Celebrating America’s Freedoms
This site from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs contains “stories about some of America’s most beloved customs and national symbols.” Topics include the Pledge of Allegiance, fl ag etiquette, the bald eagle, gun salutes, and other patriotic subjects. Useful for planning activities or researching holidays such as the Fourth of July, Flag Day, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day.

CIA World FactBook: United States
Offi cial source of information about the geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, and defense of the United States.

Library of Congress
From “the largest library in the world,” this site offers access to eight million items online. In addition, through its online catalogs, research guides, and other fi nding aids, the site provides information on many of the books, recordings, photographs, maps, and manuscripts contained in the library’s collections. Links to a number of useful resources are described in greater detail in entries below.

Smithsonian Institution
Often called “the nation’s attic,” the Smithsonian is comprised of several history, science, and technology museums, as well as art galleries, the National Zoo, a number of research facilities and libraries, and outreach programs. The site provides links to the museums, exhibitions, events, research, and membership information. Visitor’s guides are available in a number of languages, including English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic.

The 50 States
Provides detailed information about each state. Includes maps of states and capitals as well as state flags, symbols, population, area codes, zip codes, information on major cities, and numerous other facts.

City-Data.com
Focusing specifically on U.S. cities, this site includes profiles, photos, maps, statistics, geographical data, statistics and other resources. It also includes Top 100 Lists of cities: highest income, least crime, newest houses, most females, shortest commute, best-educated residents, and so forth.

Geography of the 50 States
Click on any state for detailed information about that state, including basic geographical facts, state symbols, famous residents, songs, history, government, newspapers, a message board, and an extensive list of links.

National Atlas of the United States
Using this site from the U.S. Department of the Interior, one can create custom-made maps showing various physical features. Numerous statistics on the population, agriculture, climate, environment, geology and other geographic information are searchable as well.

National Weather Service
Part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Weather Service provides forecasts, maps. travel warnings, and other information about the climate of the United States.

U.S. Geological Survey
“USGS geographers monitor and analyze changes on the land, study connections between people and the land, and provide society with relevant science information to inform public decisions.” The site provides geography resources from the U.S. mapping agency cooperating with more than 2,000 organizations across the country to provide scientific information for resource managers and planners.

American Presidents
From the University of Virginia’s Miller Center of Public Affairs, this site offers two perspectives on the American presidency: the Presidency in History and the Presidency in Action

Congressional Directory
This official directory features short biographies of each member of the Senate and House, as well as additional data, such as committee memberships and staffs. It also includes officials of other federal departments and agencies, governors, foreign diplomats, and members of the press. The directory is available online from the 104th Congress to date.

Constitution of the United States
“The Constitution of the United States comprises the primary law of the U.S. Federal Government. It also describes the three chief branches of the Federal Government and their jurisdictions. In addition, it lays out the basic rights of citizens of the United States.” This database from the Congressional Research Service provides access to editions and supplements to the text, analysis, and interpretations since 1992.

Core Documents of U.S. Democracy
Grouped into cornerstone documents, Congressional, presidential, judicial, regulatory, demographic, economic, and miscellaneous categories,” this online collection contains “the basic Federal Government documents that define our democratic society.” Selected and authenticated by the U.S. Government Printing Office.

GPO Access
From agency publications to the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, this portal page from the U.S. Government Printing Office provides access to official information from all three branches of the Federal Government.

State and Local Government on the Net
Using drop-down menus, this searchable and browsable state and local government Internet directory provides “convenient one-stop access to the websites of thousands of state agencies and city and county governments.”

Stateline
Designed originally for journalists and funded by the Pew Charitable Trust, this site provides “timely tips and research material on state policy innovations and trends.” Topics include state-level issues such as healthcare, tax and budget policy, the environment, and welfare. Stateline.org’s annual report on state trends and policy, “State of the States 2006,” can be requested free of charge.

The Supreme Court of the United States
The official site of the Supreme Court contains detailed information about the history and workings of the Court. Oral arguments, rules, guides, decisions, and opinions are accessible here, as well as a visitor’s guide and other public information.

THOMAS: Legislative Information on the Internet
Free Congressional information has been available through this database since 1995. Materials include the full text of bills, laws, and resolutions; proceedings and proposed legislation; the Congressional Record; schedules; calendars; committee information; presidential nominations; treaties; and other government resources. Some earlier materials dating back to 1973 have been added to the database as well.

