Teaching Suggestions for American Journey Online

Using American Journey Online in the Classroom

Instructors with Internet-capable classrooms can make good use of American Journey Online in class. Below are some ways that instructors can do so. These ideas, of course, are not meant to be exhaustive or prescriptive. They are merely some suggestions on how to use the sources in the database to address specific topics that come up in the U.S. history survey sequence. (The suggestions below are grouped according to the seventeen chronological periods into which the activities using the database that follow have been organized. Individual instructors will no doubt adapt these ideas to fit their own teaching styles or develop their own ways to use the database. (For the most part, the teaching suggestions that follow do not take account of the activities that make up the bulk of this guide. Instructors looking for ideas on teaching with American Journey Online should also consult those activities.)

Earliest Americans

Within "The Hispanic American Experience" instructors can utilize the images "The Temple of Warriors" and "El Castillo" in classroom discussions of Mayan civilizations. Such discussions could include references to religion, war, and other aspects of society.
Instructors could show the multimedia selections "Mesa Verde: 1" and "Mesa Verde: 2" within "The Native American Experience" and use them as the springboard for a discussion of Anasazi life. (This could be done in conjunction with the still image "The Ancient Ones.")
The image "Vwattibi" within "Women in America" could be viewed in class and used to generate a discussion of the ways that Europeans portrayed Native Americans and why those portrayals were often grossly inaccurate. This discussion could also consider the issues surrounding use of drawings such as this one in historical study.

European Explorers

Students could be assigned to read "An Account of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680" within "Westward Expansion" and then discuss the document's apparent accuracies or inaccuracies. They might be asked to consider such things as whether the author has a true picture of the state of Indian sentiment at the time and whether it would be possible to truly subdue the resisters.
"De Soto's Men Butchering Florida Indians" and "Pizarro's Cruelties toward Indians" within "The Hispanic-American Experience" can initiate a class discussion of the violence that characterized the Spanish encounter with Natives in the New World.

Emergence of Colonies

Instructors could play the audio "War and Pestilence!" within "The Native American Experience" in class and use it to stimulate a classroom discussion of the dangers the earliest settlers encountered. This clip could also be used to critique the use of autobiographical sources in the study of history and to discuss some possible caveats that should be employed when using such sources.
"Ad for Sign of the Spectacles" and "Advertisement of Magdalen Devine for Cloth and Linen" within "Women in America" could be used as the springboard for a discussion of women in colonial America, including such things as women business owners and women of property.
The image "Map of British and French Dominions in North America" within "The American Revolution" can serve as the springboard for a discussion of the French presence in North America and how that presence affected both British ideas of the colonies and the colonists' own self-conceptions.

American Revolution

The two images "The Bloody Massacre Perpetrated in King Street" and "Boston Massacre" (and the accompanying audio) within "The American Revolution" can be used in an exercise that compares the historical accuracy of two renderings of the same events. A discussion of these two images can illuminate issues such as bias, intent, and point of view in image construction, as well as reveal some of the precautions that should be taken in using constructed images in studying history.
Instructors could conduct a classroom discussion on the state of medical technology during the Revolutionary War by showing such images as "Bullets with Teeth Marks" and "Amputation Kit" within "The American Revolution."
"Nancy Hart, Heroine of the Revolution, 1776" within "Women in America" could be used to generate a class discussion of women's roles during the American Revolution.

Building a Republican Government

Students can read "The Bill of Rights" within "The Constitution and Supreme Court" and discuss each in class. The discussion could include the implications of each, its reasons for being included, and which points are potentially controversial.
"Proposal for a Secretary of Peace" within "The African-American Experience" can be read in class and discussed. Students might consider the reasons behind the proposal, its appropriateness, and why the idea was not pursued. They might also think about what the proposal said about the way the author thought about the nation's emerging identity.

An Expanding Nation (1800-1850)

The image "Scene in the Hold of the Blood-Stained Gloria" within "The African-American Experience" (and the accompanying audio) could be used to stimulate a classroom discussion of the conditions blacks faced during the slave trade on the long journey across the Atlantic. (The "Cutaway Diagram of a Slave Ship" and "Deck of the Slave Ship Wildfire" in the same module could also be used here.)
"The Native American Experience" contains an audio re-creation of a Native American response to the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Reading and discussing the act, then listening to and discussing the contemporary response, can provide students with both sides of the debate over the forced movement of Native Americans westward. This discussion could extend to subjects such as traditional perceptions of whites and Native Americans and why Native Americans had come to distrust the motives of the federal government.
The audio clip that accompanies "Nat Turner's Rebellion" within "Civil Rights" could be played in class a prelude to a discussion of black resistance to slavery.
The image "Ladies Whipping Girls (1834)" within "Women in America" could generate discussion of the treatment of slaves and the role of southern women in supporting and defending slavery.
"Stealing Novels" within "Women in America" could launch a discussion of socially acceptable roles for women and why some women felt constrained by them.

Civil War and Reconstruction

"Singular Escapes from Slavery" (an image and accompanying audio) within "The African-American Experience" could be used in class to generate a discussion of the different ways that slaves escaped from bondage, including the novel way described here. (Instructors could also bring the Underground Railroad in here.)
The poem "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" within the module "The Civil War" could be read in class. (The audio component can also be played.) The poem can then be used to stimulate a discussion of such topics as contemporary views of Abraham Lincoln (both before and after his assassination), the role of poetry in conveying sentiments and emotions that can't be easily revealed through simple prose, and the way the arts in general can sum up a key event for posterity.
Students could view "Across the Continent: Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way" within "Westward Expansion" and use it as a springboard for a discussion of the role of the railroads in stimulating westward expansion.
The image "Buffalo Bones" within "Westward Expansion" could be used in class to stimulate a discussion of the effects of white settlement on the lives and cultures of Native Americans. Students might be encouraged to identify other ways these two cultures came into conflict.

