George Washington
1732-1799
First President of the United States
- Founding Era
- Military
For Educators & Students
Ask History — Cited to the Source
Founders, civil-rights leaders, and statesmen across two and a half centuries — every answer grounded in the primary source, ready for the lesson plan or the research paper.
The primary source, cited — not a summary of a summary
Most AI will paraphrase history into a vague, unsourced gloss. We won't. Every response is built from an actual speech, letter, or document and retrieved with a citation, so a student can trace the claim back to the primary source. When the record is silent, the answer says so — it never fills the gap with an invented quote.
- Documented in the Record
The answer is grounded in their recorded words — a speech, letter, or document — quoted and cited.
- Inferred from Their Writings
No record addresses it directly, so the answer reasons from what they did write — and says so.
- Outside the Record
The historical record doesn't speak to it. We won't invent a position for them — we'll tell you so plainly.
A Cross-Curricular Roster
The Founding, the fight to make good on its promise, and the statesmen and philosophers beyond America — one roster, one citation standard.
Thomas Jefferson
1743-1826
Author of the Declaration of Independence
- Founding Era
- Liberty
Alexander Hamilton
1755-1804
First Secretary of the Treasury
- Founding Era
- Finance
Benjamin Franklin
1706-1790
Founding polymath. Poor Richard's wit.
- Politics
- Science
- History
Abraham Lincoln
1809-1865
The Union, and a new birth of freedom.
- Politics
- History
Frederick Douglass
1818-1895
From bondage to the nation's conscience.
- Civil Rights
- History
- Politics
Martin Luther King Jr.
1929-1968
Minister and civil rights leader
- Civil Rights
- History
Coming Soon 
Rosa Parks
1913-2005
Mother of the modern civil rights movement
- Civil Rights
- History
Marcus Aurelius
121-180 AD
Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher
- Philosophy
- History
Coming Soon 
Winston Churchill
1874-1965
Wartime Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- History
- Statesmanship
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The Classroom Source Library
50 primary sources — speeches, letters, and founding documents — across 8 figures. Every answer is grounded here and cited.
George Washington
Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour
Book · 1744
Public domainFirst Inaugural Address (1789)
Speech · 1789
Public domainThird Annual Message to Congress (1791)
Speech · 1791
Public domainFourth Annual Message to Congress (1792)
Speech · 1792
Public domainFifth Annual Message to Congress (1793)
Speech · 1793
Public domainSecond Inaugural Address (1793)
Speech · 1793
Public domainSixth Annual Message to Congress (1794, Whiskey Rebellion)
Speech · 1794
Public domainFarewell Address (1796)
Speech · 1796
Public domainWashington: Writings
by George Washington
Book
Public-domain text · modern edition
Thomas Jefferson
Declaration of Independence
Speech · 1776
Public domainNotes on the State of Virginia
Book · 1785
Public domainFirst Inaugural Address (1801)
Speech · 1801
Public domainSecond Inaugural Address (1805)
Speech · 1805
Public domainWritings of Thomas Jefferson Vol. 1 (incl. Autobiography)
Book · 1821
Public domainJefferson: Writings
by Thomas Jefferson
Book
Public-domain text · modern edition
Alexander Hamilton
Notes in the Federal Convention (1787)
Transcript · 1787
Public domainThe Federalist Papers (complete)
Book · 1788
Public domainOpinion on the Constitutionality of the Bank of the United States (1791)
Letter · 1791
Public domainHamilton: Writings
by Alexander Hamilton
Book
Public-domain text · modern edition
Benjamin Franklin
Franklin's Way to Wealth (Poor Richard Improved)
Book · 1758
Public domainFranklin Constitutional Convention Speech (1787)
Speech · 1787
Public domainThe Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Book · 1791
Public domainFranklin: Writings
by Benjamin Franklin
Book
Public-domain text · modern edition
Abraham Lincoln
First Inaugural Address (1861)
Speech · 1861
Public domainGettysburg Address (1863)
Speech · 1863
Public domainEmancipation Proclamation (1863)
Speech · 1863
Public domainSecond Inaugural Address (1865)
Speech · 1865
Public domainThe Papers and Writings of Abraham Lincoln (Complete)
Book · 1894
Public domainA Short Life of Abraham Lincoln (Nicolay)
Book · 1902
Public domainLincoln: Speeches and Writings 1859-1865
by Abraham Lincoln
Book
Public-domain text · modern editionLincoln: Speeches and Writings 1832-1858
by Abraham Lincoln
Book
Public-domain text · modern edition
Frederick Douglass
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845)
Book · 1845
Public domainWhat to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? (1852)
Speech · 1852
Public domainMy Bondage and My Freedom (1855)
Book · 1855
Public domainCollected Articles of Frederick Douglass
Book · 1892
Public domainLife and Times of Frederick Douglass (1892)
Book · 1892
Public domainThe Essential Douglass: Selected Writings and Speeches
by Frederick Douglass, ed. Nicholas Buccola
Book
Public-domain text · modern edition
Martin Luther King Jr.
Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story
by Martin Luther King Jr., introduction by Clayborne Carson
Book · 1958
In copyright · brief excerptsStrength to Love
by Martin Luther King Jr.
Book · 1963
In copyright · brief excerptsLetter from Birmingham Jail
Letter · 1963
Free useI Have a Dream
Speech · 1963
Free useWhy We Can't Wait
by Martin Luther King Jr.
Book · 1964
In copyright · brief excerptsThe Trumpet of Conscience
by Martin Luther King Jr.
Book · 1967
In copyright · brief excerptsWhere Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?
by Martin Luther King Jr.
Book · 1967
In copyright · brief excerptsA Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Martin Luther King Jr., ed. Clayborne Carson and Kris Shepard
Book
In copyright · brief excerptsA Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches
by Martin Luther King Jr., ed. James Melvin Washington
Book
In copyright · brief excerpts
Marcus Aurelius
Meditations (George Long translation)
Book · 180
Public domainMarcus Aurelius — Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
article · 2024
CC BY-SALetters to Fronto, Vol. 1 (C.R. Haines translation)
Letter
Public domainLetters to Fronto, Vol. 2 (C.R. Haines translation)
Letter
Public domain
Built for the classroom, the homeschool table, and the research paper
A primary-source companion, not a substitute for reading the real text — every answer points back to the letter, speech, or document it came from.
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Questions students are asking
- What did MLK say about Black Power?Martin Luther King Jr.
- What did MLK say about reparations?Martin Luther King Jr.
- What did MLK say about the role of the church?Martin Luther King Jr.
- What did MLK say about labor unions?Martin Luther King Jr.
- What did MLK say about the Poor People's Campaign?Martin Luther King Jr.
- What did MLK say about police and justice?Martin Luther King Jr.
- What did MLK say about voting rights?Martin Luther King Jr.
- What did MLK say about nonviolence?Martin Luther King Jr.
- What did MLK say about the Vietnam War?Martin Luther King Jr.
- What did Benjamin Franklin say about paper money?Benjamin Franklin
- What would Benjamin Franklin say about social media?Benjamin Franklin
- What did Benjamin Franklin say about helping the poor?Benjamin Franklin
Frequently asked questions
Is this appropriate for students?
Every figure, across the ideological and historical spectrum, is quoted from their own recorded words, not editorialized. Answers are marked as documented, inferred, or outside the record, the same standard for every figure in the library.
How should students cite an answer?
Cite the primary source, not the AI. Every answer links to the speech, letter or document it relies on, with the passage quoted. Read the source, then cite it.
Is it accurate enough for the classroom?
Each answer carries a confidence label (Documented, Inferred, or Outside the Record) and shows its sources, so students can check the claim. It is a study tool and starting point, not a replacement for reading the document.
Does it make up quotes?
No. Quotes come from the figure's own writings in the Source Library. When the record is silent, the answer says so.
Can a whole class or school use it?
Yes. Group and institution plans cover multiple seats with an admin page. See the schools and groups option on this page.
AI reconstructions grounded in primary sources — not the real people, and not a substitute for assigned reading.