Today in History: County and State Fairs

Today in History: County and State Fairs

Today in History–August 22–the Library of Congress features county and state fairs, many of which are held around this date. County and state fairs feature entertainment as well as showcase the agricultural industry and rural lifestyles. Learn more by reviewing the Today in History section, then click the links below to access primary sources & more. County and State…

Collections Spotlight: Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature

Collections Spotlight: Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature

The Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature at the Library of Congress contains recordings of poets and prose writers participating in literary events at the Library’s Capitol Hill campus as well as sessions at the Library’s Recording Laboratory. As of April, 2019, there are nearly 300 artists represented the digital collection. There is a biography…

World Spotlight: Italy

World Spotlight: Italy

Library blog posts related to Italy European Month of Culture: Spotlight on Italy In the Muse May 13, 2016 Alan Lomax in Italy: a letter to Goffredo Plastino Folklife Today May 21, 2015 Deciphering the Land: An Unknown Estate Survey Book from Late Sixteenth and Early Seventeenth Century Italy Worlds Revealed: Geography & Maps February 19, 2016 The Italian Legislative…

Today in History: Haiti

Today in History: Haiti

Today in History–January 2–the Library of Congress features Haiti. On this date in 1893 Frederick Douglass, who once served as U.S. minister to this Caribbean country, delivered an address at the dedication of the Haitian Pavilion at the World’s Columbian Exposition. Learn more Douglass’ speech and the country by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access…

Primary Source Spotlight: Stanley Kunitz

Primary Source Spotlight: Stanley Kunitz

Award-winning poet Stanley Kunitz was born in 1905 in Worcester, Massachusetts and died in 2006. Kunitz authored 12 poetry collections, one of which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1959 and another, which won the National Book Award in 1995; other honors include a National Medal of Arts, the Bollingen Prize, and the Robert Frost Medal. Kunitz also twice served…

Primary Source Spotlight: Shirley Chisholm

Primary Source Spotlight: Shirley Chisholm

U.S. legislation Sponsored or Cosponsored by Representative Shirley Chisholm 1969-1983 U.S. legislation related to Representative Shirley Chisholm 1984 to present Shirley Chisholm image set Audio & video recordings related to Shirley Chisholm American Archive of Public Broadcasting Shirley Chisholm speech at Howard University April 21, 1969 American RadioWorks Aaron Dixon civil rights oral history transcript discussing Shirley…

Collections Spotlight: National Press Club Luncheon Speeches 1954-1989

Collections Spotlight: National Press Club Luncheon Speeches 1954-1989

The National Press Club, with more than a century of history behind it, is known for its luncheon gatherings that have featured U.S. presidents, visiting world leaders, and other prominent persons to address the media members and answer questions about current affairs. Now, with the collection Food for Thought: Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Other National Press Club Luncheon Speakers,…

Primary Source Spotlight: Gwendolyn Brooks

Primary Source Spotlight: Gwendolyn Brooks

Pulitzer Prize winner Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000) wrote more than 20 books of poetry and served as the Illinois Poet Laureate from 1968-2000 and Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1985-1986. Learn more about this amazing artist by investigating the resources below. Audio recordings Readings in Afro-American poetry: Gwendolyn Brooks, Michael S. Harper,…

Primary Source Spotlight: Football

Primary Source Spotlight: Football

This primary source spotlight shines a light on the sport of American football. Spinner Play, lithograph by American artist Benton Spruance – guided primary source analysis activities Football images Football films President Roosevelt at the Army-Navy game 1902 Princeton and Yale football game 1903 Chicago-Michigan football game 1903 Sports Byline USA radio program football audio recordings Jim Brown…

State Spotlight: South Carolina

State Spotlight: South Carolina

South Carolina stories from America’s Library South Carolina primary source set with teacher’s guide South Carolina resource guide Featured Source: Destruction of the Snake of South Carolina South Carolina maps South Carolina books & articles South Carolina historical newspapers South Carolina sheet music South Carolina oral histories, songs & dialect recordings South Carolina WPA life histories South Carolina images South Carolina legislation South…