U.S. Government Manual
Comprehensive information on the “agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches” as well as information on “quasi-official agencies, international organizations in which the United States participates, and boards, commissions, and committees” is available in the official handbook of the federal government. This handbook is searchable and browsable, with online editions available from 1995 to the present.

Understanding the Federal Courts
“This publication was developed by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts to provide an introduction to the federal judicial system, its organization, and its relationship to the legislative and executive branches of the government.”

AMDOCS: Documents for the Study of American History
Developed by a professor at the University of Kansas, this chronological listing provides links to approximately 400 documents selected specifically to assist high school and college American history students.

America’s Historical Documents
“The National Archives preserves and provides access to the records of the Federal Government.” This site contains a sample of these records, from some celebrated milestones to some more obscure documents. It also provides links to the National Archives and Records Administration’s home page, additional documents, online exhibits, research tips and tools, and other resources.

American Memory: Historical Collections for the National Digital Library
“American Memory provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience.” Taken from the collections of the Library of Congress and other institutions, these materials “chronicle historical events, people, places, and ideas that continue to shape America.” See, for example, the Learning Page’s “American Memory Timeline” and the “Today in History” feature.

Avalon Project at the Yale Law School: Documents in Law, History, and Government
“The Avalon Project is dedicated to providing access via the World Wide Web to primary source materials in the fields of Law, History, Economics, Politics, Diplomacy and Government.” External and internal links have been added to facilitate understanding and navigation of the items. The database, which is searchable by author and title or by subject or event, contains over 3,500 full-text documents, most directly related to American history.

Biography of America
This telecourse and video series presents American history as a living narrative. Divided into 26 parts, the series Web site provides “an interactive feature related to the subject or the time period of the program. . . a listing of key events of the period, a map relevant to the period, the transcript of the video program, and a ‘Webography’—a set of annotated web links.”

Documenting the American South
Sponsored by the University Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, this collection “provides Internet access to texts, images, and audio files related to Southern history, literature, and culture. Currently DocSouth includes nine thematic collections of books, diaries, posters, artifacts, letters, oral history interviews, and songs.” Searchable by author, title, subject, and geographically.

History—North America
This comprehensive guide to history resources is compiled by bibliographers at the Rutgers University Libraries. Links to Internet resources, online indexes and databases, bibliographies, major microfilm sets in American history, other library catalogs, and other services are provided. Access to several of the databases is “Rutgers Restricted.”

History Matters: The U.S. Survey Course on the Web
“Designed for high school and college teachers and students of U.S. history survey courses, this site serves as a gateway to web resources and offers unique teaching materials, first-person primary documents, and guides to analyzing historical evidence. [The] materials ・actively involve students in analyzing and interpreting evidence.” Created by the American Social History Project at City University of New York and the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, this site contains resources, such as an annotated guide to “the most useful websites for teaching U.S. history and social studies.”

Outline of U.S. History
“A chronological look at how the United States took shape.Published by the Department of State’s Office of International Information Programs, this fully illustrated edition was completely revised and updated by Professor Alonzo L. Hamby in November 2005.

Diversity Bibliography
Offered by the Poynter Institute, a nonprofit organization “dedicated to teaching and inspiring journalists and media leaders,” this bibliography, updated in early 2005, links to online resources, including organizations and reports, and contains a list of books about diversity and the media.

Local Legacies: Celebrating Community Roots
From the Library of Congress’s Folklife Center, this site contains photographs, written reports, sound and video recordings, newspaper clippings, posters, and other materials that document nearly 1,300 Local Legacies projects throughout the country. These collections demonstrate the “creative arts, crafts, and customs representing traditional community life; signature events such as festivals and parades; how communities observe local and national historical events; and the occupations that define a community’s life.”

Pluralism Project
The Pluralism Project: World Religions in America is a decade-long research project, “to engage students in studying the new religious diversity in the United States,” with particular emphasis on “the communities and religious traditions of Asia and the Middle East.” Materials on the site include scholarly articles and research reports, publications, and a searchable database of religious diversity news. “Resources by Tradition” includes directories and profiles of religious centers, news, links, and statistics, covering religious traditions from Afro-Caribbean to Zoroastrianism.

