Curriculum Visions Overview

Providence, Rhode Island Looks at the history of Providence, Rhode Island, including during the Gilded Age. Around 1900, Providence was one of the largest manufactoring areas in the country, which brought in great wealth that some industrialists used to build 'summer cottages' in Rhode Island. Playing time: 6 min
Lincoln's House, Springfield, Illinois Shows the outside and inside of the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield. This was where Abraham Lincoln lived for 17 years from 1844 while he was a lawyer, before he became the 16th President of the United States. Playing time: 5 min
Summit Avenue, St Paul, Minnesota A drive down a famous avenue of 19th-century houses in St Paul, Minnesota. The street has been called "one of the nation's 10 great streets". Playing time: 6 min
Newport, Rhode Island This video takes you through the Belleview Historic District of Newport, Rhode Island, and explains how it was built up during the Gilded Age. Gilded Age mansions shown include The Breakers, belonging to the Vanderbilts, Chateau-sur-Mer, and The Marble House. Playing time: 7 min
Mills at Cohoes, New York As we drive through modern-day Cohoes, this videos points out historical features, such as the historic cotton mills. These were built during the 19th century next to Cohoes Falls to harness water power to drive the mills. Playing time: 4 min
Erie Canal Shows a section of the Erie Canal in the Cohoes Waterford area. The canal is one the of the most important transportation systems in American history. It was built between 1817 and 1825 to connect the Great Lakes to the Hudson River via the Mohawk valley. Playing time: 4 min
Golden Spike and the Transcontinental Railroad Tells the story of the Transcontinental Railroad, including the background to the development of the Transcontinental Railroad and its construction. Building began in 1836 at both ends of the line, and the two lines met on May 10, 1869. To commemorate the moment, the last spike to be hammered in was made of gold, and the place where this happened is now a National Historic Site in Utah. Playing time: 6 min
Boston Extensive drive-through video of Boston. As we drive through the city, the video explains the history and geography of the settlement, and explains its development through time. The video is divided into mini chapters, one of which covers Boston during the Gilded Age. Playing time: 11 min
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania A drive through Bellefonte, a Victorian village off Route 99, featuring late 19th-century houses and important buildings such as the Courthouse. Bellefonte is in the Ridge and Valley Appalachians, where the towns and roads mostly run up and down the valley sides. Playing time: 5 min
Asheville, North Carolina This historic resort in the Blue Ridge and Valley Appalachians was where George W. Vanderbilt had Biltmore Estate constructed. Playing time: 8 min
Historic buildings in Austin, Texas This video focuses on historica buildings (mostly from the 19th century) in Austin, Texas, and asks students to identify and count them while watching the footage. The video makes a good case study for the way settlements develop and where you can find historic buildings in major settlements today. Playing time: 6 min
Gilded Age mansion Shows the outside and inside of a wealthy Gilded Age mansion, highlighting toys, furniture, decorations, and architectural features. It also describes what the lives of those who lived in such mansions were might have been like. Supports: textbook 'How life changed in Victorian times'. Playing time: 8 min
Old Sacramento Uses historical images and video footage of a drive through modern Sacramento in California to tell the story of the history and early development of the settlement, which was built near Sutter's Fort and the river during the nineteenth century. Playing time: 7 min
Fort Worth Stockyards, Texas Fort Worth was known as 'where the West begins' because it was established as a series of trading posts between the Republic of Texas and Native American lands on its borders in the mid-19th century. It was later a place for military defense and an important place in the cattle industry for people driving cattle towards the Chisholm Trail and the railroad. Playing time: 5 min
Jefferson, Wisconsin A drive through Jefferson, Wisconsin, describing the complex history of this settlement, which was named for President Jefferson. This video is also a good case study for how different periods of history influenced the development of settlements such as this one, which was originally built on land opened up for loggers and farmers, and which was then affected by the Erie Canal and other later developments. Playing time: 8 min
Omaha market and historic district This video uses historic images to tell the story of the settlement's origins and development into "The Gateway of the West", and it also shows what the market area and historic district in Omaha is like today. Playing time: 5 min
Deadwood, South Dakota Using historic images, and video footage from today, this video looks at the history and development of Deadwood. It was founded in 1876 in the Black Hills of South Dakota as part of the Black Hills Gold Rush. The wealth of the settlement meant it was one of the earliest to have electric lighting, but it was also famous as being a lawless place where Wild Bill Hickok was killed. Playing time: 4 min
Inauguration of President Theodore Roosevelt, 1905 Historic footage of the celebrations in Washington D.C. of the inauguration of President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905. Playing time: 5 min
Thomas Edison Historic footage of a day in the life of Thomas Edison. Playing time: 4 min
Berkeley, California, 1906 Historic footage of the streets of Berkeley in California, featuring streetcars, from 1906. Playing time: 3 min
Los Angeles, 1898 Historic footage of South Spring Street, Los Angeles, in 1898. Playing time: 1 min
San Francisco from above, 1902 A birdseye view of San Francisco in 1902, taken from a hot air balloon. Playing time: 1 min

