The Union victory over Confederate forces at the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863) is considered a major turning point in the Civil War. But it was also the costliest in terms of human lives—more than 51,000, nearly one-third of all forces engaged, were killed, reported missing, or wounded.[1] Soon after, a project to build a…
Have students use the primary sources in this set to tell a story about a timeframe from the period 1861-1877 when the United States was wracked by civil war, fighting to preserve the Union and end slavery. This costly war (recent research puts the death toll at 750,000) raged for four years but putting the…
Overview Students naturally look for connections between themselves and what they are learning. This project connects students to historical events that happened on their birthdays, helping them to recognize that each person is part of and contributes to the ongoing American memory. To complete this project, students will . . . discover different types of…
Have students use the primary sources in this set to tell a story about the period 1815-1860, when the United States expanded dramatically geographically, displacing native peoples. But this time was also one of striving for social reforms (promoting temperance, creating public school systems, improving the treatment of prisoners, the insane, and the poor, abolishing…
Overview The flag is one of the United States’ most important symbols and the central character of the country’s national anthem. This project introduces students to the key historical events that led to the creation of this patriotic song, helping them to learn the lyrics to The Star Spangled Banner and expand their overall understanding of U.S. history…
Overview The flag is one of the United States’ most important symbols and the central character of the country’s national anthem. This project introduces students to key historical events that led to the creation of this patriotic song, helping them to learn the lyrics to The Star Spangled Banner, and expands their overall understanding of…
Have students use the primary sources in this set to tell a story about the early years of the United States as a young, new nation. The story may be in digital or print form and could be nonfiction, fiction, poetry, or even a song. Click on each thumbnail image below to access the full…
Have students use the primary sources in this set to tell a story about the American Revolution. The story may be in digital or print form and could be nonfiction, fiction, poetry, or even a song. Click on each thumbnail image below to access the full size primary source. You may also use this primary…
Use the resources below to learn about the women in the White House and the some of the roles various first ladies took on throughout the years. One fun learning activity comes from the Collection Connections section of Words and Deeds in American History. Ask students to consider if these letter show evidence of a first lady…
Have students use the primary sources in this set to tell a story about European settlement of present-day United States. The story may be in digital or print form and could be nonfiction, fiction, poetry, or even a song. Click on each thumbnail image below to access the full size primary source. You may…
The Today in History section for July 10 features Jelly Roll Morton, one of jazz music’s primary influences. From 1938 to 1948, William P. Gottlieb took over 1600 photographs of celebrated jazz artists. Carl Van Vechten also took a similar number of photographs of celebrities, including many figures from the Harlem Renaissance. The Library has two great…
The Library of Congress Digital Connections are filled with great ideas for primary source learning. Below we highlight an activity from the Civil War Maps Collection Connection. Historical Analysis and Interpretation In many cases the battles of the Civil War were fought by men unfamiliar with the area of the country in which they were…