From the Library of Congress: Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928) was the unchallenged leader of the direct action wing of the British suffrage movement. She had, followers claimed, “invented most of the ingenious and daring devices of the “Militant Suffragette’ which have stirred up so much discussion throughout the civilized world.” Primary sources Emmeline Pankhurst image set…
Bill of Rights Political cartoons Solution to Nothing Herb Block March 2, 1954 Sportsmen! Kids! Maniacs! Herb Block November 27, 1963 (source record) You Don’t Even Need to Limit Yourself to a Few People Herb Block December 29, 1964 (source record) Don’t Point That Thing at Me! Herb Block March 10, 1965 (source record) It’s like the gun lobby guys…
Today in History–June 18–the Library of Congress features the War of 1812. On this date in 1812 President James Madison signed a declaration of war against Great Britain. Reasons for the war included frustration with Britain’s maritime practices and their support of Native American resistance to western expansion as well as a desire to conquer Canada. The war lingered on…
Today in History–May 4–the Library of Congress features Manhattan Island. On this date in 1626, Dutch colonist Peter Minuit arrived on the wooded island at the behest of the Dutch West India Company. Minuit later “purchased” the island from resident Algonquin Indians for the equivalent of $24. The town of New Amsterdam, located at the southern end of the island,…
Read the headline and the four lines of text just under the headline. Then look at the footer text at the bottom of this page. Who do you think was the audience for this broadside? Explain the reasoning behind your conclusion. (Hint: If you need help answering this, there is one particular word that you should…
Today in History–June 4–the Library of Congress features Fort Necessity near Uniontown, Pennsylvania. On this date in 1754, the young Colonel George Washington and his troops were hard at work constructing the makeshift stronghold to protect themselves from French aggression. Less than a month later, however, Washington and his troops were surrounded and forced to surrender to French troops on…
Today in History–March 24–the Library of Congress features a letter George Washington wrote to the Continental Congress on this date in 1776, one week after British troops evacuated Boston but remained nearby. In the letter General Washington expressed his surprise and disappointment at the situation and went on to describe the exploits of the British in the area….
Today in History–October 2–the Library of Congress features Revolutionary War officers Major John André and Brigadier General Benedict Arnold. On this day in 1780 André, a British intelligence officer, was hanged as a spy after being caught with papers concerning Arnold’s treasonous dealings. Only a short time before, the Continental army general had agreed to surrender West Point to the British in exchange…
There are 7 scenes in this political cartoon; take a look at them in greater detail in this .pdf document. What do they all have in common? Review the summary from the bibliographic record. What more did you learn? The cartoon’s center scene featuring Theodore Roosevelt could be viewed right side up or upside down. How…
Today in History–May 9–the Library of Congress features the siege of Fort Meigs by Shawnee military leader Tecumseh and British general Henry A. Proctor on this day in 1813. But the invaders were unsuccessful as General William Henry Harrison held onto the fort that he had ordered built on the Maumee River above Toledo, Ohio. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section, then click…
Use image and textual details to describe the purpose of this poster. Use the Primary Source Nexus search box to find out about the sinking of the Lusitania. What did you find out? What surprised you the most or had the biggest impact on you? The audience for this poster was the Irish—Irish men, in…
Today in History–May 7–the Library of Congress features the British ocean liner Lusitania, sunk by a German submarine on this day in 1915. Public outrage at the sinking of the civilian ship—though it was also carrying ammunition manufactured in the U.S.—was tremendous and helped to hasten U.S. entry into World War I. Learn more about this tragic day…