Lincoln's House, Springfield, Illinois Shows the outside and inside of the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield. This was where Abraham Lincoln lived for 17 years from 1844 while he was a lawyer, before he became the 16th President of the United States. Playing time: 5 min

Summit Avenue, St Paul, Minnesota A drive down a famous avenue of 19th-century houses in St Paul, Minnesota. The street has been called "one of the nation's 10 great streets". Playing time: 6 min

Mills at Cohoes, New York As we drive through modern-day Cohoes, this videos points out historical features, such as the historic cotton mills. These were built during the 19th century next to Cohoes Falls to harness water power to drive the mills. Playing time: 4 min

Erie Canal Shows a section of the Erie Canal in the Cohoes Waterford area. The canal is one the of the most important transportation systems in American history. It was built between 1817 and 1825 to connect the Great Lakes to the Hudson River via the Mohawk valley. Playing time: 4 min

Boston Extensive drive-through video of Boston. As we drive through the city, the video explains the history and geography of the settlement, and explains its development through time. The video is divided into mini chapters, one of which covers Boston during the Gilded Age. Playing time: 11 min

Asheville, North Carolina This historic resort in the Blue Ridge and Valley Appalachians was where George W. Vanderbilt had Biltmore Estate constructed. Playing time: 8 min

Old Sacramento Uses historical images and video footage of a drive through modern Sacramento in California to tell the story of the history and early development of the settlement, which was built near Sutter's Fort and the river during the nineteenth century. Playing time: 7 min

Omaha market and historic district This video uses historic images to tell the story of the settlement's origins and development into "The Gateway of the West", and it also shows what the market area and historic district in Omaha is like today. Playing time: 5 min

Inauguration of President Theodore Roosevelt, 1905 Historic footage of the celebrations in Washington D.C. of the inauguration of President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905. Playing time: 5 min

Thomas Edison Historic footage of a day in the life of Thomas Edison. Playing time: 4 min

Berkeley, California, 1906 Historic footage of the streets of Berkeley in California, featuring streetcars, from 1906. Playing time: 3 min

Los Angeles, 1898 Historic footage of South Spring Street, Los Angeles, in 1898. Playing time: 1 min

San Francisco from above, 1902 A birdseye view of San Francisco in 1902, taken from a hot air balloon. Playing time: 1 min

Lincoln's House, Springfield, Illinois
Shows the outside and inside of the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield. This was where Abraham Lincoln lived for 17 years from 1844 while he was a lawyer, before he became the 16th President of the United States.
Playing time: 5 min

Summit Avenue, St Paul, Minnesota
A drive down a famous avenue of 19th-century houses in St Paul, Minnesota. The street has been called "one of the nation's 10 great streets".
Playing time: 6 min

Mills at Cohoes, New York
As we drive through modern-day Cohoes, this videos points out historical features, such as the historic cotton mills. These were built during the 19th century next to Cohoes Falls to harness water power to drive the mills.
Playing time: 4 min

Erie Canal
Shows a section of the Erie Canal in the Cohoes Waterford area. The canal is one the of the most important transportation systems in American history. It was built between 1817 and 1825 to connect the Great Lakes to the Hudson River via the Mohawk valley.
Playing time: 4 min

Boston
Extensive drive-through video of Boston. As we drive through the city, the video explains the history and geography of the settlement, and explains its development through time. The video is divided into mini chapters, one of which covers Boston during the Gilded Age.
Playing time: 11 min

Asheville, North Carolina
This historic resort in the Blue Ridge and Valley Appalachians was where George W. Vanderbilt had Biltmore Estate constructed.
Playing time: 8 min

Old Sacramento
Uses historical images and video footage of a drive through modern Sacramento in California to tell the story of the history and early development of the settlement, which was built near Sutter's Fort and the river during the nineteenth century.
Playing time: 7 min

Omaha market and historic district
This video uses historic images to tell the story of the settlement's origins and development into "The Gateway of the West", and it also shows what the market area and historic district in Omaha is like today.
Playing time: 5 min

Inauguration of President Theodore Roosevelt, 1905
Historic footage of the celebrations in Washington D.C. of the inauguration of President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905.
Playing time: 5 min

Thomas Edison
Historic footage of a day in the life of Thomas Edison.
Playing time: 4 min

Berkeley, California, 1906
Historic footage of the streets of Berkeley in California, featuring streetcars, from 1906.
Playing time: 3 min

Los Angeles, 1898
Historic footage of South Spring Street, Los Angeles, in 1898.
Playing time: 1 min

San Francisco from above, 1902
A birdseye view of San Francisco in 1902, taken from a hot air balloon.
Playing time: 1 min