Prosperity and Crisis (1877-1900)

"The Immigrant Experience" contains a number of Thomas Nast editorial cartoons that could be used as the basis for all sorts of classroom discussions. Among the images included in the module are: "The American River Ganges," "Anti-German Prohibition," "Irish/German Anti-Chinese Prejudice," and "Blaine and Irish Vote." These cartoons could be used to initiate discussions on racial/ethnic and religious prejudice and political machines and corruption, to name just two possibilities. (The cartoons, of course, could also be used as springboards for a discussion of how historians can use such sources and the role editorial cartoons can play with the public.)
The image "Presbyterian Women Visiting Apache Woman" within "Women in America" can generate discussion of such issues as the kinds of vocations that were available to women during the last decades of the nineteenth century and why many turned to missionary work.
Students could listen to the audio that accompanies the image "Remember the Maine!" within "World War I and the Jazz Age" and then discuss the role of public opinion, the press, and national identity in pushing the United States into war with Spain in 1898. The discussion could be broadened to include a consideration of these, or other, factors in other wars as well.

Progressivism and Industrial Society (1900-1916)

Instructors could initiate a discussion of the conditions facing urban immigrants through the photographs of Lewis Hine and Jacob Riis contained in "World War I and the Jazz Age." The images include "Social-Documentary Photography," "Immigrant Life through the Camera Eye," and "Photographing Poverty."
The image "Inside an American Factory" within "World War I and the Jazz Age" could initiate a classroom discussion of the impact of factory work on employees, the need for protection from injury and death, and the role that government could play in effecting those protections. This discussion should be framed within the ideals and philosophy of Progressivism.
"Hay Wagon in Suffrage Parade" and "Parade for Women's Rights" within "Women in America" could stimulate a discussion of the campaign for women's suffrage, including the role that such parades and public demonstrations played in ultimately winning ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment.

World War I

"Navy Recruiting Poster" within "World War I and the Jazz Age" can be utilized to begin an in-class discussion of gender roles during wartime, especially the roles that women could play (even if, as the poster makes clear, they couldn't join the navy).
"Four Women Welding" within "Women in America" can also be used when discussing women's contributions to the war effort.
The image "Artillery: The Big Killer" within "World War I and the Jazz Age" could be used in class to introduce the idea of technological innovation during World War I and its consequences. This discussion could be broadened to include the general nature of the war and its consequences.
"Founding the American Legion" within "World War I and the Jazz Age" could spark a discussion of veterans' activism, the role of anti-Communism in American society, and the ways patriotism is manifested by Americans individually and in groups.

Roaring Twenties

"Enforcing Prohibition" within "World War I and the Jazz Age" could initiate an in-class discussion of Prohibition, including such things as the wisdom and effectiveness of trying to control personal behavior, the ways that people got around the Prohibition laws, and the consequences of Prohibition for general U.S. society.
Students can view and consider "Advertisement for Holeproof Hosiery (1920s)" within "Women in America." The image can generate a discussion of the position of women in 1920s America, the rise of mass advertising during the decade, and the increasing use of sex appeal to sell products.
"Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Clerical Workers" within "Women in America" could initiate a classroom discussion of such things as women's employment in general, sex segregation in the workforce, and the role that ethnicity and race played in women's ability to find and retain work.

Great Depression

The video clip "Book Burning in the 1930s" within "Civil Rights" can be used in class as a springboard to a discussion of public hysteria over the power of words and ideas. (The similarities between book burnings in the United States and those occurring at the same time in Nazi Germany should not be ignored.)
Instructors could show the video clip "Protest in Washington, DC, 1930" within "Civil Rights" in class and then conduct a discussion of its implications. The footage in the clip was not shown at the time, and students should be encouraged to speculate about why that was the case and what it said about who controlled the nation's media outlets.
"Hoover's Farm Relief" (an anti-Hoover cartoon) within "The Great Depression and the New Deal" could be used to generate a discussion of Hoover's anti-Depression program in general. It might also lead to a consideration of popular perceptions/images of Hoover at the time.
Students could view the video clips "Rebuilding Indian Country: 1" and "Rebuilding Indian Country: 2" within "The Native American Experience." These clips could then be discussed in class, taking account of such things as the language of the narration, the selection of images, and the overall purpose of the films.
The image "A Collection of Anti-Third Term Buttons" within "The Great Depression and the New Deal" could be used to lead off a class discussion of FDR's unprecedented run for a third term in 1940. FDR opposition in general, as well as arguments against breaking past precedent on the third-term question, could be included.

World War II

Instructors could use the image and accompanying audio "Negro Cabaret" within "The African-American Experience" as a jumping off point for a discussion of prevailing societal conceptions of African Americans and the pressure African Americans felt to conform to those stereotypes.
The images "Keep Us Flying" and "Dorie Miller Recruiting Poster" within "The African-American Experience" could generate a classroom discussion on the role of African Americans in the military during World War II. Issues such as domestic segregation in the south and segregation in the military could be included.
The image "American Farmer Sign" within "The Asian-American Experience" could introduce a discussion of anti-Asian prejudice and the different ways it was manifested. (The Japanese internment during the war could also be discussed here, perhaps led in by the image "Losing Livelihoods" in the same module.)

