Today in History: Juneteenth

Today in History: Juneteenth

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,…

Integrating Technology: Making Myriopticons

Integrating Technology: Making Myriopticons

OK, so this post isn’t about digital technology but it does present an idea for combining history with a maker lab of sorts that incorporates math, engineering and art. Let’s take a look at a blog post from In Custodia Legis, which features, “A Historical Panorama of the Rebellion” myriopticon, a toy manufactured by Milton Bradley around 1865….

Today in History: Clara Barton & the Red Cross

Today in History: Clara Barton & the Red Cross

Today in History–May 21–TPS-Barat features Clarissa “Clara” Barton, who founded the Red Cross on this date in 1881. A former teacher, Barton was working in the U.S. patent office at the start of the Civil War. Despite having little nursing training, Barton administered aid to soldiers at several battlefields. After the war she established the…

Collections Spotlight: Works by Civil War Era African American Women

Collections Spotlight: Works by Civil War Era African American Women

These digitized works were written by and about African American women who lived during the U.S. Civil War and include autobiographies, biographies, children’s books, novels, poetry, speeches and more. The authors and the works are listed below; click the section headers to access links to the online works. Some authors also have related resource links….

Timely Connections: Immigrant Soldiers

Timely Connections: Immigrant Soldiers

The United States is a nation of immigrants, many of whom have served the country in times of need. Below you will find links to news articles about immigrant soldiers, historical background resources, and related primary sources and teaching resources. How does studying sources from the past inform your understanding of the contemporary debate surrounding…

Teaching Now: Using Primary Sources with 21st-Century Learners

Teaching Now: Using Primary Sources with 21st-Century Learners

This is a guest post from veteran teacher Heather Klos, an 8th grade U.S. history teacher and the Social Studies department chair at Crownover Middle School in Corinth, Texas. As an early American history teacher, I know it is important to use primary sources effectively with my 8th grade students.  Analyzing primary sources can be very difficult…

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Jeff Davis Reaping the Harvest

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Jeff Davis Reaping the Harvest

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…

Primary Source Learning: Slavery (U.S.)

Primary Source Learning: Slavery (U.S.)

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…

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Strong-Weak Government

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Strong-Weak Government

Zoom into a more detailed image of this cartoon. Using only the details from the cartoon, what main point do you think the cartoonist was trying to make. For help reading cartoons, review It’s No Laughing Matter. Then review the cartoon’s source record and this definition of carpetbagger. What insights into this cartoon does this new information provide you…

Guided Primary Source Analysis: The Carpet-bagger

Guided Primary Source Analysis: The Carpet-bagger

Read this brief description of carpetbaggers and scalawags from History.com. Next review this Encyclopedia of Virginia entry on Benjamin F. Butler, being sure to read at least the introductory paragraph as well as the first paragraph under the New Orleans header. Now look closely at the cover of this sheet music. Describe the perspective of carpetbaggers that you think…