U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War lasted more than a decade. Have students analyze political cartoons from the primary source sets below to consider different issues related to this war and how cartoonists’ perspectives of U.S. involvement evolved over time. If students are not practiced at analyzing political cartoons, use the accompanying resources to help…
Vietnam Veteran collections Personal Snapshots: Picturing the Vietnam War Select Vietnam veteran digitized collections Vietnam War: Looking Back Part 1 Vietnam War: Looking Back Part 2 Vietnam War: Looking Back Part 3 Vietnam War: Looking Back Part 4 All Vietnam veteran digitized oral history collections (some contain additional items such letters, photos, etc.) Vietnam War images…
Have students use the primary sources in this set to tell a story about protest and reform in the United States. (For background information, check the bibliographic records for dates then review the relevant sections of the American Memory timeline.) Related primary source collections highlighted on the Primary Source Nexus are linked to below. The…
The last word in the sign next to Martin Luther King, Jr. is mostly covered by a microphone. List the word that you think is on the sign and why you think that. The words on the sign were the title of a book King published the year before the photograph was taken. Investigate the sources…
Today in History–October 21–the Library of Congress features the Guggenheim Museum, opened on this day in 1959. This contemporary art museum designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright was the brainchild of Solomon Guggenheim as a way to promote art and art education. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to…
Have students use the primary sources in this set to tell a story about the period 1945-1968. The wartime economy led to new economic prosperity for the United States and expanded opportunities for many, but certainly not all its citizens. As a result, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and American women took up the fight for civil…
Today in History–July 22–the Library of Congress features artist Alexander Calder, born on this date in 1898 in Pennsylvania. Calder’s mother was a painter and his father was a sculptor but Alexander began his career as a mechanical engineer. That early career choice served him well as an artist later when creating his first motor-driven sculptures, later…
Today in History–June 24–the Library of Congress features the dawn of the space age. On this date in 1961, the public learned of President John F. Kennedy‘s letter assigning Vice President Lyndon Johnson to coordinate the U.S. satellite programs. Under Johnson, the National Space Council recommended that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) provide policy coordination with all government…
Today in History–April 29–the Library of Congress features jazz great Duke Ellington, born on this date in 1899. Ellington started to play piano at age 7 and wrote his first song–Soda Fountain Rag–at age 15. By his late teens, he was earning enough money to help his parents move into a better house. Ellington’s musical versatility was astounding and…
Today in History–April 25–the Library of Congress features Ella Fitzgerald, born on this date in 1917. One of the greatest jazz singers of all time, Fitzgerald got her start at Amateur Night at Harlem’s Apollo Theater and went on to win 13 Grammys, including two of the first awarded in 1958. Learn more about this legendary vocal artist by…
Today in History–October 11–the Library of Congress features baseball great Jackie Robinson, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch of the second game of the 1972 World Series game on this day. The game also featured a commemoration of the 25th anniversary of breaking the color line, which Jackson did in 1947 when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He finished…
Today in History–October 2–the Library of Congress features Thurgood Marshall, sworn in as Supreme Court Justice on this day in 1967; he was the first African American to serve. President Lyndon B. Johnson said of Marshall’s appointment, “the right thing to do, the right time to do it, the right man and the right place.” Prior to becoming a…