Cold War Era

Instructors might use the image "Relocation Poster" within the module "The Native American Experience" to discuss the little-known government effort during the post-World War II period to encourage Native Americans to move from reservations and rural areas into cities. This discussion could include government motives, Native American reaction, and the long-term implications of such a policy.
The image "Colored Drinking Facilities" and the accompanying audio clip within "Civil Rights" could be utilized to generate a class discussion on the Jim Crow system of segregation throughout the south, as well as mounting opposition to that system by the 1950s.
The video "Rosenbergs Convicted and Executed" within "Civil Rights" can be used in class to lead to a discussion of domestic fears of communism during the post-World War II Red Scare. Possible issues could include the standard of guilt used in espionage cases, whether special consideration should be given to women in such cases, and how espionage cases affected the image of the United States in other countries.
The image "Coca-Colonization" within "The Cold War" could be used to stimulate a class discussion on the idea of U.S. cultural influence abroad. Issues such as the role of non-governmental actors in the spread of U.S. influence, the dissemination of U.S. consumer goods in other countries, and possible backlash at this spread of U.S. influence in other countries could be addressed.
Students could read "Vietnamese Declaration of Independence" within "The Cold War" in class and then analyze it. They could consider such things as the document's origins, purpose, and effect.
Students could read "Refugee Definition" within "The Immigrant Experience" and then engage in a class discussion of the definition and its implications.

The Kennedy and Johnson Years

The video clip "James Meredith Enters the University of Mississippi" within "Civil Rights" could be used in class as a springboard for a discussion of white southern resistance to integration and the growing realization of John F. Kennedy that the federal government was going to have to step in and force desegregation even in the face of southern resistance.
The image "Kennedy Adored in Berlin" within "The Cold War" could be viewed and critiqued in class as part of a discussion of Kennedy's incredible popularity, even with people in other countries. This discussion could include issues such as the source of Kennedy's appeal and its consequences. It could also extend from Kennedy to address others who have had similar charisma.
"Bay of Pigs Prisoners" (audio) within "The Cold War" could be played in class a springboard for a discussion of the Bay of Pigs, focusing, as the audio clip does, on the question of U.S. involvement.
The film clip "South Vietnam's Independence Day Celebrations, 1962" within "The Vietnam Era" could be shown in class as a way of discussing the fragility of that state and the tenuous hold its leaders had on power. The film clip could be especially effective in showing how dependent the regime of Ngo Dinh Diem was on the United States.
Instructors might show portions of the propaganda film Why We Are in Vietnam, which is contained in "The Vietnam Era" module under the title "Guardian at the Gate." The class could then conduct a discussion of how the film tries to sell the Vietnam War and whether it is effective.
The image "Atrocities in the Vietnam War: The My Lai Massacre" within "The Cold War" could be used in class to initiate a discussion of wartime atrocities committed by both sides in the conflict, not simply the United States. On the U.S. side, issues such as the personal accountability of military personnel and the ultimate responsibility of commanding officers could be examined. The role of public opinion is another possible avenue to explore.

Nixon, Ford, and Carter (1969-1980)

"Defense Spending" (editorial cartoon) within "The Cold War" could lead to a discussion of budgetary priorities, the importance of national defense, and the way cartoons such as these could help to shape popular opinion (and perhaps even voting patterns).
The editorial cartoon "Castro Releases Families--and Criminals" within "The Cold War" could be used to generate a class discussion of the overall state of U.S.-Cuban relations, the consequences (often unintended) of Jimmy Carter's human rights campaign, and the character of the U.S. immigration system.
The photograph "Death to Carter!" within "The Cold War" could help to stimulate a discussion of the Iranian Revolution, the U.S. reaction to it, and the long-standing U.S. relationship with Iran, including its decades-old ties to the shah. This discussion might also include the effects of the Iranian Revolution and the hostage crisis, some of which are still ongoing.

From Reagan through Bush (1981-2001)

The audio clip that accompanies "Popular General Colin Powell" within "The Cold War" could be used in class to initiate a discussion of the Persian Gulf War, including such issues as U.S. interests in the Middle East, the role of oil in U.S. society, and the effect of the end of the Cold War on larger foreign policy considerations.
Students could be assigned to read "Women's Equal Opportunity Act of 1991: Section-by-Section Analysis" within "Women in America" and to discuss in class its most important provisions and why those provisions were deemed necessary. They could also broaden their discussion to a general discussion of the position of women in American society in the 1990s.

Using American Journey Online outside and inside the Classroom

The American Journey Online is also adaptable for use in combination assignments. Students can be asked to read and study a document or other source outside of class. Then in class, that source can be discussed, an audio or video component that accompanies it can be viewed or discussed, or students can engage in debates about different groups of sources. The suggestions below are only some of the ways that the database can be used in this way. Individual instructors will surely develop their own.

Earliest Americans

Students could be assigned "Memoir of Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda Respecting Florida of 1575" within "The Hispanic-American Experience" as outside reading. In class, they could discuss the document and what it reveals about the peoples native to Florida.
"Letter of Jonas Michaelius" within "The Native American Experience" could be read out of class. In class, it could be used as the basis of a discussion of how the first Europeans viewed Native American societies, and how inaccurate some of those views turned out to be.

