Loading Events
Less than 30 minutes

Brought to you by

America250

Cost

Free

Add to my List

Halloween was introduced to the United States by Irish and Scottish immigrants in the mid-1800s. Read here how it became the very American holiday we think of today, including how railroads and telegraphs changed it, and about the woman who invented “trick or treat.” This article includes an activity for kids to write a Halloween story and design a costume.

Reading Level: Grade 8

America250 is a multi-year effort to commemorate the semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary, of the United States. The purpose of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, created by Congress, and the corresponding America250 Foundation, is to catalyze a more perfect union by designing and leading the most comprehensive and inclusive celebration in our country’s history. America250 represents a coalition of public and private partners all working to create initiatives and programs that honor our first 250 years and inspire Americans to imagine our next 250.

Activity Type:

Virtual

Level:

beginner-friendly

Share On

Dive Deeper

Listen to “Democracy Vibe Check: A Civic Season Podcast”
Seizing Freedom Podcast

Seizing Freedom Podcast

By Seizing Freedom

  • Anytime/On Your Own
Social Justice on Film

Social Justice on Film

By Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

  • Anytime/On Your Own
Learn History Through a Federal Perspective

Learn History Through a Federal Perspective

By Society for History in the Federal Government

  • Anytime/On Your Own
Civic Conversations

Civic Conversations

By Library of Virginia

  • Anytime/On Your Own
Photographs of Activism, Protests, Marches, and Reform Movements

Photographs of Activism, Protests, Marches, and Reform Movements

By Smithsonian Institution

  • Anytime/On Your Own