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…
Today in History–May 28–the Library of Congress features the Woman’s Rights Convention, held in Akron, Ohio on this date and May 29 in 1851. Convention topics included common law, education and labor, including wage inequities. Find out more about the early efforts of women’s rights advocates by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access primary sources related to the…
Today in History–May 27–the Library of Congress features the Golden Gate Bridge, opened on this date in 1937. The orange suspension bridge was the longest at the time, spanning 4,200 feet and connecting San Francisco to the south with Marin County, California to the north. Lead engineer Joseph Baermann Strauss stressed safety during the bridge building, instituting the wearing…
Today in History–May 26–the Library of Congress features Montana, which first became a territory on this date in 1864 approximately four years after gold was discovered. Twenty-five years later, in 1889, Montana became the forty-first state. Numerous Native American tribes called Montana home and many still do. Learn more about big sky country by visiting the Today in History section, then follow the…
The Civil Rights History Project collection is a direct result of the 2009 Civil Rights History Project Act. This law mandated the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) to conduct a survey of existing civil rights oral-history collections and enhance these collections by recording new interviews with…
Today in History–May 19–the Library of Congress features the Union siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, begun on this day in 1863 under the command of General Ulysses S. Grant. By mid-June, nearly 80,000 Union troops had virtually sealed off the city. But it would take a few more weeks before Confederate forces surrendered on July 4. With the…
Today in History–May 15–the Library of Congress features San Francisco‘s second Committee of Vigilance organized on this day in 1856 to combat crime in the boomtown. Committee members were overwhelming Republicans and Democrat “crooks” were often the target of the vigilance. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access primary sources related to…
Today in History–May 13–the Library of Congress features the opening day of the Governors’ Conference on the Conservation of Natural Resources on this day in 1908. President Theodore Roosevelt delivered the stirring opening address but the conference was spearheaded by Chief Forester of the United States Gifford Pinchot. The conference helped put the spotlight on conservationism. Pinchot later went on to…
Today in History–May 12–the Library of Congress features politician and historian Henry Cabot Lodge, born on this day in 1850. Lodge was a long-standing member of Congress, serving the state of Massachusetts as a U.S. representative from 1887 to 1893 and a U.S. senator from 1893 to 1924. This Republican statesman is perhaps best known for his staunch argument against U.S….
California primary source set with teacher’s guide California resource guide Curated collections Library collections More California primary source collections Teaching resources related to California California stories from America’s Library More U.S. state primary source collections
Today in History–May 6–the Library of Congress features General James Longstreet. On this day in 1864, this officer of the Confederate Army was seriously wounded by his own troops during the second day of fighting at the Battle of the Wilderness near Fredericksburg, Virginia. A career military man who was educated at West Point, was second-in-command to General Robert E. Lee. The Confederate leader…
Today in History–May 5–the Library of Congress features Cinco de Mayo. On May 5, 1862, Mexican troops successfully defended the town of Puebla against French forces. In the spring of 1863, the city was recaptured by the French and a European was crowned Emperor of Mexico. Emperor Maximillian remained in power until 1867 when Napoleon III withdrew troops…