Special Collections seeks to connect educators with local history. State history begins in 4th grade and various classes in Social Studies and History are taught through 12th grade. The following resources try to match archival resources with Alabama's specified curriculum standards, with the hope that educators can supplement their curriculum with examples from local Huntsville/Madison County History.
A full list of curriculum standards can be found through the Alabama Department of Education:
2010 Approved Standards
2024 Draft Standards
This is a large collection featuring many years of correspondence kept by the Walker family, who have a long storied history in Huntsville. The first file specifically carries letters relating to Pre-Statehood Alabama written between 1810 and the early 1820s, between John Williams Walker, the first U.S. senator from Alabama once it was formed as a state in 1819, and his brother. These letters highlight the life of Walker following his move to Twickenham, the early name for Huntsville, as well as his business ventures there. These letters show some of the lives of an early settler in Alabama, as well as some worries of the early 1800s, with references made to the Embargo Act of 1807 and the British impressment of American sailors that led to war in 1812.
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Run time: 6 minutes
The content on the Teacher Resources pages originated from a Special Collections intern who conducted a survey of Madison City School history and social studies teachers in Fall 2024. Survey findings can be found here: