Resource Library
Find compelling classroom resources, learn new teaching methods, meet standards, and make a difference in the lives of your students.
We are grateful to The Hammer Family Foundation for supporting the development of our on-demand learning and teaching resources.
Introducing Our US History Curriculum Collection
Draw from this flexible curriculum collection as you plan any middle or high school US history course. Featuring units, C3-style inquiries, and case studies, the collection will help you explore themes of democracy and freedom with your students throughout the year.
Apartheid Policies
Read the National Party’s 1948 statement in support of apartheid, which justifies separation as a way to preserve the white European race.
Experiencing Apartheid
Writer Mtutuzeli Matshoba provides a vivid account of life under apartheid through the story of his friend who was forcibly ejected from his home.
The Freedom Charter
Examine the 1955 Freedom Charter, established by the ANC and supporting groups, which calls for all races to enjoy equal rights, protections, and benefits under the law.
Mandela on Trial
Nelson Mandela describes the ANC and PAC’s shift from non-violent resistance of apartheid to violent sabotage under the militant faction MK in his testimony during the Rivonia Trial.
A Wife's Lament
Consider the unique experiences of black South African women during apartheid, many of whom were forced to live far away from their husbands on bantustans.
How It Feels to Be Colored Me
Zora Neale Hurston describes her sense of identity and experience being a black woman in this 1928 essay.
Church Mouse to the White House (excerpted)
This reading excerpt from Martha Sharp's unpublished memoir explores in greater detail why she and her husband traveled to Czechoslovakia to engage in aid work.
Gender and Identity
Read the personal reflections of a mother whose young son has challenged her assumptions and expectations about gender identity.
Martha’s Letter to Helen
Read Martha Sharp's letter to Helen Lowrie written in Lisbon, Portugal, describing her daring journey from France.
Martha's Letter to Hastings
Read Martha Sharp's letter to her son explaining her reasons for remaining in France while her husband returned back to the United States.
American Public Opinion Data
The following surveys and polling questions conducted between 1938-41 gauge US attitudes toward Jews. Findings showed that few Americans were vehemently antisemitic, but many felt that Jews had to be “kept in their place.”