Today in History–April 28–the Library of Congress features Billy the Kid, who killed two guards while making his escape from a New Mexico jail on this date in 1881. But was he a folk villain or hero? Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then follow the primary source trail to uncover more perspectives on this infamous Wild West…
Poet Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts. Dickinson seldom left home but she read a lot, exchanged letters with many people, and spent a great deal of time with her family—her sister Lavinia also lived at home her entire life and her brother Austin and his wife lived next door. Learn more…
Chile: Places in the News Chile country study Country profile: Chile BBC Chile timeline BBC Chile primary source set from the World Digital Library Chile images Chile maps Canción nacional chilena 1901-04-12 song recording Mañana Chilean dance Chilean literary recordings Chile books and documents (English & Spanish) U.S. historical newspaper articles mentioning Chile Service in Chile: U.S. veteran oral histories…
Poet Pablo Neruda was born as Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto in Parral, Chile in 1904. He is the author of more than fifty books, mostly of poetry and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. Learn more about this wondrous wordsmith by investigating the resources below. Pablo Neruda reading his poem, Alturas de Macchu Picchu June 20,…
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,…
From the Library of Congress: An acclaimed master of pen-and-ink drawing, Charles Dana Gibson (1867–1944) came of age when the expansion of women’s roles and increasing social mobility were changing America. After training at the Art Students League in New York City and in Europe, Gibson began to create satirical illustrations based on his observations…
The Do-Everything Policy by Frances Willard primary source analysis activity Correspondence, speeches, & other texts by Frances Willard Texts about Frances Willard How Racism Tainted Women’s Fight to Vote (1894 showdown between anti-lynching crusader Ida B. Wells and temperance leader Frances E. Willard) The Root March 25 2011 Frances Willard temperance: historic newspaper coverage Frances Willard image set Causes: The Woman’s…
From the Library of Congress: “The facts have been so distorted that the people in the north and elsewhere do not realize the extent of the lynchings in south,” stated Ida B. Wells in June of 1895. Wells worked tirelessly to fight against lynching in the American South through newspapers, pamphlets, and speeches. A former…
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…
Jazz audio recordings Jazz webcasts and performance videos Jazz image set Gottlieb jazz photos on Flickr “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to be Free” images & score Jazz sheet music Jazz life histories Jazz Singers online exhibition Jazz magazine clippings from the William P. Gottlieb collection Historical newspaper coverage: jazz More jazz…
Curated set of primary sources and other resources related to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) The NAACP: A Century in the Fight for Freedom primary source set, includes teacher’s guide NAACP image set Historical newspaper coverage National Negro Committee 1910 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People articles from the Broad Ax 1895-1922…
Harlem Renaissance primary source set, includes teacher’s guide Harlem Renaissance primary source iBook Harlem Renaissance recollections: oral history Harlem Renaissance online exhibition Harlem Renaissance artists The Harlem Community Art Center and the WPA The Whites Invade Harlem WPA life history captured 1938 Harlem rent parties WPA life history captured 1939 Related resources Learning from the Source: The Negro Speaks…