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Best History Websites To Teach Students of All Grade Levels

History resources at your fingertips.

It’s been said that history will repeat itself if we don’t learn from it. That’s why it’s so important that we find ways to give our students the tools and skills they need to look at the past from multiple perspectives. We have an obligation to tell the whole story—not just part of it. It’s a monumental task, but educators know how to rise to a challenge! To help you get started, here’s a list of the best history websites for teaching and learning.

teachinghistory.org

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, this website makes history content, teaching strategies, resources, and research accessible. Quick links make it easy to find lesson plans specifically for elementary, middle, or high school students.

Zinn Education Project

Tell the more complete story with downloadable lessons and articles organized by theme, time period, and grade level. Based on the approach to history highlighted in Howard Zinn’s best-selling book A People’s History of the United States , these teaching materials emphasize the role of working people, women, people of color, and organized social movements in shaping history.

Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

Easily find materials based on American history topics! This site offers curriculum, lesson plans, online exhibits, essays, study guides, videos, and teacher resources.

Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience

Cost: Free, donations appreciated

The Online Classroom shares the Wing Luke Museum’s full curriculum with teachers, parents, and students seeking engaging social studies, history, and ethnic studies content.

Teaching American History

Teaching American History is a free resource that brings together primary documents, continuing education, and community for American history teachers. Their free account access allows you to curate and print your own custom document collections.

This website engages students in meaningful civic learning by providing teachers with well-written, inventive, and free resources. Includes a Remote Learning Toolkit that enhances their practice and inspires their classrooms.

Teaching Native American Histories

This project is based on the belief that teaching Native American histories in a positive way requires both specific, local knowledge and a broad understanding of how colonization manifests across time and space in the Americas and around the world. Highlighted resources include 10 Tips to Decolonize Your Classroom and Key Concepts for Native American History .

Library of Congress

The Library of Congress offers classroom materials and professional development to help teachers effectively use primary sources from the Library’s vast digital collections in their teaching.

National Archives

Teach with documents using the National Archives’ online tool to explore primary sources. Discover or create fun and engaging printable activities for your students.

Center for Racial Justice in Education

Today, we still see the absence of Black history and experience in our textbooks, required readings, STEM, and the overall curriculum of our educational system. This website will help you share the histories, stories, and voices that should be centered, honored, and uplifted in school curricula every day.

Google Arts & Culture

Take a deep dive into categories including Historical Figures, Historic Events, Places, and more. You can even explore our world’s history in creative ways by journeying through Time or Color.

National Hispanic Month

This website, which has a special section for teachers, celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. These resources are part of a collaborative project of the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.

Digital Public Library of America

Discover more than 44 million images, texts, videos, and sounds from across the United States. Broken down into online exhibitions, primary source sets, and more.

Teaching LGBTQ History

Access comprehensive resources and materials that fulfill the requirements put forth by the FAIR Education Act. Includes lesson plans, books, and video resources sorted into elementary, middle, and high school grade levels.

Smithsonian

The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex offering vast digital resources and learning online. The site is well-organized, making it easy to select a topic to discover featured collections and stories or search through millions of digital records.

Facing History & Ourselves

Through rigorous historical analysis combined with the study of human behavior, Facing History’s approach heightens students’ understanding of racism, religious intolerance, and prejudice; increases students’ ability to relate history to their own lives; and promotes greater understanding of their roles and responsibilities in a democracy.

What are your favorite history websites for the classroom? Share in the comments below!

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Best History Websites and Resources

These great history websites help make the past and present relevant and accessible to students. There are research resources students can explore including firsthand accounts, images, videos, audio, and scholarly work. Many of these sites feature expertly curated museum and archival collections that help students step into history. Driven by their burning questions about the past, students can use these sites to analyze primary documents, artifacts, historical figures, and significant time periods. Teachers will also find a few picks on this list aimed specifically at them, featuring lesson plans and resources informed by the latest historical research.

Asian Art Museum

Inventive lessons and activities integrate Asian history, art, and more

Bottom Line : It offers an in-depth look at Asia’s influence on art and history and provides lots of creative tools for educators.

Easily accessible, kid-friendly database for the littlest researchers

Bottom Line : Delightful, safe introduction to the world of research, databases, and reporting, with interesting content and stellar supports.

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Powerful stories and media centralize African-American history

Bottom Line : While there aren't ready-to-go curricular materials, this modern, well-curated, and well-contextualized digital collection is sure to inspire compelling lessons.

Smithsonian's History Explorer

Browse and use American history artifacts and activities

Bottom Line : This is a handy resource that, with some effort, will uncover resources for kick-starting curious learning.

History's Mysteries

Scrappy, smart elementary history curriculum builds inquiry skills

Bottom Line : The free and adaptable nature of these intriguing history lessons makes them easy additions to just about any elementary history curriculum.

Library of Congress

Dig into famed library's collection of research goodies

Bottom Line : The Library of Congress delivers the best of America's past and present, and with teacher support it could be a reliable research resource for students.

