Historic newspapers contain a wealth of information about the past, providing a snapshot of social and cultural values of a certain place and time. You will find news stories, feature articles, editorials, cartoons, advertisements, stories, poems, art and more. All of these can be useful to help contextualize events and people from history. According to the Center for History…
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) strike a balance between the reading of literature and informational texts and promote the use of a wide range of text types: “Through reading a diverse array of classic and contemporary literature as well as challenging informational texts in a range of subjects, students are expected to build knowledge, gain…
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Overview Advertisements showcase products and the latest technology while reflecting life and society as we know it, or wish it to be. This project encourages students to use their natural curiosity about the similarities between the past, present, and future to analyze and compare and contrast historical, contemporary, and hypothetical print advertisements of the future.*…
Today in History–July 23–the Library of Congress features Roman Catholic Cardinal James Gibbons, born on this date in 1834 in Pennsylvania. The second U.S. cardinal, Gibbons was a supporter of child labor reform and advocate of the separation of church and state. Learn more about this proactive priest and his journeys to and in the United States by visiting the Today in History section,…
Overview Chronicling America Historic Newspapers is produced by the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP), a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Library of Congress, as a long-term effort to develop an Internet-based, searchable database of U.S. newspapers with coverage from 1836-1922. As of March, 2013, the Chronicling American digitized database contained more…
Today in History–February 18–the Library of Congress features Charleston, South Carolina, which surrendered control to Union forces on this date in 1865. Learn more about this southern city that played a leading role in the events leading up to the Civil War by visiting the Today in History section, then follow the links below to numerous related primary sources. Charleston maps Charleston images Charleston…
Today in History–August 14–the Library of Congress features Oregon, which Congress named a territory on this day in 1848. The territory was massive, encompassing present-day Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and parts of western Montana and Wyoming. The smaller state of Oregon joined the union in 1859. Learn more about Oregon by visiting the Today in History section, then follow the links below to access more primary sources. Oregon stories from…
Today in History–September 21–the Library of Congress features the beginning of publication of the nation’s first daily newspaper, the Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser, on this day in 1784. Prior to 1784 the newspaper’s publisher, John Dunlap, had published a weekly newspaper. Dunlap’s shop had also printed the first broadside copies of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Continuing to serve…