European Explorers

"The Hispanic American Experience" contains many diary accounts of European exploration. These excerpts could be assigned to different students or groups of students to read and ponder out of class, and then a general classroom discussion could be conducted about what these sources reveal about the motivations for European exploration in general. Such a discussion might also yield insights into differences in motivation and why some explorations and explorers were more successful than others.
Students could be asked to read "Concession by the King of Spain to Hernando de Soto" within "The Hispanic-American Experience" outside of class. In class, the document could generate a discussion of the motives for Spanish exploration (or conquest) of the New World and its consequences, both for individual Spaniards and for Spain as a whole.
"The Requerimiento" within "The Native American Experience" could be read out of class. In class, students could discuss the document, its intent, and its effects. Included also could be a discussion of its fairness and the assumptions behind it.

Emergence of Colonies

Instructors could assign "Albany Plan of Union" within "The American Revolution" as outside reading. In class, they could use the document as a way of identifying the growing colonial grievances against England, why those grievances were developing, and how the colonists were proposing to resolve them.
Students could read "Navigation Act of 1696" within "The American Revolution" out of class. In class, they could discuss the meaning of the act's provisions and how they would affect colonial trade. This discussion could also include the philosophy behind Parliament's act, as well as its likely impact in the colonies.
"Excerpt from Letter from Governor and Captain-General Don Antonio de Otermin of New Mexico to Fray Francisco de Ayeta, September 8, 1680" within "The Native American Experience" can be read outside of class. In class, students can discuss the events related in the letter and expand into a general discussion of Indian resistance to Spanish conquest.

Revolutionary War

Instructors could assign "Excerpt from The Last of the Mohicans; A Narrative of 1757" within "The American Revolution" as outside reading. In class, students could discuss not only the document itself but also the use of fiction in general in the study of U.S. history. The discussion might include other fiction pieces that have merit in the study of the history, as well as the cautions that need to be employed when using them in a classroom or scholarly situation.
Students could be assigned "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death Speech" within "The American Revolution" as outside reading. Then, an in-class discussion could explore the speech, looking for specific rhetorical devices, as well as the arguments Patrick Henry makes in support of arming the Virginia militia. This discussion could be expanded to include the likely consequences of this move, both for Virginia and for the British.
"Articles of Capitulation" within "The American Revolution" could be read out of class. In class, students could engage in a discussion of what exactly the surrender terms say and how they lay out the positions of each side. This discussion could be expanded to include the "Treaty of Paris, 1783" within the same module so that students could debate whether the armistice terms suggest or justify the extent of the benefits the new United States received in the treaty.

Building a Republican Government

Instructors might make use of the substantial Anti-Federalist documents within "The Constitution and Supreme Court" to frame a classroom debate on different issues surrounding the Constitution. One group of students could be assigned to read Anti-Federalist documents on a question or questions; another would read the Federalist position on that issue or issues. In class, the two sides would conduct a debate for the other students, making use of the arguments contained in the documents they read. The class might then render an opinion on which side made the better case.
The document "Closing Statements of the Constitutional Convention" within "The Constitution and Supreme Court" could be assigned as out-of-class reading. In class, students could listen to the accompanying audio commentary assessing the Constitution. Their reading could form the basis for an evaluation of the commentary. Among the things they could discuss is whether the Framers understood at the time the significance of what they were doing in Philadelphia.
Students could be asked to read "A Grammatical Institute of the English Language" within "The Immigrant Experience" out of class. In class, they could then discuss the document, considering such things as the role of language in forging a national consciousness and the need at the time of this campaign for the United States to create its own distinct identity.
Instructors could have students read "The Antislavery Petitions of 1790" within "The Constitution and Supreme Court" out of class. In class, they could discus the petitions within the context of the antislavery movement, consider the role of the Constitution in limiting congressional action, and explore the divisiveness that the issue of slavery was already having on American society just one year after the ratification of the Constitution.

An Expanding Nation (1800-1850)

Students could be asked to read Tecumseh's "War Speech" within "Westward Expansion" outside of class. In class they can then engage in a discussion of the philosophy and ideas behind the document, as well as some of the difficulties of using documents like this one that reflect accounts by one person or group of people of the words of another.
"Women in America" contains a fair number of diary accounts by frontier pioneers during the eighteenth century. These accounts include "Harriet Noble's 1824 Tale of Western Migration, Told to Elizabeth Ellet (1856)," "Excerpt from Recollections of Frontier Life (Chapter VIII)," "The Diary of Helen Marnie Stewart (1853)," and "Diary of an Oregon Pioneer of 1853." Instructors could have different students or pairs of students read these selections out of class and then report to the class on the experiences they read about. These reports could form the basis of a general discussion of the reasons people moved westward, what sorts of problems they encountered, and why they stayed.
Students could be assigned to read "Excerpt from The Young Wife; or, Duties of Women in the Marriage Relation, 1837" within "Women in America." Their reading could then form the basis for a classroom discussion of the document and its prescriptions regarding women, as well as the position of women in general American society during the 1830s.
Students could be assigned "Annexation, or First Definition of Manifest Destiny" within "The Immigrant Experience" as outside reading. In class, they could then come together for a discussion of the document, noting the way John O'Sullivan described the process of western expansion and why he believed it was America's destiny to expand.