PebbleGo Next

Safe nonfiction database develops students' research skills

Bottom Line : Student-centric research site gives kids a just-right amount of information to build foundational research skills.

Extensive humanities resource offers deep well of great content

Bottom Line : The National Endowment for the Humanities has put together an outstanding place for art, history, language, and literature.

Ken Burns in the Classroom

Critically acclaimed documentaries repackaged meaningfully for classrooms

Bottom Line : Top-notch documentary clips offer opportunities to expand students' perspectives, but some lesson materials might be underwhelming.

National Archives

Access U.S. history with treasure trove of docs, genealogy, and other resources

Bottom Line : NARA's website wasn't designed for kids, but they can definitely use it to research and learn about history, genealogy, and the U.S. population and government.

Digital Public Library of America

Organized digital library features piles of useful primary resources

Bottom Line : DPLA is at the top of the list of high-grade, online primary source collections if teachers make effective use of what's on offer.

Ford's Theatre

Site famous for its Lincoln assassination resources has more to offer

Bottom Line : This site can support meaningful, primary source-driven examination of some of the most important events in U.S. history, but educators will need to dig a little.

Track progress, differentiate instruction with vast content library

Bottom Line : Though it's not perfect, it's a great portal for supplementing classroom instruction and supporting personalized learning.

Students think like detectives to gather evidence, explore civics

Bottom Line : Makes the case for middle schoolers using primary sources, but this isn't gonna be a grab-and-go experience.

SweetSearch

Search engine with filtered results leaves room for critical thinking

Bottom Line : SweetSearch supplies valid, reputable websites that can help kids learn about a variety of topics.

Facing History and Ourselves

A wealth of resources explore racism, prejudice, and anti-Semitism

Bottom Line : These valuable materials empower students to understand and address difficult ethical choices -- past and present.

Google Arts & Culture

Well-curated art and history site inspires curious learning

Bottom Line : A beautifully presented one-stop shop for compellingly curated and contextualized art, history, and culture resources, but it's lacking educator supports.

Historical texts, interactive activities can promote critical thinking

Bottom Line : This text-rich app encourages students to conduct their own analysis of history, but the formats and graphics may prevent them from making a thorough analysis.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Extensive resource collection supports teaching about the Holocaust

Bottom Line : As a valuable resource for anyone teaching or learning about the Holocaust, time to explore and plan is necessary in order to make the materials effective.

Zinn Education Project

Resources, lessons help teach a more inclusive version of U.S. history

Bottom Line : Free downloadable resources encourage critical thinking and active learning in search of a more accurate picture of American history.

World History Encyclopedia

Crowd-sourced ancient history site features extensive, varied resources

Bottom Line : It's free, web-based, and regularly updated with vetted info, so classrooms can turn to this site often to kick off research projects.

The National WWII Museum - New Orleans

High-quality resources and activities offer an in-depth study

Bottom Line : Materials and activities support a thorough study of World War II, making this a valuable resource for both teachers and students.

Stanford History Education Group

High-quality, document-based lessons spark stellar historical inquiry

Bottom Line : A gold mine of cross-curricular literacy lessons that encourage sound, research-backed strategies for reading, analysis, and critical thinking.

A History of Ideas

Philosophy podcast makes heady concepts accessible

Bottom Line : These philosophy podcasts and videos offer entertaining introductions to key concepts and thinkers, but require some smart lesson planning for deeper learning.

Extensive, highly searchable collection of the world's constitutions

Bottom Line : Quickly and easily access almost any country's constitution, locate an excerpt, or compare governments.

Google Scholar

Academic search engine, an excellent source for credible research info

Bottom Line : This smart tool can help teens locate credible material for paper and report writing, general research, and other school projects.

Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History

History and art intersect on the Met's vast, reading-centric site

Bottom Line : This resource from the Metropolitan Museum of Art beautifully illustrates art's evolution and is great for research, but more interactivity would help balance out the text-heavy content.

OER Project

Expansive world history courses powered by great open-source materials

Bottom Line : A stellar program for exploring foundational concepts in history, humanities, critical thinking, and science with tons of support for teachers.

The Living New Deal | Still Working for America

Archival site is a treasure trove for New Deal researchers

Bottom Line : While it doesn't offer much specifically for teachers or students, it's a must-use site for primary source material if you have a unit on the New Deal or Great Depression.

Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database

Deep, complex database is challenging but a peerless research tool

Bottom Line : This is a highly academic site for better and for worse; it's filled with deep, research-backed resources and primary sources but is intimidating without clear guidance.

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Databases for history and culture research.

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Historic Newspaper Resources

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This list highlights some of the history and culture databases available to researchers from the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives. A complete listing of electronic resources is located on the Libraries and Archives'  E-journals, E-books, and Databases . Databases that require SI network for access are indicated by "SI staff." For information about remote access see  Off-Site Access to Electronic Resources​ .

