The U.S. History Primary Source Timeline spans nearly 400 years, covering 9 time periods. Each time period includes an overview and several subsections and each of these, in turn, provide background information and a selection of curated primary sources. Colonial Settlement, 1600s - 1763 The American Revolution, 1763 - 1783 The New Nation, 1783 - 1815 National Expansion and Reform, 1815 - 1880 Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861-1877 Rise of Industrial America, 1876-1900 … [Read more...]
TPS Spotlight: Journalism in Action
April 29, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Explore the ways the free press has covered major events in history dating back to the American Revolution with PBS NewsHour EXTRA's interactive Journalism in Action: Civic Engagement and Primary Sources Through Key Moments in History, a website supported by a grant from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program. Fun, engaging civic activities for middle and high school students illuminate historical documents and help students make their own judgments using news … [Read more...]
Collection Spotlight: National Jukebox
April 18, 2021 by Leave a Comment
The National Jukebox provides streaming access to just over 16,000 recordings made between 1901 and 1925, mostly by the Victor Talking Machine Company and Columbia Records. You can browse and sort recordings by genre, artist, subject, language, or year, including a day-by-day guide of published recordings. There are selected playlists for you to sample or you can create your own playlist. In addition to the recordings, this collection includes articles and essays and more than 80 artist … [Read more...]
Primary Source Learning: Inaugural Poems & Poets
January 24, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Poetry has a long history of addressing and illuminating public issues and events but a disjointed and relatively short history of inclusion in presidential inauguration ceremonies. These moments, however, provide additional nuance to the state of the country during these important transitional moments in our nation. Use the links below to read and listen to the inaugural poems; to analyze, compare and contrast the insightful and verses; and to learn more about the poets who penned and performed … [Read more...]
Finding Resources: Library of Congress Flickr Commons
July 23, 2020 by Leave a Comment
The Library of Congress collaborated with Flickr in 2007 to launch the Commons with the mission of providing another outlet for copyright free images from its collections and the goal of enjoining the Flickr community to contribute information about the sources: “Please help make the photographs you enjoy more discoverable by adding tags and leaving comments. Your contributions and knowledge make these photos even richer.” Starting out with 3,100 images, the Library photostream has more than … [Read more...]
Today in History: Jefferson Davis Captured
May 10, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Today in History–May 10–the Library of Congress features the capture of Confederate President Jefferson Davis by Union troops on this day in 1865. The capture thwarted Davis’ plan to escape by sea from the east coast of Florida and then to sail to Texas where he hoped to establish a new Confederacy. He was sent, along with his family, to Fort Monroe in Virginia. There he was placed in solitary confinement and indicted for treason but was never tried. Davis was released two years later, in May … [Read more...]
Integrating Technology: Primary Source Crowdsourcing Campaigns
May 6, 2019 by Leave a Comment
By the People is a Library of Congress project that invites anyone to transcribe, review, and tag digitized images of manuscripts and typed materials from the Library’s collections. This is a great literacy activity for students. Come check it out by clicking the links below! By the People Campaigns People Susan B. Anthony Clara Barton: Angel of the Battlefield Carrie Chapman Catt Anna E. Dickinson Letters to Lincoln Alan Lomax: The Man Who Recorded the World Rosa … [Read more...]
Learning from the Source: Gettysburg Address Game On
November 12, 2018 by Leave a Comment
This lesson may be completed in whole or in part, depending on the needs of your students and the time that you have. FOCUS QUESTION In what ways is equality a proposition, or belief, worth fighting for? LESSON OVERVIEW Students will consider whether equality is important to our democracy as they develop a deep understanding of the literary and historical value of the Gettysburg Address through a game-based close reading of the text. LESSON OBJECTIVES Analyze primary sources … [Read more...]
NHD 2019: U.S. History Civil War to Late 19th Century
August 20, 2018 by Leave a Comment
The First Battle of Bull Run: Anticipated Union Triumph Leads to Tragedy Today in History: First Battle of Bull Run brief background & primary sources Related resources Today in History: Second Battle of Bull Run Civil War primary sources, secondary sources, teaching resources The Triumphs and Tragedies of the Transcontinental Railroad Today in History: Transcontinental Railroad Completed primary sources, secondary sources, related resources Reconstruction: … [Read more...]
Today in History: Juneteenth
June 19, 2018 by 2 Comments
Today in History–June 19–TPS-Barat features Juneteenth. On this date in 1865, Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, informing the slaves of the Emancipation Proclamation, issued two and a half years earlier by President Abraham Lincoln. Although Juneteenth was informally celebrated each year since 1865, it wasn't until June 3, 1979, that Texas became the first state to proclaim it an official state holiday. Today more than 40 officially recognize … [Read more...]
Transcontinental railroad completion celebrated. Check out our 
