Signing of the Constitution
by Howard Chandler Christy
Courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol
Howard Chandler Christy's Signing of the Constitution depicts 39 of the 55 delegates present at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The painting was commissioned in 1939, and the 20 x 30 ft oil-on-canvas hangs in the United States Capitol.
The Next Electronic Field Trip
is A More Perfect Union
October 13, 2011
Find sources of federal funding for EFTs in this PDF.
Downloadable American History
Lesson Plans from
and Colonial Williamsburg
Stamps in the Classroom
Stamps are not just for sending letters: they can also be an engaging teaching tool! United States stamps have commemorated historical events, fascinating people, and diverse locations. The Smithsonians's National Postal Museum's Council of Philatelists and the American Philatelic Society are sponsoring a pilot program for teachers interested in integrating stamps into their classrooms. Participating teachers will receive free stamps, hands-on activities, and lesson plans. Click here for more information.
Oct. 5, 2 p.m. Eastern: Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry discuss freedom of religion and the role religion should play in government.
Oct. 18, 2 p.m. Eastern: Alexander Purdie, 18th-century printer, and Henry Chambers, University of Richmond law professor, discuss the role that protest plays in the republic.
The Idea of America
A digital American history program that inspires and prepares high school students for active citizenship, developed by Colonial Williamsburg and distributed by Pearson Education.
Colonial Williamsburg for Teachers
20112012 Electronic Field Trip Scholarships
In 1787, 55 men planned out and wrote the Constitution, the document that governs the United States today. But who where these men who framed our nation? In this lesson, students read biographies of the attendees of the Constitutional Convention and interview each other for the job of writing the Constitution. Then they discuss the qualifications and demographics of the men commonly called the founders.
Colonial Williamsburg offers a variety of quality
instructional materials about 18th-century
- A More Perfect Union EFT on DVD
- Primary Sources CD-ROMs
Try our Constitution and Signers word searches!
21st Century Award
for Best Practices in Distance Learning, preK–12
United States Distance Learning Association, 2010
Distinguished Achievement Award Finalist 2011
Association of Educational Publishers
Quotation of the Month
"It is certainly true that a popular government cannot flourish without virtue in the people."
—Richard Henry Lee, in a letter to Colonel Martin Pickett, March 5, 1786.