Civil War and Reconstruction

Students could read "Lincoln's 'A House Divided' Speech" within "The Constitution and Supreme Court" out of class. In class, they could discuss the document, and the reasoning behind it. The discussion should pay particular attention to what Lincoln had to say about the Supreme Court.
"Excerpt of Sociology for the South" within "The Civil War" could be assigned as outside reading. In class, students could engage in a discussion of the different reasons the document offers in defense of slavery.
A similar exercise could be conducted with "Excerpt from The Impending Crisis of the South: How to Meet It" within the same module, but the discussion in this case would be about the reasons the document details in opposition to slavery.

Prosperity and Crisis (1877-1900)

Students could be asked to read "Open Door Policy in China" within "World War I and the Jazz Age" out of class. In class, they could then engage in a discussion about the content of the Open Door notes and the reasons behind the new articulation of U.S. policy. That discussion could be expanded to include the reasons for American expansionism at the end of the nineteenth century in general, as well as its consequences both at home and abroad.
Students could be assigned to read and consider "Excerpt from Looking Backward: 2000-1877" within "World War I and the Jazz Age" out of class. In class they could discuss the excerpt, noting what it said about American society during the late 1870s and what sort of contemporary schemes were being advanced to improve that society. The discussion could also include consideration of why it proved so difficult to effect timely reforms.

Progressivism and Industrial Society (1900-1916)

"The Platt Amendment" within "The Hispanic-American Experience" could be assigned for reading out of class. Students could then discuss the terms of the amendment in class, assessing what each one would mean for Cuba and for the United States and explaining why the amendment served U.S. goals without the need for formal colonization of Cuba.
"Family Limitation" by Margaret Sanger within "Women in America" could be assigned as out-of-class reading. Students could then use what they read in the document as a basis for a discussion of Sanger's reasons for supporting birth control and family planning and the government's apparent reasons for declaring such information obscene.
Students could be directed to read "The April 18, 1912, Resolution of the Edmonton Board of Trade" within "The African-American Experience" out of class. In class, they could discuss the document, paying attention in their discussion to such things as the intent of the document, the assumptions behind it, and its likely effect. This discussion could also be broadened to include other kinds of laws and restrictions on housing and property ownership.
"Dollar Diplomacy" within "World War I and the Jazz Age" could be assigned for out-of-class reading. In class, students could assess the document, discussing what its proposals would mean for U.S. foreign policy, what role they envisioned for U.S. businessmen in that policy, and why they were being put forward when they were.
Instructors could assign students or groups of students to cover the main political philosophies at work during the 1912 election through the following documents within "World War I and the Jazz Age": "Excerpt from The New Freedom," "Excerpt from The New Nationalism," and "Socialist Party Platform of 1912." The students or groups could then engage in a classroom presentation or debate laying out and defending their positions.

World War I

Students could be assigned to read "Excerpt from Women Wanted (chapter III)" within "Women in America." They could then engage in an in-class discussion of the different roles women were called upon to play during the First World War and how well women responded.
"Doughboys Discover the Horror of War" within "World War I and the Jazz Age" could be assigned for reading out of class. In class, students could use the document to begin a discussion of the reality of war, especially for men unprepared for it. Include in this discussion the disillusionment the war engendered in those who fought in it.

Roaring Twenties

Students could be assigned to read "Black Gains in Chicago during the 1920s" within "World War I and the Jazz Age" outside of class. In class, they could then discuss the findings of the document with regard to African-American migration to Chicago. They could also speculate on some of the long-term consequences of that migration.
Instructors could ask students to read "Excerpt of Passing of the Great Race" within "The Immigrant Experience." Students could then come to class prepared to debate the contents of the documents, including such things as the author's purpose in writing, his ultimate aims regarding immigration, and the eventual results of such ideas.
The documents "High School Enrollment and Graduation, 189-1930" and "College Enrollment and Degrees Conferred, 1890-1930" within "World War I and the Jazz Age" can be assigned for out-of-class reading and study. In class, students should discuss the statistics cited in the document and try to make sense of them. They should draw conclusions about the statistics and generalize from them as much as possible, noting in their discussion the implications of the statistics cited in the report.

Great Depression

Instructors could have students read "A Greater Role for the Federal Government? President's Research Council on Social Trends, 1933" within "World War I and the Jazz Age" out of class. In class, the students could discuss the findings and recommendations contained in the report and speculate about why those recommendations were not immediately implemented. This discussion could easily be broadened into a general consideration of the approach of Herbert Hoover to the Great Depression.
Out of class, students could read "Roosevelt's State of the Union Address, 1935" within "The Great Depression and the New Deal." In class, they could discuss the document, noting how Roosevelt describes the state of American society at the time and what challenges and solutions he notes for the future.
"The Tennessee Valley Authority Act, 1933" within "The Great Depression and the New Deal" could be assigned as outside reading. In class, students could consider just what the act did, how it was a great departure from the past, and what its implications were for the Tennessee Valley.

World War II

Students could be assigned to read "The Munson Report" within "The Asian-American Experience" outside of class. In class, they could discuss the report's findings and speculate on why its recommendations were ignored. (The report asserted that Japanese Americans on the West Coast posed no threat to American security.) They can then move to a discussion of the actual reasons for the Japanese internment, if security was not the motivating factor.
Instructors could assign "Korematsu v. United States" within "The Constitution and Supreme Court" as outside reading. In class, they could discuss the Supreme Court's decision, as well as the Japanese internment question generally. The constitutional defense of the internment should be emphasized.

