Dorothea L. Dix (1802-1887) was an actively engaged citizen who tirelessly advocated for help for the less fortunate, particularly the mentally ill. Use the resources below to learn more. Dorothea Lynde Dix portrait Dorothea Lynde Dix to Abraham Lincoln, Monday, June 17, 1861 (transcription) To the Legislature of Massachusetts [protesting against the confinement of insane…
Civil War photograph lessons & activities Devil in the Details: Examining Visual Material from the Civil War The Mathew Brady Bunch New Technologies and New Uses Using Sources: Civil War Photography Technology & Tricks What Do You See? Learning from the Source lesson plans Gettysburg Address Game On Civil War Prison Experiences Geography & the Civil…
What is the mood of this image? What symbols and other details in the engraving contribute to the overall mood it evokes? Now review the bibliographic record for this image. Describe what you learned and explain how that affects your “reading” of this source. Do a bit of research to learn more about the person…
Lesson plans & activities Collection Connections: Arts & Humanities, Critical Thinking & U.S. History teaching ideas Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers’ Project, 1936-1938 From Slavery to Freedom: The African-American Pamphlet Collection, 1822-1909 Slaves and the Courts, 1740-1860 Guided primary source analysis activities Afro-American Monument Slave market of America Synopsis of the…
Today in History–March 16–the Library of Congress features United States Military Academy at West Point, founded on this date in 1802. Located on the Hudson River north of New York City, West Point is one of the world’s oldest military service academies and was attended by many of the nation’s leading military commanders. The academy is well…
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–November 19–the Library of Congress features the Gettysburg Address, delivered by Abraham Lincoln at the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery on this date in 1863. Edward Everett, a well-known orator, delivered a two-hour speech. President Abraham Lincoln’s speech lasted only a few minutes. As the Library notes, “In spite of Lincoln’s disclaimer that ‘the…
Today in History–September 1–the Library of Congress features the fall of Atlanta. On this date in 1864, Confederate General John B. Hood evacuated and left the city in Union hands. The capture of this crucial Confederate supply center by William T. Sherman helped ensure the re-election of President Abraham Lincoln two months later. Find out more about the events preceding and following the…
Today in History–June 8–the Library of Congress features Tennessee, which voted in favor of secession by two-to-one on this date in 1861. Tennessee resident and future president Andrew Johnson broke with his party over this issue. Find out more about about this era by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access thousands of Tennessee state primary sources from the Library. Tennessee primary…
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 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…
Access ready-made primary source lessons and activities to learn how some incredible women throughout U.S. history helped advance the nation. Check out these guided primary source analysis activities. Next, create your own primary source activities focused on women’s history.