General History and Culture Resources

• Archives Unbound  (SI Staff): Presents topically-focused digital collections of historical documents that cover a broad range of topics from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.
• American Civil War: Letters and Diaries  (SI Staff): Contains  over 2,000 authors and approximately 100,000 pages of diaries, letters and memoirs, presenting viewpoints and first-hand accounts from people on both sides of the conflict.
• Gale Cengage Databases  (SI Staff): Search across more than 30 Gale databases at the same time, including American and foreign newspapers (some historical, some current), as well as a variety of U.S. and international history sources.
• JSTOR  (SI Staff): Full-text searchable articles from more than 500 scholarly journals in the arts and humanities, economics and politics, mathematics and other fields of study. 
• North American Immigrant Letters, Diaries and Oral Histories  (SI Staff):  Includes over 2,100 authors and approximately 100,000 pages of information, providing a unique and personal view of what it meant to immigrate to America and Canada between 1800 and 1950.
• North American Women's Letters and Diaries  (SI Staff):  I ncludes the immediate experiences of 1,325 women and 150,000 pages of diaries and letters. The collection also includes biographies and an extensive annotated bibliography of the sources in the database.
• Project Muse  (SI Staff): Provides full-text access to hundreds of high quality, peer-reviewed journals from non-profit scholarly publishers, including university presses and societies, covering a wide variety of disciplines.
• ProQuest  (SI Staff): Search across all available ProQuest different databases at once or select specific ones to search, including American Periodicals, Ethnic NewsWatch, Women's Magazine Archive, and historical newspapers such as the Washington Post, New York Times , Los Angeles Times , and Chicago Defender .
• Smithsonian Collections Online (Gale Cengage) (SI Staff):  Online archive of  Smithsonian  and Air & Space Magazine  issues, as well as online access to selected trade catalogs and World's Fair materials from Smithsonian collections.
• African American Newspapers (1827-1998)   (SI Staff) :  Covers life in the Antebellum South through the Civil Rights movement and more.
• Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers :  This resource from the Library of Congress lets you search America's historic newspaper pages from 1789-1924 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present.
• Ethnic NewsWatch   (SI Staff) :  Coverage: 1959-present. Included are journals, magazines, and newspapers from ethnic and minority presses. Ethnicities include: African American/Caribbean/African; Arab/Middle Eastern; Asian/Pacific Islander; European/Eastern European; Hispanic; Jewish; Native People.
• Google News Archive :  A list of U.S. and foreign digitized newspapers, arranged alphabetically by title. Coverage varies widely.
• Harper's Weekly 1857-1912   (SI Staff) :  America's leading 19th century illustrated newspaper.
• Atlanta Constitution   (SI Staff) :  Coverage: 1868- 1984
• Atlanta Daily World   (SI Staff) :   Coverage: 1931- 2010
• Baltimore Afro-American   (SI Staff) :   Coverage: 1893- 1988
• Boston Globe   (SI Staff) :   Coverage: 1872- 1989
• Chicago Defender   (SI Staff) :   Coverage: 1909- 2010
• Chicago Tribune   (SI Staff) :   Coverage: 1849- 1997
• Hartford Courant   (SI Staff) :   Coverage: 1764- 1995
• Los Angeles Times   (SI Staff) :   Coverage: 1881- 1996
• New York Amsterdam News   (SI Staff) :   Coverage: 1922- 1993
• New York Times   (SI Staff) :   Coverage: 1851- 2017
• New York Tribune   (SI Staff) :   Coverage: 1841- 1922
• Pittsburgh Courier   (SI Staff) :   Coverage: 1911- 2010
• St. Louis Post-Dispatch   (SI Staff) :   Coverage: 1874- 1922
• Washington Post   (SI Staff) :   Coverage: 1877-2004 (Smithsonian employees can register for a free current digital subscription at  https://wapo.st/34iLbRs )
• Wikipedia List of Online Newspaper Archives :   A listing of both free and pay wall blocked digital newspaper archives from the U.S. and foreign countries.

Biography and Genealogy Resources

• Ancestry Library Edition  (SI Staff): Powered by Ancestry.com, this resource offers access to billions of records for genealogical research.
• American National Biography Online  (SI Staff): Offers portraits of more than 19,000 men and women, from all eras and walks of life, whose lives have shaped the nation. 
• Biography and Genealogy Master Index  (SI Staff):   Indexes current, easily accessible references sources to help find biographical material on people from all time periods, geographic locations, and fields of endeavor.
•   FamilySearch : For over 100 years, FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide.
•   Fold3  (SI Staff): Provides access to military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served. Also includes some census records and selected other non-military materials.

69 History Websites for Research: Best Sites for Students

A history project is one of the most fascinating and, at the same time, challenging assignments. The research process was especially complicated when there was no Internet. To investigate primary and secondary sources on history, students were spending long hours in the libraries.

Nowadays, there are plenty of online resources available. Yet, not all of the history websites provide relevant information. So, be very careful and don’t trust every blog or webpage you read.

To help you avoid this problem while selecting history websites for your research paper, our team made this list. There you’ll see the most reliable online resources according to your task. In order to increase the efficiency, you can also try a website summarizer that will allow you to boil down any piece of content to highlight only the most important parts within seconds.