Cold War Era

Instructors could assign students to read "The Bricker Amendment" within "The Constitution and Supreme Court" outside of class. In class, the students could discuss the document, framing it in terms of such issues as the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches, the role of Congress in foreign policymaking, and the idea of isolationism in U.S. foreign policy, to name just three. The controversy over the amendment could also be used as a case study for showing students how a proposed constitutional amendment moves through Congress and then to the states for ratification.
Students could read Farewell Speech to the Joint Houses of the U.S. Congress, April 19, 1951" within "The Cold War" outside of class. In class, the audio portion of the document could be played (it covers the last few paragraphs of the speech.) The class could then engage in a discussion of the issues MacArthur raises in his speech, as well as general questions such as the authority of the president over military personnel and the "cult of personality" that often surrounds people, like MacArthur, who are larger than life. This in-class discussion could also address the question of why this speech has remained one of the most famous addresses in all of U.S. history.
"McCarthy and His Enemies" within "The Cold War" could be assigned as outside reading. In class, students could discuss the document, assess its defense of McCarthy, and debate the senator's tactics in general. Among the topics covered in the discussion could be the question of whether the ends justify the means in McCarthy's case, and whether the document's explanation for the failure of McCarthy's crusade is correct.

The Kennedy and Johnson Years

Students could read "Indian Education: A National Tragedy--A National Challenge" within "The Native American Experience." They could then discuss the document in class, addressing such things as the problems the report notes, how those problems developed, how they might be solved, and why they had not already been solved.
"No Longer an Indian" within "The Native American Experience" could be assigned as out-of-class reading. In class, students could use the document as the springboard for a discussion of the identity questions that plague Native Americans and their own personal struggles with the twin pulls of assimilation and tradition.
Instructors could have students read "The Lessons of Vietnam" within "The Cold War" outside of class. In class, they could discuss the document, considering such things as the author's candor and openness, his purpose in writing, and his success in making his case. Students could also discuss the substance of the document, taking account of whether McNamara should have known and understood some of the things he didn't while serving as secretary of defense during the 1960s.

Nixon, Ford, and Carter (1969-1980)

"University of California Regents v. Bakke" within "Civil Rights" could be assigned as out-of-class reading and then used in class to initiate a discussion of affirmative action and the arguments against it. The discussion could take the form of a debate, in which two teams of students argue for and against affirmative action and the rest of the class decides which side made the better case.
Students could be assigned to read "I Have Seen a Lot of Death" within "The Native American Experience" out of class. In class, they could use the document as the basis for a discussion of violence in urban areas, especially among members of minority groups.

From Reagan through Bush (1981-2001)

Outside of class, students could be assigned to read and ponder the document "Telephone conversation between L. Brezhnev and W. Jaruzelski, October 19, 1981" within "The Cold War." In class, they should listen to the audio portion of the document (remarks by President Ronald Reagan) and discuss the two sources. Include in the discussion such issues as the points of view of the various individuals and nations, what was at stake for each, and what methods each was willing to undertake to get what it wanted.
Out of class, students should read "Judiciary Committee Report on the Bork Nomination" within "The Constitution and Supreme Court." In class, they should listen to the accompanying audio (which explains the concept of original intent) and discuss such issues as the reasons for congressional rejection of Bork's nomination to the Supreme Court, whether those reasons seem valid, and what the rejection says about the role of Congress in shaping the views--and decisions--of the Court.
Students could be assigned to read and think about "Naturalization Requirements" within "Civil Rights" outside of class. In class, they should engage in a debate of the provisions for naturalization. This discussion could touch on things like the reasons for the different provisions, how fair the naturalization process is, and how these requirements might affect the decision by some non-citizens to seek citizenship (that is, whether the requirements are so strict that some people might not be able to meet them).
Instructors interested in the issue of free speech and expression could use the document "Top Ten Banned Books, 1997" within "Civil Rights." The books on the banned list could be divided up among the students so that one or more was assigned to each book. Once the students had completed their individual reading, they could report to the class about the book they read and why it should--or should not--be banned. Alternatively, instructors could simply use the list as a springboard for a discussion of freedom of expression.
Students could be asked to read "Remarks on Internment of Japanese-American Civilians" within "The Immigrant Experience" outside of class. Then in class they could engage in a discussion of the document, noting and critiquing the reasons it gives for righting the wrong of the internment.
"Indian Presence with No Indians Present" within "The Native American Experience" could be assigned as out-of-class reading. In class, students could discuss the document, paying special attention to considerations such as the problems the document details, how those problems developed, and how they might be solved. The discussion might also touch on questions about museum collections in general, as well as the rights of groups to retain control over artifacts that they consider sacred or meaningful.

Using American Journey Online outside the Classroom

One final way that instructors can make use of the American Journey Online is to use it as the source of out-of-class assignments for students. The database's rich collection of primary sources can provide endless opportunities for outside reading and writing assignments. The suggestions that follow only scratch the surface of ways that the database could be used as the basis for out-of-class work. Once instructors familiarize themselves with the database they will surely develop their own.

Earliest Americans

"Description of the Traditional Religious Beliefs and Practices of the Kodiak People" within "The Native American Experience" could be read by students out of class. They could then write a brief paper summarizing the document, noting its main features and explaining how it reveals a reverence for Kodiak beliefs.
"The Prophecy and Advice of the Priest Xupan Nauat" within "The Hispanic-American Experience" can be assigned as outside reading. The students would then use it as the basis for a brief paper on Mayan religious beliefs, including prophecy, and the tendency of many Central American societies to tell tales after the fact of their having predicted the arrival of the Europeans.