Population Reference Bureau (PRB)
The goal of the Population Reference Bureau is to provide information on U.S. and international population trends and their implications. Useful publications include the quarterly Population Bulletin, the Population Handbook, Reports on America, and the recent The American People series. Searchable and browsable, the site includes a glossary and data sheets and is also available in Spanish and French.

State and County QuickFacts
The Census Bureau offers “quick, easy access to facts about people, business, and geography” at the national, state, and county levels on this site. Searchable by geographic region.

StateMaster.com
Using statistics compiled for various primary sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, and the National Center for Educations Statistics, StateMaster combines them in a user-friendly graphical format designed for students, teachers, and librarians. The database allows you to research and compare a wealth of data on U.S. states.

Statistical Abstract
The National Data Book from the U.S. Census Bureau contains a comprehensive collection of statistics on social and economic conditions in the United States as well as selected international data. It also provides a guide to sources of other data from the Census Bureau, other federal agencies, and private organizations.

U.S. Census Bureau
The mother lode of U.S. demographic data, this site includes statistics on population, housing, business and manufacturing activity, international trade, farming, and state and local governments. A few interesting features include the current Pop Clock, which gives up-to-the-minute population figures; multimedia services; the subject-oriented Facts for Features and the American FactFinder. The Census Bureau is also a resource for maps and other cartographic materials.

America’s Byways
The National Scenic Byways Program, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, was established “to help recognize, preserve and enhance” nearly 1,500 state and nationally designated byway projects. The site offers trip ideas, trip planners. travel information, and links.

Arizona Highways Magazine
Published by the Arizona Department of Transportation, the online version of this 80-year old magazine contains exclusive features in addition to the articles on events, travel, hikes, and native plants and animals. The photography section features virtual tours and photo essays with full-color images taken by “many of America’s best photographers.” Links and maps are provided as well. This is but one example of the sights provided by the 50 states to assist travelers.

DiscoverOurTown.com
Brief listings and links to tourist information for selected cities throughout the United States are provided on this site. Information listed includes attractions, museums, lodging, dining, specialty shopping, and recreation. To access the information, click on a map or select a state.

MapQuest
MapQuest is one of several online services that help you map and find directions to locations throughout the United States. In addition to door-to-door directions, maps, and mileage, this interactive atlas contains trip-planning information such as city data, hotels, restaurants, attractions, and weather.

National Park Service
This government Web site provides links to all U.S. national parks searchable by topic (historic sites, geysers, mountains, etc.) or by geographic location within the United States. Natural, historical, and cultural resources in the parks are featured as well.

Rand McNally
A user-friendly interface leads you to free maps and route planning with detailed driving directions for the U.S. and Canada. Links to lists of hotels and nearby activities are also provided. Free registration allows you to save trip plans and addresses, though other site features require paid membership or lead to references to Rand’s print atlases.

Recreation.gov
This site has links to information about several thousand federally owned or affiliated recreation areas. Entries include contact and weather information, directions, links, and available recreational activities (hiking, fishing, boating, cultural activities, camping). The site is searchable and browsable by keyword, site name, state, and activity. Once you locate a recreation area, you can view it and customize a map of the area.

Road Trip USA
“Follow route numbers or names to access driving tours along more than 30,000 miles of classic blacktop. Lively mile-by-mile descriptions celebrate kitsch oddities, local history, and apple-pie diners distributed over 10 yards of clickable image maps.” In addition to the 11 routes described by author Jamie Jensen, the site includes a blog, a driver’s almanac that explores a different location each month, a contest, and links.

Roadside Peek
This searchable site offers a photographic tours of mid-20th century roadside architecture, profiling styles such as Tiki, Roadside Vernacular, and Neon. Route 66 landmarks are accorded a special section. Coffee shops and eateries, drive-in theaters, bowling alleys, motels, signage, and automobiles are featured as well as a daily news update and links.

See America
Developed by the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) in partnership with other travel industry organizations, this online portal includes “more than 10,000 links to hotels, airlines, attractions, convention and visitor bureaus, state tourism offices,” and other resources. Available in Spanish, German, Portuguese, and Japanese.

U.S. Department of State: Bureau of Consular Affairs
This State Department site offers information to temporary visitors to the United States. It includes details about visas.

Internet Resources

Online Web Sites about the United States