Media Resources

This episode of BackStory explores the history of presidential inaugurations and pays particular attention to the historical significance of specific transitions during contentious times in U.S. history. 

Jeffrey Ludwig, Director of Education at the Seward House Museum (Auburn, New York), discusses the benefits of wide research when developing any project. The video includes examples of primary sources and other resources available at the Seward House that illustrate how wide research works. 

Shatavia Elder, Vice President of Education at the Atlanta History Center (Atlanta, Georgia), offers advice on the importance of historical significance when writing about a topic, event, person, or era. The video includes materials available at the Atlanta History Center that show how researchers can evaluate historical significance across time.

Anne Petersen, Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation (Santa Barbara, California), addresses why multiple perspectives are important to developing a rich understanding of historical events and topics. The video includes how maps and primary documents available at the Santa Barbara Trust can be used to analyze multiple and competing perspectives in history.

Long Road to Freedom is an NEH-funded digital humanities project that documents the transformative journey of Biddy Mason from enslavement in Georgia to becoming a landowner and community organizer in Los Angeles.

This resource provides access to classroom materials available at the Helen Keller Archive Digitization Project and resources for including the Americans with Disabilities Act within discussions about civil rights in the United States. 

The NEH-funded website, Voices of Democracy (VOD), includes a wealth of resources for studying the role of women in the civil rights movement—from the early nineteenth century through the 20^th century. This resource focuses on the life and transformative political influence of civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer.

In this episode of the NEH-funded BackStory—“Another Burden to Bear”—learn about the history of racial health disparities in the United States. The segments discuss the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, mental health care, efforts to combat tuberculosis within Native American communities, and the Madrigal Ten.

This episode of BackStory explores the history of gay rights in the U.S., with segments on the career of Harvey Milk and a look at movements for change in California, New York, and the Midwest. Supplemental materials for studying gay rights are also provided. 

This media resource highlights the NEH-funded project, Unladylike2020, and includes questions to guide students through the viewing of the one-hour special and short videos, along with resources for independent research.