What Historical Missions Are Available on MissionUS?

Updated

MissionUS (mission-us.org) hosts eight playable history missions, each set in a different era of U.S. history and built as an interactive game. The missions span from 1500 to 1960, covering early encounters, the American Revolution, westward expansion, immigration, the Great Depression, World War II, and the Civil Rights Movement. Each mission page includes a trailer and a "Start" option, and the site also provides extensive teaching materials for every mission.

The Full Mission List

Mission Year / Era Theme
Mission 1500 Early Encounters Spirit of a Nation
Mission 1770 The American Revolution For Crown or Colony?
Mission 1848 The Antebellum Era Flight to Freedom
Mission 1866 Westward Expansion A Cheyenne Odyssey
Mission 1907 The Immigrant Experience City of Immigrants
Mission 1929 The Great Depression Up from the Dust
Mission 1941 World War II Prisoner in My Homeland
Mission 1960 The Civil Rights Movement No Turning Back

Each entry on the site pairs a year with a historical period and a mission title, so you can pick a mission by the era you want to explore rather than by a generic category.

What Each Mission Covers

  • Mission 1500 – Early Encounters ("Spirit of a Nation"): set at the point of first contact in North America.
  • Mission 1770 – The American Revolution ("For Crown or Colony?"): places the player in the revolutionary period.
  • Mission 1848 – The Antebellum Era ("Flight to Freedom"): focuses on the pre-Civil War era.
  • Mission 1866 – Westward Expansion ("A Cheyenne Odyssey"): follows westward expansion from a Cheyenne perspective.
  • Mission 1907 – The Immigrant Experience ("City of Immigrants"): centers on immigrant life in the early 20th century.
  • Mission 1929 – The Great Depression ("Up from the Dust"): set at the start of the Depression.
  • Mission 1941 – World War II ("Prisoner in My Homeland"): addresses the WWII home front and incarceration.
  • Mission 1960 – The Civil Rights Movement ("No Turning Back"): set during the civil rights era.

How the Missions Are Presented

Every mission on the homepage follows the same layout: a title, a trailer ("Watch Trailer"), and a "Start" button. That means you can preview a mission before playing it, which is useful if you're deciding which era to assign or explore first.

Teaching Materials for Each Mission

MissionUS isn't just the games. The site states that it "includes extensive teaching materials for each mission," and the educator guides feature:

  • Mission Preview – links to preview or play the mission.
  • Classroom Activities – document-based activities, reflection questions, and more.
  • Overview Information – curriculum overviews, implementation guides, and standards alignments.
  • Professional Learning Resources – webinars and other resources to support classroom use.
  • Historical Background – information on historical events, characters, myths and misconceptions, and further context.
  • Additional Resources – support materials and suggestions for further reading, viewing, and research.

Who the Missions Are For

The site's own testimonials come from middle school social studies and language arts/history teachers, and one user describes having found the site as a homeschooled student. The missions are designed to help students "connect, care, and think" about history through the lives of the people involved. If you're choosing a mission for a class, the year-and-theme pairing in the table above is the fastest way to match a mission to your curriculum unit.