Collections Spotlight: Tornadoes

Collections Spotlight: Tornadoes

Tornado images Tornado scenes in St. Louis 1896 Insurance map illustrating scope of damage by tornado in Gainesville, Georgia Tornado sheet music U.S. historical newspaper coverage related to tornadoes Books America’s Greatest Flood and Tornado Calamity c. 1913 The Great Tornado of 1821 in New Hampshire A Modern Herculaneum: Story of the New Richmond Tornado…

Timely Connections: Border Spaces Across Time

Timely Connections: Border Spaces Across Time

In a blog post titled, “Comparing Primary Sources Depicting Border Spaces” Library of Congress 2019 Hispanic Division Junior Fellow Jaime Conlan provides insight into using historical and contemporary photographs to serve as an important entryway to discuss difficult issues relevant to the curriculum and, ultimately, to better understand Mexico/U.S. border space. Read the full blog…

Citizen U & Engaging Congress: Free Workshops in IL & TX

Citizen U & Engaging Congress: Free Workshops in IL & TX

WHY These free in-person workshops will help civic-minded educators develop engaged citizens by: improving inquiry-based teaching using Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) methodology; reviewing the elementary through high school inquiry-based Citizen U interdisciplinary civics lessons interacting with the free civics app Engaging Congress; previewing the Library of Congress TPS Civics micro-credential pilot….

Today in History: Juneteenth

Today in History: Juneteenth

Today in History–June 19–TPS-Barat features Juneteenth. On this date in 1865, Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, informing the slaves of the Emancipation Proclamation, issued two and a half years earlier by President Abraham Lincoln. Although Juneteenth was informally celebrated each year since 1865, it wasn’t until June 3,…

Primary Source Spotlight: Race Riots/Protests

Primary Source Spotlight: Race Riots/Protests

Wilmington, North Carolina 1898 New York City 1900 Atlanta, Georgia 1906 Springfield, Illinois 1908 East St. Louis, Illinois 1917 Chicago 1919 U.S. 1919 Ocoee, Florida 1920 Tulsa, Oklahoma 1921 Rosewood, Florida 1923 Harlem, New York 1935 & 1943 & 1964 Mississippi 1962 Watts, Los Angeles 1965 Detroit, Michigan 1967 Washington D.C. 1968 Los Angeles -Rodney…

Today in History: George H.W. Bush

Today in History: George H.W. Bush

Today in History–January 6–the Library of Congress features George Herbert Walker Bush who married Barbara Pierce on this date in 1945 while on leave from active U.S. navy duty in World War II. Bush entered politics after a career in the Texas oil industry. He served in the House of Representatives in the 1960s and in the 1970s his political appointments…

Guided Primary Source Analysis: El Paso Herald August 12, 1914

Guided Primary Source Analysis: El Paso Herald August 12, 1914

Zoom into this newspaper (online | .pdf). What is the most important topic on this page? What details support your conclusion? There is a question in the newspaper’s nameplate, or top, section. What is the question and what do you think is the answer to the question? What details support your answer? What information about El…

Today in History: Texas Annexation

Today in History: Texas Annexation

Today in History–June 23–the Library of Congress features the vote for annexation of Texas by the United States on this date in 1845. Texas had tried for statehood back in 1836 after gaining independence from Mexico but the U.S. Congress was unwilling to admit another state that permitted slavery. But by December 29, 1845, Texas became the twenty-eighth state in the…

State Spotlight: Texas

State Spotlight: Texas

Texas stories from America’s Library Texas primary source set with Teacher’s Guide Texas maps Pictorial Americana: selected images of Texas More Texas images Texas historical films Texas sheet music Songs & oral histories related to Texas Texas veterans oral histories Texas personal narratives from the American Folklife Center Texas Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers’ Project Texas stories: Voices From the Days of Slavery Texas books & other texts 1800-1929…

Today in History: Remembering the Alamo

Today in History: Remembering the Alamo

Today in History–March 6–the Library of Congress remembers the Alamo, which was recaptured by Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna on this day in 1836. An estimated 1,000 to 1,600 Mexican soldiers died in the the 13-day siege and all 189 Texan defenders officially listed were killed. Learn more about the circumstances that helped Texas forces to gain independence from…

Today in History: The Galveston Storm

Today in History: The Galveston Storm

Today in History–September 8–the Library of Congress features the Galveston storm of 1900, which made landfall on this day and, according to the National Weather Service was the deadliest cyclone in U.S. history, responsible for the deaths of at least 8,000 people. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access…