Page from Abraham Lincoln's sum book

Primary Source Learning About Lincoln

We all can learn a lot from Abraham Lincoln. Below you will find links to primary source activities, lessons, and projects from the Library of Congress and TPS Consortium members. Abraham Lincoln: Rise to National Prominence primary source set and teacher’s guide Lincoln’s Life Lincoln’s Death Collection Connections Letters to Lincoln Transcription Project Teaching with…

The surrender of General Lee and his entire Army to Lieut. General Grant April 9th 1865

Today in History: Lee Surrenders

Today in History–April 9–the Library of Congress features the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee to U.S. General Ulysses S. Grant on this day in 1865. Learn more about the surrender by visiting the Today in History section, then follow the links below to access thousands more Civil War resources. Lee’s surrender primary source set “THE END! SURRENDER OF LEE!…”,…

Letter and corrected reprint of Walt Whitman's "O Captain, My Captain" with comments by author, 9 February 1888.

Today in History: O Captain! My Captain!

Today in History–February 9–the Library of Congress features a letter Walt Whitman wrote on this day in 1888 noting corrections to his poem “O Captain! My Captain!” published that year by The Riverside Literature Series No. 32. Whitman informed the publishers that they had not printed the most recent version Whitman had revised for the…

Primary Source Learning: America’s Library

Primary Source Learning: America’s Library

The Teaching with the Library of Congress blog provides an overview of the resources found in America’s Library and some great teaching ideas for using the website with younger students or older English language learners. For more involved projects, click the links below to access two primary source projects using America’s Library resources from TPS-Barat….

Today in History: Salmon P. Chase

Today in History: Salmon P. Chase

Today in History–December 6–the Library of Congress features Salmon P. Chase, nominated as Supreme Court Chief Justice by President Abraham Lincoln on this day in 1864. Learn more about the architect of the first two clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment who also served as Governor of Ohio, a U.S. Senator, and Lincoln’s secretary of the treasury, by…

Today in History: Political Debates

Today in History: Political Debates

Today in History–October 21–the Library of Congress features political debates, highlighting the final round of the Kennedy-Nixon presidential debate which was televised on this day in 1960. Learn more about these “Great Debates“, the Lincoln-Douglas debates, and the role of radio in presidential debates and addresses of the 1920s and 1930s by visiting the Today in History section then click the links below…

Today in History: The Emancipation Proclamation

Today in History: The Emancipation Proclamation

Today in History–September 22–the Library of Congress features the Emancipation Proclamation. On this day in 1862, just over five months after signing an act abolishing slavery in the District of Columbia, President Abraham Lincoln issued a preliminary version of this historic act, which was officially proclaimed on January 1, 1863. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then…

Learning from the Source: Perspectives in Civil War Song Sheets

Learning from the Source: Perspectives in Civil War Song Sheets

The Collection Connections section of America Singing: Nineteenth-Century Song Sheets, provides some great ideas for comparing perspectives of the Civil War based on the lyrics from popular song sheets published during the time period. The popularity of song sheets reached its peak during the second half of the nineteenth century and a large portion of this…