Experience History

Where can you go to read Thomas Jefferson’s personal copy of "A Summary View of the Rights of British America" written in 1774 or to watch a video of immigrants landing at Ellis Island from 1903? These websites let you learn about history from the words of the people who lived it.

The World Digital Library brings together some of the earliest written works along with photographs, films, and audio tracks. The site offers page-by-page viewing of the original works that were scanned by participating libraries, often with narration by the curator.

American Journeys lets you read the words of the explorers, Indians, missionaries, and traders in more than 18,000 pages of eyewitness accounts of North American exploration. The teacher section adds topic ideas, lesson plans, and research advice.