Today in History–February 21–the Library of Congress features legislator Barbara Jordan, who was born in Houston, Texas, on this day in 1936. In 1966 Jordan became the first African American state senator since 1883 and the first Black woman to serve. In 1972 she became a U.S. congresswoman. Find out a bit more about the powerful voice of this woman in…
U.S. Presidential Inaugurations: A Resource Guide “I Do Solemnly Swear…” Inaugural Materials from the Collections of the Library of Congress online exhibition Inaugurations: Stepping into History online presentation Presidential Inauguration Date Change video presentation Inauguration images Inaugural maps Inauguration sheet music An Inaugural Poem March 4, 1865 Films Inauguration printed documents & ephemera Inauguration Day texts…
Background from the Southern Ute Indian Tribe website: “The Ute people are the oldest residents of Colorado, inhabiting the mountains and vast areas of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Eastern Nevada, Northern New Mexico and Arizona. . . .Today, the Mouache and Caputa bands comprise the Southern Ute Tribe and are headquartered at Ignacio, Colorado. The Weenuchiu, now…
Today in History–September 17–we celebrate Citizenship Day, which was designated in 1952 and combined with Constitution Day into a single day of recognition in 2004. The joint September 17 celebration commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution by the delegates to the 1787 federal convention and recognizes all who “by coming of age or by…
The Bill of Rights Ever read the Bill of Rights, Zonker? political cartoon The First Amendment in Action primary source album Supreme Court cases dealing with the first amendment Federal legislation related to the First Amendment First amendment historical newspaper coverage Recorded event videos related to the First Amendment Freedom of Speech Freedom of the…
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Congress.gov is the official website for U.S. federal legislative information and is developed and maintained by the Library of Congress using data originated and owned by the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. The site provides access to accurate, timely, and complete legislative information for Members of Congress, legislative agencies, and…
On May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme Court handed down its decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which declared segregated public educational facilities unconstitutional. Click the links below to access resources to help you dig deeper into this seminal event in U.S. history. U.S. Reports Notes concerning Chief Justice Warren’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education 1954…
Today in History–April 5–the Library of Congress features Robert Smalls, a Civil War hero, civil rights activist, and five-term U.S. Congressman who was born into slavery on this date in 1839. Conscripted to the Confederate Army, Smalls captained a small Black crew to hijack an ammunition transport and deliver it to the Union Army in 1862. Learn…
The Equal Rights Amendment, or ERA, may not be dead, but it is not currently part of the U.S. Constitution. The resources below will help you understand the evolution of the ERA from its introduction in 1923 through today. S.J. Res. 21 – Proposing an Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution 68th Congress December 10,…
Educator and author Carter G. Woodson co-founded Negro History week in 1926. Carter G. Woodson historical newspaper coverage Negro history week historical newspaper coverage An old story made new. Negro makers of history by Carter Godwin Woodson A Century of Negro Migration by Carter G. Woodson U.S. legislation related to Carter G. Woodson Carter G….
Bayard Rustin was an openly gay civil rights activist, social reformer, pacifist, AIDS activist, and author. He was the chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. Bayard Rustin photos Bayard Rustin historical newspaper coverage from 1942 Race, Religion, and Nationalism — Basic Problems of World Peace 1943 Institute of International Relations 1949 The Application…