Today in History: John Peter Altgeld

Today in History: John Peter Altgeld

Today in History–December 30–the Library of Congress features politician John Peter Altgeld, born on this day in 1847. A lawyer, Altgeld served as a city attorney and a county prosecutor before serving on the bench of Cook County’s Superior Court from 1886 to 1891. In 1892 he was elected governor of Illinois. A progressive, Altgeld passed penal and legal…

Primary Source Learning: Chicago Anarchists & the Haymarket Affair

Primary Source Learning: Chicago Anarchists & the Haymarket Affair

Overview Haymarket Affair Digital Collection—presents original manuscripts, broadsides, photographs, prints and artifacts regarding the Haymarket Affair, an 1886 conflict between labor protestors and members of the Chicago police force. Materials document the events leading up to the May 1886 riot, the arrest and trial of those accused of throwing a bomb that killed several police…

Primary Source Spotlight: Fugitive Slave Law

Primary Source Spotlight: Fugitive Slave Law

Practical illustration of the Fugitive Slave Law Effects of the Fugitive-Slave-Law Triumph Fugitive slave law political cartoons Fugitive slave bill … Approved, September 18, 1850. Millard Fillmore Things to be remembered. Remember that the Whig administration of Millard Fillmore enacted the Fugitive Slave bill, in violation of the constitution and all the legal safeguards of…

Primary Source Spotlight: Illinois Civil War Resources

Primary Source Spotlight: Illinois Civil War Resources

Illinois Civil War books (1800-1929) Illinois Civil War sheet music Illinois Civil War maps Illinois Civil War image set More Illinois Civil War images Illinois soldier historic newspaper coverage (1860-65) “The Union. V. Illinois and Missouri Compared” Continental monthly: devoted to literature and national policy Volume 3, Issue 3, March 1863 YouTube videos Illinois During the Civil War,…

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Poor Illinois!

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Poor Illinois!

Use the Primary Source Nexus search box to look for more information about the Haymarket anarchists. Describe and explain something that you discovered. Use the Primary Source Nexus search box to look for more information about Peter Altgeld. Describe and explain his relationship to the Haymarket anarchists. Read the story, “Bloody Battle at a Coal Mine” published…

City Spotlight: Chicago, Illinois

City Spotlight: Chicago, Illinois

PSN primary source collections Jane Addams & Hull House John Peter Altgeld Daniel Burnham Frank Lloyd Wright Anarchist Emma Goldman Dizzy Gillespie Louis H. Sullivan Chicago Cubs First American Automobile Race Great Chicago Fire Nuclear Fission Teaching resources Guided primary source analyses The Red Flag or the Anarchists of Chicago 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition School Strike…

Today in History: Brigham Young & the Mormon Pioneers

Today in History: Brigham Young & the Mormon Pioneers

Today in History–July 24–the Library of Congress features Brigham Young and the Mormon pioneers, who arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah on this day in 1847. The weary group was happy to find their “promised land” after traveling some 1,000 miles from the Mormon settlement in Nauvoo, Illinois. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to…

Today in History: Stephen A. Douglas

Today in History: Stephen A. Douglas

Today in History–April 23–the Library of Congress features Stephen A. Douglas, born on this day in 1813. This politician, known as the “little giant”,  served as a U.S. congressman, senator, and presidential candidate. Find out more about the man who went toe to toe with Abraham Lincoln by visiting the Today in History section, then follow the links below to access primary sources about…

Primary Source Learning: Gilded Age Teaching Resources & Strategies

Primary Source Learning: Gilded Age Teaching Resources & Strategies

This morning I saw a tweet mentioning primary sources related to immigration in the Gilded Age and I began to wonder . . . What learning activities related to the Gilded Age could we imagine using Library of Congress primary sources? What other teaching resources and strategies are available on LOC.gov and elsewhere? See the results…

Today in History: California Folk Music Project

Today in History: California Folk Music Project

Qanun solo: performed by Bedros Haroutunian Today in History–June 15–the Library of Congress features the California Folk Music Project. Visit the Today in History section to grab hold of some fun trivia and learn about the misnice and the qanun—now there’s a great SCRABBLE® word. Then follow the links below to access more primary source collections related to…