United States History

Should one of the world's richest men get to dictate the future of how we learn about our past?

Shmoop US History study guides and teacher resources. Smart, fresh guides to US History by Stanford, Harvard, and Berkeley Ph.D. and Masters students.

The date of the start of the history of the United States is a subject of constant debate among historians. Older textbooks start with the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492 and emphasize the European background, or they start around 1600 and emphasize the American frontier. In recent decades American schools and universities typically have shifted back in time to include more on the colonial period and much more on the prehistory of the Native peoples.

The word history comes from the Greek word history which means "to learn or know by inquiry." In the pieces that follow, we encourage you to probe, dispute, dig deeper - inquire. It changes and grows and becomes richer and more complex when any individual interacts with it.

American history extends farther into the past than the name "America," and we add to it every day. Below are some of the highlights to help you begin your journey of exploration.

Full list of past and current PBS shows. Find show websites, online video, web extras, schedules and more for your favorite PBS shows.

Featuring 100 milestone documents of American history from the National Archives. Includes images of original primary source documents, lesson plans, teacher and student competitions, and educational resources.

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the nation's record keeper. Of all documents and materials created in the course of business conducted by the United States Federal government, only 1%-3% are so important for legal or historical reasons that they are kept by us forever.

Designed for high school and college teachers and students,History Matters serves as a gateway to web resources and offersother useful materials for teaching U.S. history.

The Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution, and it serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with more than 120 million items. The collections include books, sound recordings, motion pictures, photographs, maps, and manuscripts.