To explore America's past in a meaningful way, a growing number of educators strive for spirited debate and passionate discussion in their classrooms. The key is get students talking about historical events with the same energy and immediacy that today's topics provoke. But accomplishing that is virtually impossible without the right catalyst. This collection of 25 concise video clips is designed to spark thoughtful, productive dialogue on major turning points in U.S. history. Each clip lays out two opposing viewpoints, framing a complex historical episode as if it were a debatable "issue" - just as citizens of the time might have thought and argued about it. In some cases, such as the segments on Jamestown or the Salem witch trials, the debate echoes scholarly disagreements that exist today. Other clips relate directly to hot-button issues our society still wrestles with, such as the role of unions or the teaching of evolution - while a handful of equally powerful segments resurrects arguments that were decided long ago, so that students can freely explore their causes and contexts. Each clip has a run time of approximately 2 minutes, 30 seconds. Topics include: Columbus's Voyages to the New World, Transatlantic Slave Trade, Jamestown Settlemen, Salem Witch Trials, Slavery and the American Revolution, Constitutional Convention, Indian Removal, Amistad Revolt, Mexican-American War, Secession of the Southern States, Reconstruction, Rise of Organized Labor, Chinese Exclusion Act, Spanish-American War, Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902, League of Nations, Scopes Trial, New Deal, Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Brown v. Board of Education, Cuban Missile Crisis, Space Race, Feminist Movement, DDT Ban, Afghanistan War.