Find the best history websites below.

🏺 Ancient History

🏰 medieval history, 📺 modern history, 🇺🇸 american history, 🌍 african history, 🇮🇳 indian history, 🇷🇺 russian history, 🇪🇺 european history, 🇨🇦 canadian history, 🇦🇺 australian history, 🇬🇧 british history, ⚔️ world war 1, ⚔️ world war 2, 🎨 art history, 👩 women in history, ⛓️ history of slavery, 💣 military history, ⛪ history of religion, 🔬 history of science, 🌎 world history websites.

Do you need to write a research paper on a specific historical era? Look through the following section then. Here, world history websites are divided according to the historical periods starting from ancient times and ending with modernity.

Ancient Times is a fascinating historical era since it hides a lot of secrets. Investigate them in your paper! To make your research more manageable, use our ancient history websites.

• BBC – Ancient History The BBC site contains a selection of resources and materials useful for any history student. They include Galleries, exhibitions, an ancient history timeline, history trails, information about historical figures, and much more.
• Discovering Ancient Egypt This site focuses more on a specific topic. And that topic is Ancient Egypt. With daily updates, this website is filled with information about hieroglyphs, Egyptian architecture, kings and queens of Ancient Egypt, numbers and Egyptian math, ancient history facts, and more.
• Perseus Project This website will serve as a fantastic place for finding primary and secondary sources on various historical topics. Discover information on Ancient Greek history, archaeology and art, the Greco-Roman world, and Ancient Olympics, just to name a few.
• Online Gallery – Virtual Books (aka Turning the Pages) This fascinating site stands out among the other ancient history websites. It allows you to turn the pages of numerous manuscripts, books, and other historical works.
• Kaminski Handwriting Collection The name of this site speaks for itself. This is a collection of handwriting. It contains manuscripts, documents, and other works. It’s a terrific site for finding primary and secondary sources of any kind.

Are you searching for historical websites to write a paper on medieval times? We can help you with that! Take a look at our list of history sites and find the most convenient one.

• Byzantium: Byzantine Studies on the Internet This site is dedicated to studies of the Middle Ages with a focus on the Eastern Roman Empire. It has a wide selection of academic and teaching resources. Both students and lecturers will find them useful.
• The Labyrinth This site grants access to various resources in medieval studies. It covers a broad range of topics, including architecture, art, armor , nations, a Middle Ages timeline, and much more. You’re very likely to find answers to any questions regarding medieval history here.
• Medievalists.Net This is a blog oriented on medieval history. It includes general information, news, videos, and articles—all about medieval times, including Middle Ages facts.
• Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts This site contains about 11,000 manuscripts from medieval times. All of them are searchable, and the site is available in multiple languages.

The Internet is full of educational websites about modern history. But how to make sure the information presented on them is reliable? The answer is simple. Use our online resources! They are checked and verified by a team of professionals.

• Academy of Achievement This site tells the stories of people who gained outstanding achievements throughout the modern history timeline. It covers various fields, including sports, art, science, and more. It also includes video and audio clips. It will help you find out more about iconic personalities through the stories of their success.
• Historical Atlas of the 20th Century It gives detailed information about the lives of people during the entire 20th century. Apart from that, the site also contains useful links, FAQs, and an assortment of essays. It will surely be a valuable source of data for any modern history research.
• The 20th Century — a World History This is a very detailed site that tells about all of world history’s key events in the 20th century. It has easy to navigate indexation that makes this site user-friendly. It also provides a list of recommended readings.
• Internet Modern History Sourcebook The title is pretty self-explanatory. It is a collection of public domain historical texts that anyone can use for educational purposes. Materials presented here cover various aspects of the world’s modern history, making this site worth checking out.

🗺️ History of Countries

Do you have in mind a specific country or a continent you want to write your paper about? Take a look at the following section! History websites listed below highlight the key events that occurred in separate countries or areas.

America is quite a young country. Yet, its history impresses with a wide variety of significant events. Are you questioning where to find relevant information for your US research paper? Use our American history websites!

• The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History This useful website will provide you with in-depth information about the events in every era of American history. It also gives access to primary sources and has quite a collection of videos and audios.
• The National Museum of American History This site will help anyone interested in studying American history. Collections and exhibitions present on this site cover every aspect of people’s lives throughout its history. So, you should take a look.
• United States History Here’s what differentiates this site from other American history websites. Apart from having all the historical facts described and sorted in chronological order, this site also offers information tables, maps, quizzes, and a glossary. Not only can you learn something new about American history, but you also have a chance to check your knowledge right away.
• Teaching American History This website will be equally useful for both teachers and students. It contains numerous exhibits, historical documents, and other resources. This site will make research on any topic regarding American history easier.

Are you going to write an essay about Africa? We have good news for you! Our team selected the best history websites that will help you to complete your task. Take a look at them right now!

• South African History Online This site will provide you with detailed and in-depth information on African history. Whatever it is that interests you about Africa – this website is one of the first places you should visit.
• Southern African Historical Society It isn’t only an informative online historical journal about Africa. This site also acts as a network to unite historians and allow them to communicate.
• Wonders of the African World Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. runs the site. He shares his vision of Africa through his travel diary, depicting architectural wonders and interpreting historical events. You should visit this site if you’re in search of a fresh and unbiased look at African history.
• African Voices This website is more like a never-ending exhibition. Apart from materials that you’d expect to get from a history website, African Voices also highlights the issues of working, wealth, living conditions, and other everyday aspects of life in Africa.

Are you searching for historical websites that would introduce you to Indian civilization? We have what to offer you! Check out the following list of online resources.

• Harappa This site will tell you about the Indus culture and the Indus Valley. It’s filled with images, photos, slideshows, and articles to describe the culture and heritage in great detail. It also includes videos, books, and articles.
• History of India This website has all it takes to become a go-to place if you research the ancient history of India. All the materials on this site are divided into sections for better navigation. They include religion, chronological events, education, references, geography, and other historical topics.
• India History Apart from telling about events of Indian history, this site also provides evidence of those events happening. It gives an incredibly informative spreadsheet that anyone can use as a reference during research.

The history of Russia has a lot to offer! This country impresses with its fascinating past and promising future. Investigate our history websites to learn more about Russia.

• The Face of Russia The face of Russia is a series of historical documentaries by PBS. The site contains a timeline of Russian history, maps, biographies, indexes, program summaries, and references.
• Soviet History Archive This is a part of the Marxist Internet Archive. It tells about the development of Russia during the 20th century. It describes the main historical events along with detailed info about the culture and society of the USSR.
• Seventeen Moments in Soviet History This website is a multimedia archive for all those interested in Russian history during the Soviet era. It provides materials on history, economics, politics, culture, and society.

Do you need to write a paper on European history, but the Internet is full of unreliable information? We know the solution to this problem! Use your checked websites, and don’t worry about the credibility of these online resources.

• European History Online This academic website contains articles on European history. It covers the period from the 15th century up to the 21st century. All the documents are separated into thematic threads, and the site includes a European history timeline.
• My House of European History This site contains articles and stories about European history written by regular users. It provides different points of view on various events in the history of Europe. The stories are complete with pictures, recordings, videos, and documents. They also have geographical locations. It’s easy to collect and share those stories, so this site is a real goldmine for any researcher.
• EuroDocs: Online Sources for European History This site is a great place to find historical materials and sources about various events and periods in any European country. The documents you can find here are transcribed or translated. There are also video and audio files, maps, and photos to complete your research.

A paper on Canadian history is a very challenging task unless you have appropriate sources with information. And guess what? You have them! Check our list of history websites about Canada!

• Canada’s History This history website includes articles, books, magazines, podcasts, videos, and much more about Canada. It also grants access to online forums, webinars, archives, and galleries.
• Historica Canada This site tells everything about the history and citizenship of Canada. Not only does it reveal about the events of the past, but this site’s staff also engages with people so they can tell stories and share their unique experiences.
• Canada History It’s another history website that provides intriguing and well-classified information about Canadian history. It includes articles on historical events, politics, locations, and culture. The site also contains timelines, maps, videos, and a variety of historical documents.
• The Canadian Encyclopedia It is a detailed and well-organized encyclopedia that will tell you about all aspects of Canadian history. It also gives access to interactive resources such as various collections, exhibitions, and timelines.

A history project is a perfect opportunity to learn more about Australia! Use our history websites for research to make sure the information is reliable.

• Australian History Research The site will tell you about all the happenings that took place in Australian history. It also provides different types of publications and additional resources to help with researching a specific topic.
• Royal Australian Historical Society This is a site about Australia’s oldest historical organization. It was founded back in 1901 in Sydney. And to this day, its aim stays the same – to promote Australian history studies.
• Australian History Mysteries It’s an Australian history website designed for primary and secondary schools. It provides you with historical information, case studies, videos, interactive activities, and print content.

Are you going to write a paper on the history of Great Britain? You will go on a fascinating historical journey. To make it more pleasurable, use our history websites (UK oriented)! Here you will find only credible information.

• The National Archives This website is designed to help students with researching historical topics. It doesn’t only share historical and educational materials about British history. It also has research guides and other recommendations to help make your work more efficient.
• The British Empire This British history website contains timelines, photos, battle descriptions, maps, and much more regarding British history in general and the British Empire in particular. It shares a personal view of the events, which makes this site different from other academic resources.
• British History Online This site serves as a source of primary and secondary materials for British and Irish history. Its primary focus is on the period from 1300 to 1800.

📜 History Websites by Topic

Have you already decided on the exact topic you are going to explore in your research paper? Do you want to write about a specific event or an outstanding historical figure? Then, this section is for you!

Below, you will find the list of useful history websites for students. Use them and don’t worry about the reliability of the primary sources and secondary ones.

WWI has always been a topic of great interest. But how to make sure that a source provides reliable facts about this remarkable event? The answer is simple – to use credible sources. Check our list of the best history websites for the WWI essay.

