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Seasonal farm landscapes

Students will have visited the farm landscape four times throughout the year, recording their observations during four seasons. The drawings will incorporate their knowledge of farms from our visits, their exposure to the seasonal landscapes of Grant Wood and Claude Monet, and their knowledge of landscape art and its elements of color and perspective developed at the Museum. The final project will be individual student books containing their landscape drawings and text.

Format: lesson plan (grade K Visual Arts Education)

By Jamie Barnhill.

Amnesty letters

In North Carolina in the Civil War and Reconstruction, page 9.5

Letters from North Carolinians to President Andrew Johnson asking for amnesty after the Civil War. Includes historical commentary.

Format: letter

Commentary and sidebar notes by L. Maren Wood.

Their Idol Kiwasa

"Ther Idol Kivvasa." Theodor de Bry's engraving of an American Indian wooden idol, published in Thomas Hariot's 1588 book A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia. The idol sits on a platform in a round structure and is visible...

Format: image/illustration

The Indian Removal Act of 1830

In North Carolina in the New Nation, page 10.5

Act of Congress, passed in 1830, authorizing President Andrew Jackson to transfer Eastern Indian tribes to the territories west of the Mississippi River. Includes historical commentary.

Format: legislation

Commentary and sidebar notes by Kathryn Walbert, L. Maren Wood, and David Walbert.

The Battle of Gettysburg

In North Carolina in the Civil War and Reconstruction, page 4.9

The diary of Confederate soldier Louis Leon in the first days of July 1863, describing his experiences at the Battle of Gettysburg. Includes historical commentary.

Format: diary

Commentary and sidebar notes by David Walbert and L. Maren Wood.

North Carolina as a Civil War battlefield, May 1862–November 1864

In North Carolina in the Civil War and Reconstruction, page 4.1

Summary of military operations in North Carolina during the middle three years of the war, including the Confederate raid on Goldsboro, Potter's Raid, the Battle of Plymouth, and the sinking of the CSS Albemarle.

Format: article

A UNC student asks to sign up

In North Carolina in the Civil War and Reconstruction, page 1.6

Letter from Edward Hall Armstrong to his father in April 1861, asking permission to volunteer for the Confederate army. Includes historical commentary.

Format: letter

Commentary and sidebar notes by L. Maren Wood.

Culpeper's Rebellion

In Colonial North Carolina, page 1.11

In the 1670s, the British government insisted that exports from Carolina be taxed, but a group of settlers in the Albemarle region rebelled against what they saw as an unreasonable burden. The Lords Proprietors eventually regained control of the colony, but in the meantime, colonists set a precedent for governing themselves.

Format: article

By David Walbert.

Johnson's Amnesty Proclamation

In North Carolina in the Civil War and Reconstruction, page 9.4

In May 1865, President Andrew Johnson offered amnesty to most former Confederate soldiers, excepting high-ranking officers, some politicians, and the wealthiest Confederates. Original source includes historical commentary.

Format: proclamation

Commentary and sidebar notes by David Walbert and L. Maren Wood.

Hands-on biology

Hands-on science exploration clarifies difficult concepts and engages learners who have difficulty in more traditional classrooms. This article looks at an inquiry-based classroom that meets the needs of all of its students.

Format: article/best practice

By Waverly Harrell.

"Where Home Used to Be"

In North Carolina in the Civil War and Reconstruction, page 7.8

Letter from 16 year-old Janie Smith, whose family home was used as a Confederate hospital during the Battle of Averasboro. She describes the effects of Sherman's March, the battle, and its aftermath. Includes historical commentary.

Format: letter

Commentary and sidebar notes by L. Maren Wood.

Cherokee Nation v. the State of Georgia, 1831

In North Carolina in the New Nation, page 10.6

When Georgia tried to subject the Cherokee to state law, they sued the state in federal court. The Supreme Court ruled against them in 1831, in this decision written by Chief Justice John Marshall. Includes historical commentary.

Format: court decision

Commentary and sidebar notes by L. Maren Wood and David Walbert.

The Battle of Bentonville

In North Carolina in the Civil War and Reconstruction, page 7.9

Memoir of a Confederate soldier describing the march to Bentonville and the battle there on March 19, 1865. He describes the desperate state of the Confederate army by the end of the war. Includes historical commentary.

Format: book

Commentary and sidebar notes by L. Maren Wood.

Spain and America: From Reconquest to Conquest

In Prehistory, contact, and the Lost Colony, page 3.1

In 1491, no European knew that North and South America existed. By 1550, Spain -- a small kingdom that had not even existed a century earlier -- controlled the better part of two continents and had become the most powerful nation in Europe. In half a century of brave exploration and brutal conquest, both Europe and America were changed forever.

Format: article

By David Walbert.

Amadas and Barlowe explore the Outer Banks

In Prehistory, contact, and the Lost Colony, page 4.5

On April 27, 1584, Captains Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe left the west coast of England in two ships to explore the North American coast for Sir Walter Raleigh. The party of explorers landed on July 13, 1584, on the North Carolina coast just north of Roanoke Island, and claimed the land in the name of Queen Elizabeth. Captain Barlowe's report describes the land and the people he encountered.

Format: journal

Plessy v. Ferguson

The text of the Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson upholding the constitutionality of racial segregation even in public accommodations (particularly railroads), under the doctrine of “separate but equal.”

Format: court decision/primary source

Resources on the web

The Museum for American Studies

A vibrant, multimedia collection of exhibits on a variety of topics realted to American studies including: culture, society, and politics. User friendly and easy to navigate. (Learn more)

Format: website/general

Provided by: University of Virginia