Maps, sources, atlases.
A curated set of resources I send students to. Vetted for AP-level use, organized by what you’d actually want to look up.
Maps & Atlases
— visual context —
- TimeMapsInteractive world map across history. Pick a year, see who controlled what.
- GeaCronAnimated political-borders timeline. 3000 BCE to present.
- The True SizeDrag countries around to compare actual size. Antidote to Mercator distortion.
- Running RealityYear-by-year world map with population centers and political boundaries.
- David Rumsey Map Collection100,000+ digitized historical maps from the 16th century to present.
- Old Maps OnlineSearch 60+ historical map archives by location and date.
- USGS Historical Topographic MapsEvery U.S. topographic map ever published (1882–present), free.
Encyclopedias & Long-Form
— deep reading —
- BritannicaAuthoritative, edited, citable. Better than Wikipedia for AP essays.
- World History EncyclopediaFree, peer-reviewed, with great visual references.
- Wikipedia Featured ArticlesWikipedia’s best-vetted entries — useful starting points.
- Smithsonian MagazineLong-form historical journalism. Great for “I want to read about this” days.
- Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyAuthoritative articles on every major thinker — essential for Enlightenment-era topics.
- Aeon Essays — HistoryLong-form history essays by professional historians, free.
Primary Sources
— the documents —
- Fordham Internet History SourcebooksMassive free archive of primary sources. Ancient, medieval, modern.
- Yale Avalon ProjectLegal & diplomatic documents through history.
- National Archives Founding DocsDeclaration, Constitution, Bill of Rights — original documents, transcribed.
- Library of Congress CollectionsPhotos, maps, broadsides, manuscripts, oral histories.
- Slave VoyagesDatabase of every documented Atlantic slaving voyage. Essential for Period 1–4 work.
- Internet ArchiveMillions of out-of-copyright books, including primary sources from antiquity to early 20th c.
- EuroDocsPrimary historical documents from Western Europe, organized by country.
- Asian Educational Media Service (UIUC)Curated Asian primary sources and films for educators.
Online Museums & Archives
— go inside the collections —
- Smithsonian Open Access5 million+ images and objects, all in the public domain, free to download.
- British Museum Collection8 million objects searchable by date, place, material.
- Metropolitan Museum of Art375,000 artworks free for any use. Search by period or culture.
- Louvre Collection500,000+ works from the world’s most-visited museum.
- Google Arts & CultureVirtual tours of 2,000+ museums. Street-view inside galleries.
- Getty Open ContentFree high-res images from the Getty’s collections.
Documentaries & Films
— history on screen —
- Ken Burns Films (PBS)The standard for U.S. history documentary. Civil War, Vietnam, Jazz, Country Music — every series.
- BBC History DocumentariesLong-form, source-grounded, often available on YouTube.
- Frontline (PBS)Investigative documentaries on contemporary topics — useful for Period 9.
- History Channel ClassicsMixed quality — best for The Cold War in 60 Minutes, World Wars series.
- HBO/Max History SeriesJohn Adams (Period 3), The Pacific (Period 7), Watchmen (Period 6), Chernobyl (Period 9).
Podcasts
— history in your ears —
- Hardcore History (Dan Carlin)Multi-hour deep-dives on WWI, Mongols, Persian Empire. The genre standard.
- Revolutions (Mike Duncan)10 revolutions from English Civil War through the Russian Revolution. Sequential, accessible.
- The History of Rome (Mike Duncan)179 episodes covering Rome from founding to fall. Foundational background for any classical reference.
- History of English PodcastSurprisingly broad world history through the lens of language.
- Throughline (NPR)How present-day issues are rooted in history. Great for contemporary connections.
- You’re Wrong AboutRe-examines popular historical narratives (often Period 8/9). Good for media-literacy skills.
University Open Courses
— lectures, free —
- Yale Open Courses — HistoryFull lecture series from Yale professors. American history, European history, French Revolution.
- MIT OpenCourseWare — HistoryMIT history course materials, syllabi, readings. Less video, more depth.
- Harvard CitizenU (HarvardX)Free Harvard courses on U.S. history, Confucian thought, Chinese history.
- Khan Academy — World HistoryAP-aligned units, especially good for visual learners.
- Crash Course (YouTube)John Green’s series. Great for engagement, not always great for nuance — pair with reading.
Historical Newspapers
— what they said at the time —
- LoC Chronicling America20+ million pages of historic U.S. newspapers (1777–1963), free, fully searchable.
- NYT TimesMachineEvery NYT issue since 1851. (Subscription required — many libraries provide free access.)
- BBC ArchiveNewsreel footage and broadcasts from the 1930s onward.
- Internet Archive NewspapersMassive collection of newspapers from around the world, including many non-English.
Population & Data
— numbers behind the story —
- Our World in DataFree, beautifully-charted historical data on almost everything.
- Population PyramidDemographic structure of any country, any year, animated.
- GapminderHans Rosling’s tool. Income vs. life expectancy, animated through history.
- World Population HistoryAnimated map showing global population growth over 2,000 years.
- Maddison Project DatabaseGDP per capita estimates back to year 1 CE. The standard for economic history numbers.
- FRED (Federal Reserve Data)Every U.S. economic indicator, with charts going back to the 1800s.
Video Channels (AP Review)
— for exam prep —
- Heimler’s HistoryThe gold standard for AP history review videos. Watch the relevant unit.
- Tom RicheyStrong APUSH content with clear thesis structures.
- Marco LearningFree AP video reviews, including FRQ walkthroughs.
- FiveableDetailed APWH study guides + a growing video library.
- Crash Course (YouTube)Engagement gold — but verify dates and nuance against other sources.
Citation & Writing
— for your essays —
- Purdue OWL Chicago StyleThe citation style used in history. Clear, complete reference.
- Purdue OWL — ArgumentHow to build a thesis-driven essay. Read before any DBQ.
- ZoteroFree citation manager. Save sources, generate bibliographies, sync across devices.
- CollegeBoard APWH HubOfficial course information, sample exam questions, scoring guides.
- CollegeBoard APUSH HubSame as above, for the U.S. course.
Topic Deep-Dives
— go deep on one thing —
- Wilson Center Cold War International History ProjectDeclassified documents from former Soviet, Chinese, and other archives. Game-changer for Period 8.
- CWGC (Commonwealth War Graves Commission)Records of every Commonwealth WWI/WWII soldier. The data made human.
- Encyclopedia of the Holocaust (USHMM)U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s authoritative reference.
- Mapping Indigenous LANative American history of Los Angeles, as a model for thinking about indigenous urban history anywhere.
- Mapping the Republic of Letters (Stanford)Visualizes how Enlightenment ideas spread across Europe through correspondence.