• International Encyclopedia of the First World War This site contains in-depth information and a variety of materials about World War I. It includes videos, imagery, and audio. It also has downloadable content and a list of links to other sites dedicated to this event.
• A Multimedia History of World War One This website covers every aspect of World War One history. From chronological events to personalities and weaponry used. It also contains source documents, maps, propaganda posters, and vintage photos and videos.
• The Great War It’s another site that shares historical materials about essential World War I dates. However, what makes it different is that it shows what’s now situated at the locations where battlefields used to be.
• www.worldwar1.com The history website is for students and researchers that delivers various award-winning materials about World War I, including books and magazines. Apart from that, it has links to other sites and articles that cover World War I.

WWII is another significant event in the history of the world. Are you going to write a paper on this topic? Use the following history websites for research.

• World War 2 This site provides detailed information on a wide selection of topics regarding the Second World War. Categories include a timeline, facts, figures, and statistics, just to name a few. There’s much more to this site, so you should visit it.
• ww2history.com Apart from describing critical moments of the World War Two timeline, this site also provides visual materials. It lets you examine testimonies and interviews with experts in this historical field. It also has a selection of links to other resources dedicated to this topic.
• World War II Today This website provides in-depth information about all the events of World War II, in chronological order. Content is divided into categories by year. It also contains new research and findings, as well as a selection of external links and diaries.

History is not only about international or civil wars, congresses, and revolutions. It’s also about the development of art. Are you interested in this topic? Check out our art history websites and find appropriate information!

• The Art History Archive This site serves as a valuable source of information about specific artists, art groups, and artistic movements. It mentions even the smallest art movements along the art history timeline to ensure that it will satisfy any visitor’s needs.
• Art History Resources This site is a collection of links to various art topics. But the amount and level of organization of those links make it worthwhile to visit the site. It’s a valuable source for any art history study.
• Trivium Art History This colorful resource can be equally useful for both students and educators. It contains historical facts about art movements and provides high-resolution images and other materials, including writings and biographies of artists from various art historical periods.
• Web Gallery of Art This site acts as a searchable database for anyone interested in art history. Apart from historical materials, this site includes guided tours, an extensive database, and a comprehensive list of sources.

Are you interested in the role of women in the development of society? Look through our history websites to learn more insightful facts about the correlation between women and history.

• Women in World History This site contains a wide variety of educational materials and resources about women’s history globally. It includes organized lessons, thematic units, biographies, background essays, reviews, and Q&As.
• Women’s History Network This is the site of a national association and charity. It promotes women’s history and encourages those interested in it. It shares publications, holds conferences, and has blog articles posted regularly.
• National Women’s History Project This history website dedicated to women in history has a wide selection of historical materials and other resources (such as quizzes, resource links, and commemorations).

Slavery is one of the darkest pages in world history. Do you need to write a research paper on this topic? Our history websites will help you to find relevant information for your work.

• Slavery in South Africa This site focuses on the enslaved society that existed in Africa. It provides extensive historical information, as well as additional resources. Those include primary documents, a bibliography, personal stories, and a selection of links.
• Harvard and Slavery This website contains the results of students’ research on the topic of Harvard University’s involvement in slavery. It covers the period throughout Harvard’s existence, starting with its founding in 1636.
• The Abolition Project – Slavery This is a section of The Abolition Project website telling about slavery. It covers several historical aspects of this topic and contains imagery, maps, a timeline, and articles.
• Slavery in the North This site provides a detailed look at the issue of slavery in North America. As well as covering the general data, it also tells about the issue in particular regions, making this site a valuable source for everyone researching this topic.

Do you want to create an academic essay on military history but don’t know where to find relevant information? The following list of historical websites will help you to deal with this problem.

• War History Online This site tells about the history and evolution of warfare in all of its aspects. It contains videos, pictures, and articles on a wide variety of topics.
• Military History Online As the name of this site suggests, it tells about military history. This website covers the period from ancient times to modern days, making it an excellent resource for all those interested in this topic.
• Military History Encyclopedia This site covers all the aspects of military history. It contains over 5,500 articles, more than 1,000 book reviews, and pictures, maps, and documents. It also includes coverage of the infamous world conflicts.
• Military History Monthly Apart from covering events in military history, this site also provides new research and articles on this topic. It reveals further details about specific events and shares findings that were unknown before.

Religion is an essential part of life for the majority of the world’s population. Hence, the history of religion is quite a common topic for research papers. Use our list of online resources to explore this topic on a deeper level.

• Religion Facts This site contains facts and historical information on all the major world religions. It also includes charts, a glossary, and descriptions of religious symbols.
• Religion in American History This site is what its name portrays. It covers all the aspects of religion in American history from the perspective of writers and scholars who contribute to the website.
• BBC – History This section of the BBC website informs about world religions. Their appearance and development throughout the history of humankind are explored in particular.

Are you planning to write a research paper on the history of science? We have good news for you! Our team selected the best history websites to help you explore this issue!

