How do we understand the initial period of contact between Europeans and Native Americans? An effective way of doing so is through the study of artifacts, including handicrafts, maps, printed documents, and other materials. This online collection from the Library of Congress features selections from over 3,000 rare items that are part of the institution's Jay I. Kislak Collection, and has been...

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is one of the great repositories of information about American history and culture. The Americas to 1620 exhibit, featured here, explores the world of North America, beginning with the settlements that began between 20,000 BCE and 9,500 BCE. From there, readers may use the interactive timeline to learn about the Hopewell Culture, which flourished in...