Self-Guided Resources
There are numerous sites to help you learn about the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War which won that independence, the years of disunity among the newly independent States, and the Constitution that brought them together to form “a more perfect union.”
As soon as the new government formed in 1789, Congress proposed a Bill of Rights to guarantee a wide range of freedoms. The work was not yet accomplished. After another war, the Civil Way, the Constitution was again amended to abolish slavery, secure their citizenship and the right to vote, and assure to all “due process of law” and “equal protection of the law.
The websites listed below are not the only ones you can find, but they are certainly among the best and some are the best.
Education
National Constitution Center
A private, nonprofit organization, the Center serves as America’s leading platform for constitutional education and debate. as the Museum of We the People, the Center brings the Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As America’s town hall, the Center brings the leading conservative and liberal thought leaders together to debate the Constitution on all media platforms
Education
Bill of Rights Institute
We seek an America where we more perfectly realize the promise of liberty and equality expressed in the Declaration of Independence. This calls for civic education that helps students examine the story of our country and exercise the skills of citizenship.
Education
Journal of the American Revolution
Our mission is simple: Deliver smart, ideally groundbreaking, historical research and well-written narrative based on primary sources. Regularly featuring NEW research and perspectives, JAR is the leading source of information about the American Revolution and Founding era, one of the fastest growing areas of historical interest.
Education
Center for the Study of the American Constitution
(CSAC) is a non-profit, non-partisan center housed within the History Department at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, founded in 1981 as an outgrowth of the Ratification Project—a project that publishes The Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights series. It contains public access to thousands of original historic documents.
Education
National Archives and Records Administration
Our mission is to provide equitable public access to federal government records in our custody and control. We drive openness, cultivate public participation, and strengthen our nation’s democracy through equitable public access to high-value government records.
Education
The American Founding
A project of the Ashbrook Center, AmericanFounding.org serves the Center’s mission to strengthen constitutional self-government by educating our fellow Americans in the history and Founding principles of our country and the habits of reflection and choice necessary to perpetuate our republic.
We believe that America’s future is found in her past. AmericanFounding.org presents in one place, the documents, debates, and narratives necessary to understand America’s Founding and therefore America itself.
Education
Constitution Facts
Constitution Facts is the largest non-partisan publisher of pocket constitution books in the world. Retail sales of the book, combined with our free book program, deep discounts for organizations, schools and others have made us a leading resource for educating people about the Constitution. Each year, more than 4 million people visit constitutionfacts.com – it’s one of the largest communities of people on the internet interested in learning about the constitution, printing the Constitution in both English and Spanish language editions (as well as more than thirty other languages through our custom bookstore!).
Education
George Washington’s Mount Vernon
The mission of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association is to preserve, restore, and manage the estate of George Washington to the highest standards and to educate visitors and people throughout the world about the life and legacies of George Washington, so that his example of character and leadership will continue to inform and inspire future generations.
United States Capital Historical Society
Founded in 1962, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society (USCHS) has proudly worked to preserve and share the history of the Capitol, the Congress, and the people who work therein. As a nonpartisan, educational 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Society was chartered by Congress in 1978, in part “to foster and increase an informed patriotism.” In service of this mission, the Society conducts historical tours of the Capitol Building, hosts both virtual and in-person public history programming, publishes scholarly research in various aspects of Capitol History, coordinates a digital civics education resource hub for teachers, manages a renowned civics education field trip program for Title I D.C. public school students, and commissions works of fine art for the Capitol collections.
Revolutionary War Journal
Hundreds of books and articles about the Revolutionary War, African Americans, Books for Young People, and more…authored by many of our nation’s most respected historians.
Civics Renewal Network
The Civics Renewal Network is an alliance of 37 nonprofit, nonpartisan organizations that provide free online classroom resources for civics education. Sharing the belief that understanding the Constitution plays a vital role in creating knowledgeable and engaged citizens, they agree to work together as the Civics Renewal Network to raise the visibility of civics education and to make high-quality resources more accessible to teachers through a one-stop website. The network partners also collaborate on developing resources and on events such as Constitution Day.
White House Historical Association
The White House Historical Association is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy with a mission to protect, preserve, and provide public access to the rich history of America’s Executive Mansion.
Supreme Court Historical Society
The Supreme Court Historical Society (“Society”) is a not for profit 501(c)(3) membership organization dedicated to preserving and collecting the history of the Supreme Court of the United States, increasing public awareness of the Court’s contribution to our nation’s rich constitutional heritage, and acquiring knowledge covering the history of the entire Judicial Branch. The Society conducts educational programs for students and teachers, and programs of interest to legal practitioners, scholars, historians, and the general public.
American Heritage Magazine
The mission of American Heritage remains similar to what its early editors set forth in 1949: “To develop a deeper understanding of the American heritage.”Founding editor Bruce Catton wrote about the magazine’s guiding principles: “We believe in good storytelling; that interesting writers can interpret history and restore it to the place it once occupied as the noblest branch of literature.”
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