graduate students at the University of Southern California. Why do we save places? For whom? Who decides? Hear how emerging leaders explore these and other issues through groundbreaking research deeply rooted in their personal passions and identities. You’ll learn about the “racing of space” in a Black enclave of Venice, CA; rebuilding the Old City of Aleppo after war; sites of racial violence and havens of substance use recovery; fictional history and acoustic heritage; and so much more. You’ll also hear how alums are transforming what we know as “historic preservation” into a people-centered practice that works for everyone. Catch up on the first two seasons and look forward to Season 3 in the fall! Listen at saveas.place or wherever you get your podcasts (search the full title, Save As: NextGen Heritage Conservation).

Harriet Beecher Stowe and Slavery: Short Film
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | Fourth Wall Films, United States
In this excerpt from the Emmy-nominated “Becoming Harriet Beecher Stowe”, Harriet is exposed to the realities of slavery during the years she lived in Cincinnati, Ohio. These life-changing experiences shape her as a person and prepare her to write her influential novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”.

Track Legislation on Congress.gov
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | Library of Congress, United States
Have you ever wanted to track the progress of a piece of legislation the same way you track a pizza delivery? Well you can! Congress.gov is the official website for U.S. federal legislative information. The site provides access to accurate, timely, and complete legislative information for Members of Congress, legislative agencies, and the public–and features a bill tracker!

Youth Lobby Guide
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | American Battlefield Trust, United States
Written by youth, for the youth — the Youth Lobby Guide provides America’s young people with the knowledge they need to become active in the political process and ensure their voices are heard by their elected officials! Speaking from experience lobbying their senators and representatives in Congress to consider full funding for the American Battlefield Protection Program, members of the American Battlefield Trust’s Youth Leadership Team developed the Youth Lobby Guide as a set of simple steps. Passion and drive are at the root of the best conversions, and the guide will lead you through the rest!

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.

Young People Shake Up Elections (History Proves It)
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | Smithsonian National Museum of American History, United States
With and without the vote and throughout American history, young people have been a force to be reckoned with as they take action and stand in support of the issues that matter most. In 2020 this legacy will continue; millions of young people will be eligible to vote in American elections for the first time and countless more will likely participate in the electoral process in other ways. The Young People Shake Up Elections (History Proves It) video series from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History shares 10 stories of young people shaping and changing elections throughout American history.
The Videos
Each video features a cast of teens telling two stories of young people impacting American electoral politics and reflecting through critical dialogue on what it means to be a young person participating in elections today. The videos end with a prompt to spark conversation among your students about the public issues they care about and how they might take part in the upcoming elections.

Revolutionary Story Time: D is for Democracy
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | American Independence Museum, United States
Each Revolutionary Story Time provides you with a story, a little history, some activities and a lot of fun! Our latest edition features “D Is for Democracy: A Citizen’s Alphabet” by Elissa D. Grodin. This book is an alphabet book that explores many topics related to the creation and workings of American government and American society. Activities include holding your own election, creating a personal motto, and illustrating the preamble to the US Constitution.

Gerrymandering and Redistricting
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | New American History, United States
How might citizens help shape the future of Congressional representation and combat Gerrymandering?
The founders included “The People” in the redistricting process for a reason. Communities of Interest are one element of the process to create a fair district.

Online Exhibition "Chez Baldwin: An Exploration of the Life and Works of James Baldwin"
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, 1400 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 21560, United States
Chez Baldwin is a digital exhibition that explores James Baldwin’s life and works through the lens of his house in St. Paul de Vence, France, where he resided the last seventeen years of his life. Photographs of the interior and exterior of the house, a medieval villa, grace the pages of the section titled “Power of Place.” For Baldwin, his home in St. Paul was an enormously powerful place for writing, healing, and gathering.
The exhibition’s core also includes four additional stories that provide an introduction to Baldwin, insight into his international travels as well as details about his civil rights activism, and an overview of his literary career. Images of collection objects acquired from the house are integral to Chez Baldwin.
Also featured is a Learning Lab for teachers where a Baldwin literary achievements timeline, a listing of resources, links to NMAAHC public programs about Baldwin, and notes by authors who have recently written about Baldwin’s life in St. Paul can be found.

Racial Equity Resources
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | Living Room Conversations, United States
The motto of Living Room Conversations is respect, relate, connect. We know that in the pursuit of racial equity, individual conversations are not the final stop in the journey. Conversations can help us better understand individual bias and racism, as well as consider how racism is part of our systems and institutions.
Our hope is that these conversation guides and resources will be one step in your process, and that you will use insights gained from the conversations to determine next steps for you and your community.

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.