• History of Science Society The site is dedicated to understanding science, its interaction with society, and studying its history. The Society holds meetings and events and shares articles, publications, and other educational materials.
• Department of the History of Science (Harvard University) The site aims to examine the history and development of science, its impact on human lives, and discuss the latest developments. It provides a list of resources that contains a large number of historical and educational materials.
• Museum of the History of Science This site includes many online exhibits that depict the history and development of various sciences. It also offers lectures and tours, all of which are available online and in podcast form.
• The British Society for the History of Science The site is devoted to studying the history of science, technology, and medicine. It provides publications and other educational materials, holds conferences, and promotes the understanding of science in general.

We do hope that our list of history websites will help you out.

Even if some of the websites listed here don’t deliver what you’d expect, they have their list of sources, too. So, it’s still worth looking through this list and visiting the sites. And share the page with peers when they need them.

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Subject Matter

Gale offers a product portfolio of history resources, from databases, primary sources, and eBooks, designed to support researchers and students as they study and interpret history.

Biography      |      British History    |      Canadian History    |      Legal History    |      Military History    |      Native American History    |      U.S. History    |      Women’s History    |      World History  

Learn more about the subject of history, which is broadly defined as the study of past events. Due to the broad nature of the concept, most historians narrow their scope by focusing on a particular time period (e.g., the 19 th century, the Middle Ages); a particular country or region (e.g., Britain, Canada, the U.S., Latin American); a particular people, group, or individual person (e.g., Native American, women, a biography of Marilyn Monroe); a particular theme (e.g., legal, military); or any combination of those categories (e.g., the history of British soldiers serving in World War II).

A history can be told from any number of perspectives. Most works on history, including biographies, are created by professional scholars who write about events they did not personally experience by analyzing sources, both primary and secondary, related to their subjects. Primary sources of history include newspapers, books, and letters from the time period being studied as well as artifacts like artwork and tools, and generally help create the secondary sources. Secondary sources were created by someone who did  not  experience firsthand or participate in the events or conditions you’re researching. Secondary sources include books written by other historians on a related matter. Secondary sources may contain pictures, quotes, or graphics of primary sources. Many works of history, however, are written by those who lived through it, such as memoirs and autobiographies.

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History Topics

Gale provides insights and useful resources for research supporting history across a variety of topics.

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Health and medicine  resources.

Gale offers a product portfolio including  databases , primary sources , and eBooks  designed to support history students in the classroom. Resources are aligned to lesson plans for teaching and research.

Gale databases support the study of history in the classroom by providing access to full-text articles, peer-reviewed articles, and documents from must-read historical journals and more history resources. Database concepts include conflicts, politics, cultures, religions, and much more to easily guide students through research. Add these resources to your library or classroom today.

Gale In Context: U.S. History

This database provides documents that give an overview of our nation’s past, covering the most-studied events, decades, conflicts, wars, political and cultural movements, and people.

Gale In Context: World History

Get an overview of world history, covering the most-studied events, cultures, civilizations, religions, people, and more, in this database.

Smithsonian Primary Sources in U.S. History

A database that brings hand-curated, historical documents from Smithsonian experts directly to classrooms and students. Curriculum-aligned material from trusted sources easily satisfies requirements to incorporate primary source documents into U.S. history classes.

Gale OneFile: U.S. History

A library resource that provides periodical documents covering events in U.S. history as well as scholarly work established in the field.

Primary Sources

These archives from Gale Primary Sources   provide researchers with access to firsthand content, including full-text articles, peer-reviewed articles, documents, primary sources of history, secondary sources of history, and other resources. Primary sources of history are located on one platform that easily guides students through research.

Sources in U.S. History Online

Sources in U.S. History Online  is a thematically organized collection providing historical information surrounding important individuals, influential perspectives, religions, political operations, and warfare from the eras that have shaped the United States.

The Making of the Modern World

The Making of the Modern World  is extraordinary for research into the records of the dynamics of Western trade, including the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain, encompassing the coal, iron, and steel industries, the railway industry, the cotton industry, banking and finance, and the emergence of the modern corporation.

China and the Modern World

Access a series of special collections sourced from preeminent libraries and archives across the world, including the Second Historical Archives of China and the British Library. 

Gale eBooks

Gale offers a variety of  eBooks   that can be added to a customized collection and cross-searched to pinpoint relevant content.  Workflow tools  enable users to access, share, save, and download materials.

American Empire: A Global History, 1 st Edition

Princeton University Press | 2019  | ISBN-13: 9781400888351

This title provides a new history of the United States that turns American exceptionalism on its head. It is a panoramic work of scholarship that presents a bold new global perspective on the history of the United States. Drawing on his expertise in economic history and the imperial histories of Britain and Europe, the author takes readers from the colonial era to today to show how, far from diverging, the United States and Western Europe followed similar trajectories throughout this long period, and how America’s dependency on Britain and Europe extended much later into the 19 th century than previously understood. The book goes beyond the myth of American exceptionalism to place the United States within the wider surroundings of the global historical forces that shaped the Western empires and the world.

