Topic: Economics
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Decks of a Slave Ship
This image of a slave ship reflects conditions aboard slave-trading vessels. Although the U.S. had banned the importation of slaves after 1807, other nations continued to engage in the slave...
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Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act stated that Parliament had the authority to pass laws on all matters relating to the governance of the colonies. Passed after the repeal of the Stamp Act,...
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Embossed Tax Stamp
This image shows the embossed paper that was to be used under the Stamp Act. The 1765 act required colonists to buy stamped paper from royal officials that would be...
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Executor’s Sale
This newspaper notice announced the sale of Thomas Jefferson’s personal property in 1827. Because Jefferson owed roughly $110,000 when he died, his estate had to be sold to pay his...
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First Bank of the United States, $10
This is an early example of paper currency issued by the First Bank of the United States. Congress approved the creation of the bank, a private corporation with special ties...
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Front View of the Bank of England
This is an image of the Bank of England. Throughout the 18th century, this was the most powerful private institution in Great Britain. By lending money to the government and...
Lesson Plan
Grow Your Own Liberty!
Thomas Jefferson experimented with over 300 varieties of vegetables and fruits in his “laboratory” garden at Monticello, but he rarely cultivated the crops himself. Jefferson relied on the toil and...
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Interior of the Slave Ship Vigilante
This image depicts the cramped and inhumane conditions existing on a slave ship. Although by 1829 both the U.S. and Britain had banned the international slave trade, other nations continued...
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James Madison’s State of the Union Address
In this speech, President Madison asked Congress to establish a national university in Washington. Both Washington and Jefferson had supported this idea. In his will, Washington even set aside money...
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