Sept. 17, 1787: U.S. Constitution Signed
The U.S. Constitution was signed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Theme: Democracy & Citizenship
Democracy & Citizenship
Sept. 25, 1961: Murder of Herbert Lee
Herbert Lee, a farmer who helped voting rights activists, was murdered by a Mississippi state legislator in broad daylight.
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Sept. 28, 1829: An Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World
David Walker published An Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World, one of the most important documents of the 19th century.
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Sept. 29, 1943: Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary Hunger Strike
Conscientious objectors began a hunger strike at Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary.
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Aug. 1, 1952: Sarah Keys Refuses to Give Up Her Seat on a Bus
Sarah Keys refused to give up her seat on a state-to-state charter bus, prompting the landmark court case, Sarah Keys v. Carolina Coach Company.
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Sept. 19, 1868: Camilla Massacre
As African Americans marched peacefully in response to their expulsion from elected office, more than a dozen were massacred near Albany, Georgia.
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July 18, 1946: Murder of Maceo Snipes
WWII veteran Maceo Snipes was murdered after casting his vote in the Georgia Democratic Primary.
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Who Gets to Vote? Teaching About the Struggle for Voting Rights in the United States
Teaching Activity. By Ursula Wolfe-Rocca.
Unit with three lessons on voting rights, including the history of the struggle against voter suppression in the United States.
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Unit with three lessons on voting rights, including the history of the struggle against voter suppression in the United States.
Aug. 3, 1980: Reagan Gives “State’s Rights” Speech at Neshoba County Fair
Reagan appealed to the “George Wallace-inclined voters” and to white supremacy in his stump speech at the Neshoba County Fair, mere miles away from where three civil rights workers were murdered by the Klan in 1964.
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Oct. 10, 1871: Octavius Catto Killed on Election Day in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Black educator, baseball player, and civil rights activist Octavius V. Catto was murdered by a white supremacist on election day.
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Rethinking the U.S. Constitutional Convention: A Role Play
Teaching Activity. By Bob Peterson. Rethinking Schools. 14 pages.
A role play on the Constitutional Convention which brings to life the social forces active during and immediately following the American Revolution with focus on two key topics: suffrage and slavery. An elementary school adaptation of the Constitution Role Play by Bill Bigelow. Roles available in Spanish.
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A role play on the Constitutional Convention which brings to life the social forces active during and immediately following the American Revolution with focus on two key topics: suffrage and slavery. An elementary school adaptation of the Constitution Role Play by Bill Bigelow. Roles available in Spanish.
Freedom’s Unfinished Revolution: An Inquiry Into the Civil War and Reconstruction
Teaching Guide. By American Social History Project with foreword by Eric Foner. 1996.
Primary documents, essays, and questions to teach the untold story of Reconstruction.
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Primary documents, essays, and questions to teach the untold story of Reconstruction.
The Cherokee/Seminole Removal Role Play
Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow. 10 pages.
What led up to the Trail of Tears? In this lesson, students learn about the decision to remove the Cherokee and Seminole people from their lands.
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What led up to the Trail of Tears? In this lesson, students learn about the decision to remove the Cherokee and Seminole people from their lands.
Constitution Role Play: Whose “More Perfect Union”? and The Constitutional Convention: Who Really Won?
Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow. 24 pages.
The U.S. Constitution endorsed slavery and favored the interests of the owning classes. What kind of Constitution would have resulted from founders who were representative of the entire country? That is the question addressed in this role play activity.
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The U.S. Constitution endorsed slavery and favored the interests of the owning classes. What kind of Constitution would have resulted from founders who were representative of the entire country? That is the question addressed in this role play activity.
Cindy Sheehan: “It’s Time the Antiwar Choir Started Singing”
Film clip. Voices of a People's History.
Dramatic reading of Cindy Sheehan's speech "It's Time the Antiwar Choir Started Singing" (2005) is read by Marisa Tomei and Staceyann Chin.
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Dramatic reading of Cindy Sheehan's speech "It's Time the Antiwar Choir Started Singing" (2005) is read by Marisa Tomei and Staceyann Chin.
Race to Incarcerate: A Graphic Retelling
Book — Non-fiction. By Marc Mauer and Sabrina Jones. 2013. 128 pages.
Based on the popular book Race to Incarcerate, this graphic adaptation is a key resource to introduce a study of U.S. prison system to middle school readers and above.
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Based on the popular book Race to Incarcerate, this graphic adaptation is a key resource to introduce a study of U.S. prison system to middle school readers and above.
Oct. 15, 1966: The Black Panther Party Founded
The Black Panther Party sought justice for African Americans and other oppressed communities through a combination of revolutionary theory, education, and community programs.
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Nov. 10, 1898: Wilmington Massacre
The elected and interracial Reconstruction era local government was deposed in a coup d’etat in Wilmington, North Carolina.
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March 1, 1954: The Green Feather Movement Launched
Five students from Indiana University at Bloomington (IU) started the Green Feather Movement to protest censorship.
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Oct. 20, 1942: Durham Manifesto
The Southern Conference on Race Relations (SCRR) was held in Durham, North Carolina to address dichotomy between African American soldiers fighting overseas in the name of democracy while in the U.S. they were facing racial violence and being denied basic human rights.
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May 19, 1856: Charles Sumner Crime Against Kansas Speech
Charles Sumner delivered a speech denouncing slavery and the need for Kansas to become a free state.
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March 11, 1965: Rev. James Reeb Murdered in Selma
Rev. James Reeb died as a result of being severely beaten by a group of white men during Bloody Sunday in Selma two days earlier.
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Nov. 5, 1867: Alabama State Constitution
Delegates gathered in Montgomery, Alabama, to draft a new state constitution during Reconstruction.
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Nov. 6, 1965: Draft Card Protest
Draft cards burned in solidarity with David Miller, a Catholic pacifist who was one of the first to publicly burn his draft card.
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Nov. 3, 1874: Robert Smalls Elected
Robert Smalls was elected to Congress from South Carolina during Reconstruction.
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