Our Founding Ideals and Documents

These resources focus on the ideas and documents that shaped the nation’s founding and how those ideals have been interpreted over time.

Virtual Exhibition. War, Maps, Mystery. Dutch Mapmaker Bernard Romans and the American Revolution
iConnecticut Museum of Culture and History
Virtual exhibition exploring the life and work of Bernard Romans, a Dutch mapmaker whose surveys and maps were used by both British and American forces during the Revolutionary War, highlighting Connecticut’s role in the struggle for independence through rare eighteenth-century maps and documents.

Virtual Exhibition. Connecticut’s Bookshelf
iConnecticut Museum of Culture and History
Virtual exhibition exploring Connecticut’s role in the history of printing, publishing, and authorship from the eighteenth century to the present, examining how books, laws, maps, newspapers, and other documents were created, shared, and used, and who has had the power to decide what belongs on the shelf.

The American Revolution
iA Film by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein & David Schmidt
Examines the Revolutionary War through the experiences of ordinary people, including those living in New England towns.

Declaration of Independence
National Archives
Digital presentation of the original document, including a full transcription, historical background, and context about its creation and legacy.

American Democracy. A Great Leap of Faith
Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Online exhibition exploring the development of American democratic ideals, civic participation, and debates from the nation’s founding to the present.

We the People and Everyday Lives

Naugatuck’s history is shaped by families, workers, and neighbors. These resources center on everyday experiences that often go unrecorded.

Virtual Exhibition. Coffee. A Connecticut Story
Connecticut Museum of Culture and History
Multisensory virtual exhibition exploring Connecticut’s long relationship with coffee, tracing its role in trade, social reform, work culture, and everyday life from early ports and coffee houses to the modern coffee break through local stories and global connections.

Virtual Exhibition. Then, Now, Next. 200 Years and Counting
Connecticut Museum of Culture and History
Virtual exhibition tracing the 200 - year evolution of the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History, exploring how the institution has grown alongside the state’s communities and how preserving everyday stories connects past, present, and future.

Virtual Exhibition. Pieces of American History. Connecticut Quilts
Connecticut Museum of Culture and History
Virtual exhibition exploring the history, culture, and craft of quilt-making in Connecticut through quilts, costumes, photographs, and artifacts spanning the late eighteenth century to the present.

Virtual Exhibition. Making Connecticut
Connecticut Museum of Culture and History
Large-scale interactive exhibition exploring more than 400 years of Connecticut history through everyday life, work, clothing, transportation, sports, leisure, and social change, using hundreds of objects, images, and documents to tell the story of the people who shaped the state.

Permanent Exhibition. Inn and Tavern Signs of Connecticut
Connecticut Museum of Culture and History
Exhibition and collection exploring Connecticut’s extraordinary assemblage of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century inn and tavern signs, offering insight into early American travel, tavern life, folk art, and patriotic expression through a distinctive visual language.

Connecticut for All Seasons
Connecticut Experience
Highlights everyday life, traditions, and landscapes across Connecticut throughout the year.

Between Boston and New York
Connecticut Experience
Explores Connecticut’s regional identity and how geography influenced culture, economy, and everyday life.

Connecticut and Its Cities. Three Centuries of Change
Connecticut Experience
Examines how Connecticut’s cities and towns evolved over three centuries, shaping daily life, work, and community.

Remember When
Connecticut Experience
Documentary about life in Connecticut in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, including personal memories of daily activities and community spaces.

American Life Histories
lLibrary of Congress
Oral histories collected during the 1930s and 1940s document daily life, work, and community across the United States.

A People’s History of the United States
Howard Zinn
A widely read nonfiction work presenting American history through the perspectives of workers, women, and marginalized communities.

The Dust Bowl
Documentary series by Ken Burns
Although set in the Midwest, this series powerfully illustrates how families, workers, and communities respond to economic hardship and change.

American Experience
American Experience
Select episodes that focus on everyday Americans, labor, immigration, and community life.

Struggles for Freedom and Equality

These resources examine the ongoing efforts to expand rights, citizenship, and opportunity throughout American history.

Virtual Exhibition. Connecticut Freedom Workers. Remembering the Civil Rights Movement
Connecticut Museum of Culture and History
Virtual exhibition sharing the stories of Connecticut residents of diverse backgrounds who contributed to the civil rights movement during the 1960s, highlighting local activism within a broader national struggle for equality.

