The Americans who participated in the liberation of France were shocked by the devastation and the suffering of French civilians who had lost their homes, their livelihood, and their lives during the war. The compassion of the soldiers of the American Expeditionary Forces for the French people generated many popular songs such as “The Tale…
Notes – “The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s National Geophysical Data Center and the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program’s Operational Linescan System provided data to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Bowie State University in order to render this image of global urban lights.”–On verso. – Includes lesson plan outlines, ill., and 11 maps on verso….
Today in History–May 9–the Library of Congress features the siege of Fort Meigs by Shawnee military leader Tecumseh and British general Henry A. Proctor on this day in 1813. But the invaders were unsuccessful as General William Henry Harrison held onto the fort that he had ordered built on the Maumee River above Toledo, Ohio. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section, then click…
List the different data you find on this map (view larger image). Conduct research to compare the data from this map from 1977 with current information and statistics. What similarities and differences did you find? Investigate reasons for the change(s) in data; describe your findings. What other observations, reflections or questions does this source inspire? Let…
Today in History–January 14–the Library of Congress features the Treaty of Paris, ratified by the Continental Congress on this day in 1784, nine months after the preliminary articles of peace were approved and over four months after the actual treaty was signed in Paris. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section (also see treaty signing entry),…
Today in History–January 1–the Library of Congress features Ellis Island. On this date in 1892 a fifteen-year old Irish girl named Annie Moore became the first person to pass through the doors of the Ellis Island Immigration Station. Between 1892 and 1954, more than 12 million immigrants, as many at 5,000 a day, passed through Ellis Island to start…
Today in History–December 27–the Library of Congress features temperance zealot Carrie Nation, who smashed the bar at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas on this day in 1900. Abandoning the nonviolent agitation of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, Nation argued that destroying saloons was an acceptable way to battle the liquor trade. To learn more about why Nation and many…
This fabulous 18th-century map of the universe was featured in a December, 11, 2012 post about the Geminid meteor shower by Jennifer Harbster for the Library of Congress blog Inside Adams: Science, Technology & Business. Be sure to read it!
Today in History–November 12–the Library of Congress features mapmaker Albert Ruger, who died on this day in 1899. Ruger was one of the first panoramic map artists to achieve success for his birds-eye views of places. Learn more about his craft by visiting the Today in History section and clicking the links below. Albert Ruger maps Panoramic map artists &…
Which U.S. states had buildings at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago? Label them with their state abbreviations on the map. Describe 10 objects you see on the map; on another page, note the location of each object (hint: use the map coordinates). Pass your object description list to someone and challenge that friend to…
Zoom into this map (online | .pdf) and use the primary source analysis tool (digital | paper) to analyze this source. Read “Damn the Torpedoes!” from the New York Times Disunion series, then take another look at this map. Explain new insights into this map that you gained. Analyze another primary source related to the 1864 Battle of…
Use the zoom feature online or access a larger image of this map (zoomable map | enlarged map). What details do you notice first? What else strikes you as interesting? Why do you think John Smith made this map? What scale is used for this map? What scale is typically used for maps today? The map…