Primary Source Spotlight: U.S. Presidential Inaugurations

Primary Source Spotlight: U.S. Presidential Inaugurations

“I Do Solemnly Swear…” U.S. Presidential Inaugurations primary source sets “I Do Solemnly Swear…” Inaugural Materials from the Collections of the Library of Congress online exhibition Inaugurations: Stepping into History presentation An Orderly Transition The Inaugural Address Looking Back and Looking Ahead Select historical newspaper articles The Inaugural–The Past Reign, the Coming Reign The Herald…

Presidential Spotlight: Barack Obama

Presidential Spotlight: Barack Obama

Barack Obama first inauguration primary source set January 20, 2009 Barack Obama second inauguration primary source set January 21, 2013 President-Elect Obama To Take Oath of Office on Lincoln-Inaugural Bible News from the Library of Congress December 23, 2008 The Lincoln Bible used by Barack Obama at his first inauguration The Book Lincoln and Obama Have In Common video…

Presidential Spotlight: George W. Bush

Presidential Spotlight: George W. Bush

Archived web site: Official Campaign Web Site – George W. Bush George W. Bush inauguration primary source set January 20, 1989 Foreign Affairs oral histories mentioning George W. Bush Reports related to George W. Bush The dot-com bubble, the Bush deficits, and the U.S. current account 2005 After the re-election of President Bush : an outlook on…

Presidential Spotlight: Bill Clinton

Presidential Spotlight: Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton first inauguration primary source set January 20, 1993 Bill Clinton second inauguration primary source set January 20, 1997 Bob Hope and President Bill Clinton at National Medal of Arts presentations on the South Lawn of the White House October 5, 1995 Bill Clinton image set President Clinton mentions in the Foreign Affairs Oral History Collection Bill Clinton…

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Dedication by Robert Frost

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Dedication by Robert Frost

Above is the first page of Robert Frost’s poem “Dedication” with his handwritten edits. First read the final version of this poem. How does this poem make you feel? Why do you think Frost might have written this poem? Who do you think was the audience for the poem? Include specific examples from the poem in…

Presidential Spotlight: Ronald Reagan

Presidential Spotlight: Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan first inauguration primary source set January 20, 1981 Ronald Reagan second inauguration primary source set January 21, 1985 Ronald Reagan mentions in the Foreign Affairs Oral History Collection Governor Ronald Reagan 1966 photograph Ronald Reagan image set Ronbo satirical photomontage Herblock painting McCarthy, Nixon, Reagan, and Clinton Herb Block on Ronald Reagan political cartoons More Ronald…

Presidential Spotlight: Lyndon B. Johnson

Presidential Spotlight: Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson oath of office Nov. 22, 1963 image and audio file Lyndon B. Johnson inauguration primary source set Jan. 20, 1965 Vice President Johnson Was Assigned the Task of Unifying the U.S. Satellite Programs Jun. 24, 1961 from America’s Library Retreat from Armageddon? Khrushchev, Kennedy, Johnson and the Elusive Quest for Peace webcast Judgment Days: Lyndon Baines…

Presidential Spotlight: Dwight D. Eisenhower

Presidential Spotlight: Dwight D. Eisenhower

From America’s Library: Dwight D. Eisenhower Born: October 14, 1890 Died: March 28, 1969 Dwight David Eisenhower was an inspiring military leader, best-selling author, head of Columbia University, and president of the United States. As the top American general and later Allied Supreme Commander in the European theater, he directed Allied forces in World War…

Teaching Now: Determining the Main Idea of a Text

Teaching Now: Determining the Main Idea of a Text

This is a guest post from Glenn Jensen, a national board certified U.S. and world history teacher at Kennedy High School in Chicago, Illinois. Glenn has developed an exercise that is a great way to begin analyzing primary source texts because it has students focus on what they know, what they can extrapolate from that knowledge,…

Presidential Spotlight: Benjamin Harrison

Presidential Spotlight: Benjamin Harrison

Term: 23rd President of the United States (1889–1893) Born: August 20, 1833, North Bend, Ohio Nickname: “Kid Gloves Harrison,” “Little Ben” Education: Miami University (Ohio), graduated 1852 Religion: Presbyterian Marriage: October 20, 1853, to Caroline Lavinia Scott (1832–1892) April 6, 1896, to Mary Scott Lord Dimmick (1858–1948) Children: Russell Benjamin (1854–1936), Mary Scott (1858–1930), Elizabeth…

Presidential Spotlight: James Buchanan

Presidential Spotlight: James Buchanan

James Buchanan inauguration primary source set James Buchanan speeches Inaugural address March 4, 1857 First annual message to Congress December 8, 1857 Second annual message to Congress December 6, 1858 Third annual message to Congress December 19, 1859 Fourth annual message to Congress December 3, 1860 James Buchanan and Harriet Lane Johnston Papers James Buchanan correspondence & court documents The agitation of slavery. Who commenced! And who can…

Today in History: Grover Cleveland

Today in History: Grover Cleveland

Today in History–June 2–the Library of Congress features President Grover Cleveland, who married Frances Folsom in a White House ceremony on this date in 1886. A lawyer, Cleveland began his political career as mayor of Buffalo, New York, becoming governor of the state the following year and President of the United States just a few years later in 1885. He…