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Artifacts from Modern America, 1 st Edition

Greenwood Publishing Group | 2018 | ISBN-13: 9781440846830

This intriguing book examines how material objects of the 20 th century—ranging from articles of clothing to tools and weapons, communication devices, and toys and games—reflect dominant ideas and testify to the ways social change happens.

Great Events from History: Human Rights, 2 nd Edition

Salem Press | 2019 | ISBN-13: 9781642652925

This updated reference work originally published in 1992 includes significant updates and a number of new articles that address human rights issues over the past 30 years. This four-volume work traces the path of civil liberties and natural rights throughout history, from ancient codes to modern movements, through pivotal events that have directly affected people and their freedoms. It documents the progression, regression, and overall history of human rights. Modern milestones chronicled include 2001: The U.S. Launches a War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan in Response to 9/11; 2004: The First Same-Sex Marriage Is Performed in Massachusetts; 2006: The Global Internet Consortium Is Founded; 2006: WikiLeaks Gives Whistle-blowers a New Platform; 2014: ISIS Comes to Power in Iraq and Syria; 2015: China Revokes One-Child Policy; 2017: Gay Chechens Are Purged; 2018: Peace Talks Begin on the Korean Peninsula; and 2018: Separating Immigrant Families at the Border.

Uncovering American History: A Primary Source Investigation of Reconstruction, 1 st Edition

Rosen Central | 2019 | ISBN-13: 9781508184072

The era of Reconstruction followed the long, bloody Civil War and became one of the most important in the nation’s history. It set guidelines for race relations and the federal government’s involvement in them. From black codes to voting rights for black men, Reconstruction was an active but contentious period. Articles such as amendments to the Constitution and speeches from the nation’s leaders are examined along with text that provides the necessary material to fully understand the volatile issues debated. This fully illustrated volume highlights the people and their works with a clear and authoritative voice.

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History for Kids

History is the study of the past as it is narrated in written documents. The word originates from Greek,  historia, meaning “knowledge acquired by investigation or inquiry”.

History can also be described as the bodies of knowledge about the past produced by historians, together with everything that is involved in the production, communication of, and teaching about that knowledge.

Where do historians obtain their material? The answer lies in the dusty ancient manuscripts stored away in vaults. These historical records provide historians with the chance to trace stories back through time.

At History for Kids, you can explore all available facts about ancient or modern history, from Egypt to Greek to Roman and beyond. We are a completely free A-Z resource available for kids, pupils, parents and teachers to learn many interesting facts about history.

List of Historical Events

You can explore History Kids by using the A-Z list below.

• Achaemenid Empire
• Adolf Hitler Facts for Kids
• Age of Discovery
• Alcatraz Penitentiary Facts for Kids
• Alexander Fleming Facts for Kids
• Alexander the Great Facts For Kids
• Amelia Earhart Facts for Kids
• American Amendments Facts for Kids
• American Revolution: Facts & Information for Kids
• American Woman Suffrage Association Facts for Kids
• America in World War 1
• Ancient Aztecs Facts for Kids
• Ancient Egyptian Architecture Facts for Kids
• Ancient Egyptian Medicine Facts for Kids
• Ancient Egypt Facts for Kids
• Ancient Egypt: Facts & Information for Kids
• Ancient Europe Facts for Kids
• Ancient Greece Facts for Kids
• Ancient Incas Facts for Kids
• Ancient India Facts for Kids
• Ancient Kyoto Facts for Kids
• Ancient Mayans: Facts & Information for Kids
• Ancient Mesopotamia Facts for Kids
• Ancient Minoans Facts for Kids
• Ancient Persia Facts for Kids
• Ancient Pyramids Facts for Kids
• Ancient Rome and The Romans: Facts & Information for Kids
• Ancient Sparta: Facts & Information for Kids
• Anderson Shelter Facts & Information for Kids
• Apartheid Facts for Kids
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Sheree Budge, Reference Librarian, History & Genealogy Section

Laura Gottesman, Reference Librarian, Humanities & Social Sciences Section

Created: June 9, 2022

Last Updated: June 9, 2022

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Sharing research, records and family lore can help build connections between members of your extended family, and can help family members make connections with their ancestors, and with history generally. There are many different activities kids can can do with adults or by themselves to help build the family tree and discover information that has been lost, as well as sharing stories and connections with other living relatives.

Edwin Rosskam. "Children playing "ring around a rosie" in one of the better neighborhoods of the Black Belt, Chicago, Illinois." 1941. Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.

Russell Lee, photographer. The Whinery children playing in their house. Pie Town, New Mexico . 1940. Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.

Five Asian children holding up small barbells. Ca 1890-1910. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.

T. F. Hunt, photographer. Group of Hatfields-McCoy feudists with woman & children, Welch, W. Va. 1899. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.

Samuel H. Gottscho, photographer. Early years, with images of family, self portraits, landscapes and architectural interiors. Mrs. Gottscho at the beach. Ca 1912. Gottscho-Schleisner Collection. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.

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