European Explorers

Students could be assigned to read "Will of Hernando de Soto" within "The Hispanic-American Experience." This document could then be used as the basis for an out-of-class writing assignment that assesses the document, including such aspects as what it reveals about de Soto's personal life, sense of responsibility, and financial position. Students could also consider how lucrative de Soto's explorations on behalf of the Spanish government proved to be.
Students could read "The Defense of the Indians: Their Rights" within "The Native American Experience" and write a paper explaining what rights the author is defending and why.
A similar exercise could be undertaken with "Excerpt from "The Sermon of Friar Antonio de Montesinos" within "The Hispanic-American Experience."

Emergence of Colonies

"Excerpt from Historical Memoir of Pimer�a Alta" within "The Hispanic-American Experience" can be assigned as outside reading. Students could be asked to write a brief essay outlining how the document reveals the religious motivation of the Spanish exploration of the New World and what the consequences of that motivation were, especially for Native Americans.
Students could be assigned to read "Letters to the Viceroy of New Spain" within "The Hispanic-American Experience" and to write a paper explaining the difficulties of establishing a settlement that are enumerated in the document.

Revolutionary War

Instructors could assign "Accounts of Stamp Act Crisis in Various Newspapers" within "The American Revolution" as outside reading. Students could be asked to write a brief paper comparing the newspaper accounts contained in the document and speculating about the sources of any similarities or differences they note.
Students could read "Account of the Native American Massacre" within "The American Revolution" and use the document as the basis for a brief essay on the reasons for and consequences of the Gnadenhutten massacre.
"On Spain's Importance to the War" within "The Hispanic-American Experience" could be assigned as outside reading. Students could then write a paper on the role of Spain in the American Revolution and why that role was indeed important to the outcome. They could also frame the Spanish role within the context of general European support for the cause of U.S. independence.

Building a Republican Government

"From Annapolis to Philadelphia" within "The Constitution and Supreme Court" could be assigned for out-of-class reading. Instructors could ask students to explain the reasons for the failure of the Annapolis Convention and the reasons for scrapping the Articles of Confederation and drawing up a completely new frame of government.
"The Constitution and Supreme Court" contains a fabulous collection of excerpts from the Federalist Papers. Instructors might ask different students to read excerpts on different issues and write brief papers explaining the paper's position on the issue in question. (The second part of this exercise could also be adapted for classroom use, as students could report to the class what they read and as a group the students could discuss how the papers support different aspects of the Constitution.)
Students could be asked to read "The Trade and Intercourse Act of 1790" within "The Native American Experience." They could then be asked to write a brief paper on the terms of the document as well as the reasons behind it. This assignment could also include consideration of the irony behind the document, as it repeats provisions implemented by England in the Proclamation of 1763 that the colonists roundly denounced.

An Expanding Nation (1800-1850)

Instructors could assign "The Deer Hunt" within "The Native American Experience" as outside reading. Students could be asked to write a brief paper reflecting on how the document reveals more than simply hunting practices--that is, how it reveals spiritual and philosophical elements of Native American belief systems as well.
Students could be assigned to read "An Address to the Whites" within "The Native American Experience." They could then be asked to write a paper assessing the document's contents and explaining what the document reveals about Native American feelings about efforts to assimilate them into mainstream society.
"Women in America" contains a number of diary accounts by frontier pioneers during the eighteenth century. Among them are "Harriet Noble's 1824 Tale of Western Migration, Told to Elizabeth Ellet (1856)," "Excerpt from Recollections of Frontier Life (Chapter VIII)," "The Diary of Helen Marnie Stewart (1853)," and "Diary of an Oregon Pioneer of 1853." Instructors could assign these diary accounts as out-of-class reading and have students write a synthetic essay that draws them together in an exploration of frontier experiences. This exercise might emphasize gender differences or some other key theme.
Students could be asked to read "The Emigrant's Guide to and Description of the U.S." within "The Immigrant Experience" and write a brief paper describing and assessing the advice offered in the document. They might also be asked to speculate on what sorts of results that advice might have had for settlement patterns in the United States.

Civil War and Reconstruction

Instructors could assign "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" within "The African-American Experience" and ask students to write a brief paper outlining Frederick Douglass's arguments about the incongruity of slavery in a supposedly equal society.
The document "Ain't I a Woman" within "The Civil War" can be assigned as out-of-class reading. Students could then be asked to write a brief paper on the arguments it raises concerning women's rights and rights for African-American slaves.
Students could be assigned to read "The Moving Robe Woman Interview" within "The Immigrant Experience" and to write a reflective essay on the document assessing what it reveals about Native American sentiment after the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Prosperity and Crisis (1877-1900)

"Political Corruption in the City" within "World War I and the Jazz Age" could be assigned for outside reading. Students could then be asked to write a brief essay summarizing the document and the practice of political corruption in general. They might note the positive as well as the negative sides of that corruption in the course of their essays.
Students could be asked to read and consider "The Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890" within "World War I and the Jazz Age." They could then be asked to write a brief paper explaining what the act did and what it did not do. (That is, students should recognize that the document had limitations.)

