Presidents Archives

Statues of Native Americans walking, representing the Trail of Tears, in Florida

Andrew Jackson and the “Children of the Forest”

Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow. 5 pages.
A lesson in which students develop critical literacy skills by responding to Andrew Jackson's speech on "Indian Removal."

Teaching Activity by Bill Bigelow

The Election of 1860 Role Play

Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow. 12 pages.
A role play based on the election of 1860 allows students to explore the political debates of the time and the real reasons for the Civil War.

Teaching Activity by Bill Bigelow

Ballots for Belva: The True Story of a Woman’s Race for the Presidency

Picture book. By Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen. Illustrated by Courtney E. Martin. 2008. 32 pages.
Biography of Belva Lockwood who ran for president in 1884.

Chisholm ’72 – Unbought and Unbossed

Film. By Shola Lynch. 2004. 76 minutes.
Documentary about Brooklyn Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm and her campaign to become the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee in 1972.

The Black History of the White House

Book — Non-fiction. By Clarence Lusane. 2010. 544 pages.
The untold story of African Americans in the White House from the 18th century to the present, including the presidents who held people in bondage.

Teaching Activity by Clarence Lusane

The Bonus Army

Article. By Mickey Z.
History of the 1932 Bonus Expeditionary Force (BEF) or Bonus Army.

Presidents and Slaves: Helping Students Find the Truth (Lesson) | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

Missing from Presidents’ Day: The People They Enslaved

Article. By Clarence Lusane. 2014. If We Knew Our History Series. Textbooks erase enslaved African Americans from the White House and the presidency and present a false portrait of our country’s history.

Teaching Activity by Clarence Lusane

The Birth of a Nation: A Century Later

By William Loren Katz By an odd coincidence the first week of Black History Month this February, Time magazine ran an article on the 100th anniversary of the first public showing of the movie classic The Birth of a Nation. This silent film was Hollywood’s first blockbuster, first great historical epic, first full-length film, and first to introduce modern cinematic techniques that still keep audiences enthralled. Time noted the movie’s problem. From its casting and content to its dramatic conclusion it was unabashedly racist.

Under Pressure, Scholastic Recalls Racist Children’s Book

By Deborah Menkart A firestorm erupted when Scholastic released a children's book early this month, A Birthday Cake for George Washington, by Ramin Ganeshram and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, featuring smiling slaves baking a cake for George Washington.

Teaching After the Election of Trump

The Zinn Education Project stands in solidarity with those who have denounced Donald Trump’s racism, misogyny, xenophobia, and Islamophobia—as well his ignorant and deadly proposals about the environment and climate change. The role of teachers is crucial in this freedom struggle. Please check out the lessons and resources below.

Andrew Jackson Revisited

“One of the greatest victories for the people of America since Andrew Jackson,” Rudy Giuliani , former mayor of New York City, said of Donald Trump's success in the 2016 election. We agree that Trump and Jackson have a lot in common, but neither election can be accurately described as a victory for anyone other than the wealthy elite.

Never Caught: The Story of Ona Judge

Book — Non-fiction. By Erica Armstrong Dunbar and Kathleen Van Cleve. 2019. 272 pages.
This is the true story of Ona Judge who escaped from enslavement by George and Martha Washington.

The Untold History of the United States: Young Readers Editions, Vols 1 (1898-1945) & 2 (1945-1962)

Book — Non-fiction. By Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick. Adapted by Susan Campbell Bartoletti and Eric S. Singer. Vol 1. 2014. 400 pages. Vol 2. 2019. 320 pages.
These are two volumes of illustrated histories, adapted for students from a documentary book and film of the same name.