Virtual Exhibition. Historic Timeline of Connecticut’s LGBTQ Community
Connecticut Museum of Culture and History
Digital timeline and traveling exhibition exploring the history of Connecticut’s LGBTQ community, tracing experiences of oppression, resilience, activism, and growing visibility through stories of tragedy and triumph.

Virtual Exhibition. A Vote of Her Own. The Long Fight for Women's Suffrage
Connecticut Museum of Culture and History
Exhibition featuring original photographs, documents, and artifacts that tell the story of Connecticut individuals and organizations who argued, marched, and struggled for and against women’s right to vote in the long fight for suffrage.

As We Tell Our Stories
Connecticut Experience
Shares stories from Connecticut’s Native American communities, focusing on identity, continuity, and cultural survival.

African Americans in Connecticut. Civil War to Civil Rights
Connecticut Experience
Experience Traces African American experiences in Connecticut from the Civil War through the twentieth-century civil rights movement.

African Americans in Connecticut. The Colonial Era to the Civil War
Connecticut Experience
Examines the lives, labor, and legal status of African Americans in Connecticut from colonial times through emancipation.

Eyes on the Prize
YouTube or Prime Video
Landmark documentary series on the Civil Rights Movement, featuring firsthand accounts and historical footage.

Votes for Women
National Archives
Digital resources and primary documents related to the women’s suffrage movement in the United States.

Teaching and Learning Resources
National Museum of African American History and Culture
These resources support historical inquiry, conversations about race and equality, and classroom use of primary sources to deepen understanding of the African American experience within U.S. history.

Freedom Riders
American Experience
Explores activism, resistance, and civic courage during the Civil Rights era.

Innovation Industry and Growth

Industry and labor shaped daily life in Naugatuck. These resources explore how innovation transformed communities across the nation.

Virtual Exhibition. Albert’s Odd Jobs. Making a Living in the 1800s
Connecticut Museum of Culture and History
Virtual exhibition using the diaries, objects, and ephemera of Albert Walker, a nineteenth-century farmer and amateur magician from Glastonbury, Connecticut, to explore how industrialization reshaped work, leisure, and economic survival during a period of profound change.

Connecticut’s Tobacco Valley
The Connecticut Experience
Examines the history of tobacco farming and its economic and cultural role in Connecticut.

Colt. Legend and Legacy
The Connecticut Experience
Explores the industrial, social, and cultural impact of the Colt firearms company on Connecticut and American manufacturing.

Industrial America
Digital Public Library of America
Curated primary sources documenting industrialization, labor, and economic growth in the United States.

America on the Move
lSmithsonian National Museum of American History
Explores how transportation shaped work, community life, and economic growth in the United States.

The Men Who Built America
History Channel
Explores the rise of American industry, manufacturing, and corporate power during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Conflict, War and Memory

National conflicts were experienced locally through service, sacrifice, and remembrance.

Virtual Exhibition. Wide Awakes. Campaigning for Lincoln
Connecticut Museum of Culture and History
Virtual exhibition exploring the Hartford-based origins of the Wide Awakes, a youth-led political movement that grew into a nationwide organization during the tense years leading up to the Civil War and played a role in the election of Abraham Lincoln.

Keep ’Em Flying
Connecticut Experience
Explores Connecticut’s aviation industry and its contributions to the World War II war effort.

Heroes. Connecticut During World War II
Connecticut Experience
Experience Honors Connecticut service members who lost their lives during World War II.

Home Front. Connecticut During World War II
Connecticut Experience
Examines how Connecticut communities supported the war effort through industry, rationing, and civic engagement.

Battlefront. Connecticut During World War II
Connecticut Experience
Focuses on Connecticut residents who served in combat during World War II.

Veterans History Project
lLibrary of Congress
Oral histories of American veterans from World War I through recent conflicts.

The War
Documentary series by Ken Burns
Examines how World War II affected ordinary Americans and communities across the country.

War and Remembrance
National Park Service
Essays exploring how Americans commemorate military service and sacrifice through memorials and historic sites.

America in a Global Context

American history has been shaped by immigration, global exchange, and international relationships.

Puerto Rican Passages
lThe Connecticut Experience
Explores migration, identity, and community formation among Puerto Rican residents in Connecticut.

Immigration and Relocation in U.S. History
lLibrary of Congress
Primary sources documenting immigration experiences and global movement to the United States.

Ellis Island Passenger Search and History
Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration
Personal stories and records exploring immigration through Ellis Island.

America and the World
Smithsonian Institution
Essays and exhibitions examining how global connections influenced American culture and identity.