History Film Forum: LFG
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | Smithsonian National Museum of American History, United States
The History Film Forum is an online series from the Smithsonian that explores history on the screen and the evolution of film as public history.
Three months before the 2019 World Cup, all 28 players on the most successful soccer team in American history file a lawsuit against their employer, the US Soccer Federation, for equal pay. LFG documents this piece of history in the making, going behind the scenes to share the triumphs and struggles of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team as they fight to change the game for themselves and for generations of women to come.
Join Academy Award-winning directors Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine, producer Abby Greensfelder, and U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team captain Becky Sauerbrunn with moderator Ken Cohen, curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, for a conversation exploring the filmmaking process and this historic fight.
Presented by the Smithsonian Associates and Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History through generous support of Dan Manatt.

American Democracy Virtual Exhibition
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | Senator John Heinz History Center, United States
The History Center examines the bold experiment to create a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people” in its dynamic online exhibition, American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith. Developed in partnership with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), the exhibit showcases the history of how we’ve voted, protested, and engaged with our politics, from the nation’s formation to today. The exhibit was on view at the History Center in 2021.

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?

History Film Forum: My Name is Pauli Murray
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | Smithsonian National Museum of American History, United States
Pioneering attorney, activist, poet, and Episcopal priest Pauli Murray was an incredibly influential figure of the 20th century who has largely been forgotten by history. Fifteen years before Rosa Parks refused to surrender her bus seat, a full decade before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned separate-but-equal legislation; Pauli Murray was already knee-deep fighting for social justice. Murray shaped landmark litigation—and consciousness— around race and gender equity. As an African American youth raised in the segregated South—who was also wrestling with broader notions of gender identity—Pauli understood, intrinsically, what it was to exist beyond previously accepted categories and cultural norms. Both Pauli’s personal path and tireless advocacy foreshadowed some of the most politically consequential issues of our time. Told largely in Pauli’s own words, My Name is Pauli Murray is a candid recounting of that unique and extraordinary journey.
Join Academy Award-nominated directors (RBG) Julie Cohen and Betsy West in a conversation with National American History Museum curator Fath Davis Ruffins as they explore the making of the film and why “you can’t teach American History without Pauli Murray.”
Presented by the Smithsonian Associates and Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History through generous support of Dan Manatt.
We also wish to thank Participant and Amazon Studios for their collaboration on this program.

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.

Holocaust and America's Response to Other Genocides
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, these materials look at the issue of genocide.
Following its defeat in World War I and the punitive peace treaty that followed, Germany fell into a deep and extended economic depression. Nationalist leaders found a willing audience when they looked for scapegoats who could be blamed for the country’s troubles. Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist Party claimed that the Jewish people were traitors during the war and a blight on the nation. Hitler claimed that the Aryan race (northern Europeans) were genetically superior to all others and that the Jews were inferior. When he rose to power in the early 1930s, he began to impose punitive policies to punish and shame the Jews.
While America knew about pre-war Nazi discrimination against the Jews, it did little to protest or demand an end to it. There was a heated debate in the nation about American involvement in or isolation from European disputes. The U.S. refused to expand its immigration policies to accept more Jews fleeing from Nazi persecution.
Reflect on the following questions:
What was the Holocaust?
How did America respond to the Holocaust?
How has America responded to other genocides?

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.

History Film Forum: The People vs. Agent Orange
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | Smithsonian National Museum of American History, United States
Nearly 60 years following the use of Agent Orange in the Vietnam War, the devastating aftereffects of the toxin remain lethal. This film follows two activists – Tran To Nga and Carol Van Strum – as they take on the chemical industry. Demanding accountability, they work to mitigate the deadly legacy caused by using this poisonous herbicide in their communities.

Presented by Smithsonian Associate and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History through the generous support of Dan Manatt and Democracy Films.

Frances Brand's "Firsts" exhibit at The Center at Belvedere
2099-01-01 00:00 (Pacific/Niue) | Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society, 540 Belvedere Boulevard, Charlottesville, VA, 22901, United States
Frances Brand was an eccentric artist and activist in Charlottesville, VA during the later 20th century. Between 1974 and 1978, Brand painted 157 portraits of individuals she met and admired in the area. She referred to them as the “Firsts.” The subjects included notable women, civil rights leaders, pioneers in various fields, and those who broke color lines and shattered glass ceilings.
From July 1 to August 31, 2022, enjoy the exhibit “Firsts” from the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society at The Center at Belvedere. Look for programs exploring Brand’s art from ACHS and The Center through the summer.

Come See Steel City - Solidarity Between Union Leaders and a Community
2099-01-01 00:00 UTC | History Colorado’s El Pueblo History Museum, 301 N. Union Ave., Pueblo, CO, 81003, United States
Explore the power of solidarity among union and community members in Pueblo, Colorado. The exhibition “Steel City: 1980-2004” looks at individual and collective actions leading up to, during, and after a historic strike. Through oral histories, historic photographs, and newspaper clippings, experience the resilience of an industrial community through changing technology and economic forces.

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.
