"Conspiracy theories run amok. Fear of spies and meddling in American politics at the highest levels by foreign powers. A bipartisan divide so bitter that the federal government moves to muzzle what many politicians believe to be a biased, out-of-control news media." Current events? Actually, the excerpt paints a picture of the political climate during John Adam's tenure as president of the United States and is the lead paragraph of a book review from the Christian Science Monitor of Friends … [Read more...]
Timely Connections: Foundational Lessons in Democracy & Civil Discourse
February 5, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Primary Source & Civic Learning
October 24, 2017 by Leave a Comment
The Barat Education Foundation (BEF), a long time member of the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Program (TPS), began working with the Constitutional Rights Foundation (CRF) in 2016 to create multidisciplinary lessons that feature primary sources from the Library of Congress and infuse civic learning across the curriculum (stay tuned, coming soon). Primary source learning engages students through inquiry, provides them with access to different perspectives, helps them to … [Read more...]
Today in History: The Statue of Liberty
June 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Today in History–June 19–the Library of Congress features the Statue of Liberty, which arrived in in New York Harbor on this day in 1885. The 151-foot-tall statue was a gift from France to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access more primary sources related to this symbol of freedom and democracy. You might also be interested in checking out these statue-related PSN … [Read more...]
Today in History: The Articles of Confederation
November 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Today in History–November 15–the Library of Congress features the Articles of Confederation, adopted by the Second Continental Congress on this day in 1777. Although Congress urged prompt action, it took more than three years for all thirteen states to ratify the articles that supported a loose confederation of sovereign states and a weak central government. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access related resources. Draft of the Articles … [Read more...]
Learning from the Source: Personal Perspectives of World War I
October 19, 2011 by Leave a Comment
The Teaching with Library of Congress blog provides activity suggestions for using the transcript of World War I veteran oral history to provide students with personal insight into a historical event and help them to value the individuals behind the history of World War I and Armistice Day. Teachers might also choose to have students compare accounts, looking for similarities and differences in experiences or feelings. I Did My Bit for Democracy Reminiscences of a Rebel [No Bombs … [Read more...]
George Washington penned a letter about religious freedom to prominent Jewish leader Moses Seixas. Check out our