Boys and girls! You can help your Uncle Sam win the war - save your quarters, buy War Savings Stamps

Today in History: Uncle Sam & James Montgomery Flagg

Today in History–June 18–the Library of Congress features Uncle Sam illustrator James Montgomery Flagg, born on this day in 1877. In addition to the iconic Uncle Sam, Flagg created dozens of posters supporting the war effort during World War I. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access more primary sources related to Flagg…

Pride goeth before destruction

Analyzing Primary Sources: Learning from Political Cartoons

Political cartoons, many of which contain both an image and text, are great primary sources to use with students to help them recognize and understand symbolism, perspective, and bias as well as put people, events, issues, and ideas into historical context. The analysis of political cartoons, like other primary source images, Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS). They…

Letter with illustrated fable, Theodore Roosevelt to Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., 11 July 1890.

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Lessons for My Community

  This source is listed as a letter with illustrated fable. What is the moral or lesson of the story? Read more about the author and recipient of this letter. What interesting information did you uncover? Write and illustrate your own brief fable that contains a lesson useful for your school or local community. What…

Steam engine, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. Steam engine, cam ring and hammer shaft

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Steam engine, cam ring & hammer shaft

Use a magnifying glass to study the details of this design drawing? What did you learn? What types of skills do you need to have to be an industrial designer? What similar types of skills do you have? Imagine a new industrial product and sketch the design. How will this product advance industry? What other…

Destitute pea pickers in California. Mother of seven children. Age thirty-two. Nipomo, California

Analyzing Primary Sources: Learning from Images

They say pictures are worth a thousand words. Primary source images, whether they are photographs or prints, provide windows into unique perspectives of people, places, and events. The analysis of primary source images helps scaffold and differentiate learning and aligns closely to the Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS). The Library of Congress is a treasure…

Thomas Jefferson ["Maccaroni" machine with instructions for making pasta] Holograph drawing and text, 1787

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Jefferson’s Pasta Machine

Curator description: Thomas Jefferson noted these plans for a macaroni or pasta machine while touring northern Italy in 1787. When Jefferson prepared these plans, macaroni was a highly fashionable food in Paris, where he was stationed as minister to France. He later commissioned his secretary William Short to purchase a macaroni machine in Italy, but…