Progressivism and Industrial Society (1900-1916)

Instructors could assign "Muller v. Oregon" within "The Constitution and Supreme Court" as outside reading. Students could then write a brief essay explaining the Court's decision and how it was reached. They could also consider the logic of the Court's assertion in the ruling, and whether protecting the general welfare in the way the Court ruled was indeed a legitimate job of the federal government.
Students could be asked to read "The Wilson Administration's Latin American Policy" within "World War I and the Jazz Age." They could then be asked to write a brief essay outlining the features, consequences, and implications of this policy for the United States and for Latin America.
Instructors could assign "The 1903 U.S.-Panama Treaty" within "The Hispanic-American Experience" as outside reading. Students could then be asked to write an essay on the terms of the treaty, which side got the better end of the deal, and how the treaty reflected U.S. foreign policy goals in general.

World War I

Students could be asked to read "Excerpt from Jailed for Freedom (1920)" within "Women in America" about the struggle for suffrage and to write a brief paper addressing the hardships the women involved endured and how they maintained the strength to carry on their fight.
Instructors could assign "Africa for Africans" by Marcus Garvey within "The African-American Experience." Students could then be asked to write an essay reflecting on Garvey's philosophy about colonization and whether that scheme was workable or not.

Roaring Twenties

"Indian Citizenship Act" within "The Native American Experience" could be assigned as outside reading. Students could be asked to write a brief paper on the act and its meaning, especially the irony of granting citizenship to a group of people whose presence in North America long predates the arrival of the first Europeans.
Students could be asked to read "Excerpt from School and College Life" within "World War I and the Jazz Age." They could then write a brief summary of the author's main points about education during the 1920s, being careful to note the differences brought out in the document between students preparing for different kinds of careers. They might also compare the experiences related in the document with college life today.

Great Depression

Instructors could assign Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Fireside Chat on the 'Court-Packing' Bill" within "The Constitution and Supreme Court" as outside reading. Students could then be asked to write a brief essay on the questions involved in the proposal and why it generated such controversy.
Students could read "Roosevelt's Message Proposing Social Security" within "The Great Depression and the New Deal." They could then write an essay explaining the reasons FDR spelled out for his proposal, what exactly it entailed, and why the idea was so revolutionary.

World War II

Students could be assigned to read "The Sleepy Lagoon Case" within "The Immigrant Experience" out of class. They could then write an essay reflecting on what the document and the case in general reveal about the place of racial and ethnic prejudices in American society during the 1940s and how they affected the nature of American life at the time.
Instructors might ask students to read and write a reflective essay on "Excerpt from Farewell to Manzanar (Chapters 2 and 20)" within "Women in America."

Cold War Era

"Our Homes Are Not Dumps" within "The Native American Experience" could be assigned to students. They could then be asked to write a brief paper on what the document reveals about Native American concerns with the environment, especially in the nuclear age.
Students could be assigned to read "Farewell Address to the American People, January 18, 1961" within "The Cold War." They could then be asked to write an essay reflecting on the issues Eisenhower raises in this speech, why he considered them important, and how they remained part of American society for decades to come.
Instructors could have students read "International Control of Atomic Energy" within "The Cold War." They could then be asked to write a brief paper assessing the arguments in the document concerning the control of atomic energy and the limitation of nuclear weapons. Students could also be asked to consider the correctness of the author's arguments from the position of more than a half century of hindsight.
Instructors could assign "National Security Council Paper no. 68" within "The Cold War." Students could then be asked to write an essay reflecting on the recommendations contained in the document, how they're justified, and what implications/consequences they might have for overall American society.

The Kennedy and Johnson Years

Students could be asked to view portions of the propaganda film Why We Are in Vietnam, which is contained in "The Vietnam Era" module under the title "Guardian at the Gate." They could be asked to write a brief paper on the film, addressing things such as its use of propaganda techniques, its point of view, or its likely effectiveness.
Instructors could assign "The Indian Tests the Mainstream" within "The Native American Experience" and ask students to reflect on the document's contents. They could consider such things as the problem the author identifies, how he proposes to solve it, and whether it is in fact solvable. Students might also address the author's comparison of the civil rights movement with the campaign for better treatment for Native Americans.

Nixon, Ford, and Carter (1969-1980)

Students could be assigned to read "Beyond Disneyland" within the module "The Asian-American Experience" and write a brief paper assessing the hardships of immigrants to the United States recounted in the selection. The papers could focus on one particular aspect of the story related in the document, such as personal determination, prejudice, or lack of government assistance, or they could simply be general reaction papers.
"New York Times v. United States" within "Civil Rights" could be assigned as outside reading. Students could then be asked to write a brief paper on how the decision deals with questions such as the importance of national security considerations in allowing for freedom of the press, the power of the government to control the press, and the responsibilities of the press to the nation and its interests.
Instructors could assign "This Country Was a Lot Better Off When the Indians Were Running It" within "The Native American Experience" as outside reading. Students could then be asked to write a brief paper on the events the document details, covering the reasons and consequences of those events as well as the philosophy of those who perpetrated them.

From Reagan through Bush (1981-2001)

Instructors could assign "Jesse Helms on Prayer in the Public Schools" for outside reading. Students could be asked to reflect on the document, considering such things as the logic of Helms's argument, whether he marshals evidence to support that argument, and the issue of the separation of church and state in general.
"The American Media and the Soviet Union" within "The Cold War" could be assigned as outside reading. Students could then be asked to write a paper on what the document says about the way journalists reported the Soviet Union and what the consequences of that reporting were. They might also consider such topics as the role of the media in a free society, how the media can shape public opinion, or the responsibilities of journalists to be fair in their reporting.