Collections Spotlight: Tornadoes

Collections Spotlight: Tornadoes

Tornado images Tornado scenes in St. Louis 1896 Insurance map illustrating scope of damage by tornado in Gainesville, Georgia Tornado sheet music U.S. historical newspaper coverage related to tornadoes Books America’s Greatest Flood and Tornado Calamity c. 1913 The Great Tornado of 1821 in New Hampshire A Modern Herculaneum: Story of the New Richmond Tornado…

Primary Source Spotlight: Race Riots/Protests

Primary Source Spotlight: Race Riots/Protests

Wilmington, North Carolina 1898 1898 newspaper coverage Early African American Perspectives on the Wilmington Race Riots Documenting the American South 1898 Monument and Memorial Park Documenting the American South New York City 1900 August, 1900: select newspaper articles more 1900 newspaper coverage Atlanta, Georgia 1906 1906 newspaper coverage E. W. Evans oral history transcript Atlanta…

Today in History: Poughkeepsie, New York

Today in History: Poughkeepsie, New York

Today in History–July 26–the Library of Congress features Poughkeepsie, where New York voted to ratify the U.S. Constitution on this date in 1788. The city is located along the Hudson River about midway between New York City and Albany. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access more primary sources related to Poughkeepsie. Poughkeepsie images Poughkeepsie maps Poughkeepsie…

Today in History: Manhattan Island

Today in History: Manhattan Island

Today in History–May 4–the Library of Congress features Manhattan Island. On this date in 1626, Dutch colonist Peter Minuit arrived on the wooded island at the behest of the Dutch West India Company. Minuit later “purchased” the island from resident Algonquin Indians for the equivalent of $24.  The town of New Amsterdam, located at the southern end of the island,…

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Astor Theatre – The Great Ziegfeld

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Astor Theatre – The Great Ziegfeld

Where do you think this photograph was taken? Zoom into the photo and describe this place using details from the image to inform your description. (Save the link in the previous sentence to download the image to your computer which will allow you to zoom in with greater detail.) Next, make a guess at what decade this photo is…

Today in History: United States Military Academy at West Point

Today in History: United States Military Academy at West Point

Today in History–March 16–the Library of Congress features United States Military Academy at West Point, founded on this date in 1802. Located on the Hudson River north of New York City,  West Point is one of the world’s oldest military service academies and was attended by many of the nation’s leading military commanders.  The academy is well…

Literature Links: And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street

Literature Links: And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street

Theodor Geisel—a.k.a. Dr. Seuss—was born in 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street was the first of many children’s books that he wrote and illustrated. Geisel supposedly received 27 rejections before the book was published by Vanguard Press in 1937 thanks, as the story goes, to a chance run-in with and…

Today in History: Vassar College

Today in History: Vassar College

Today in History–April 29–the Library of Congress features Vassar College. College founder Matthew Vassar was born on this date in 1792. Vassar donated half of the fortune he made in the brewing business and 200 acres in Poughkeepsie, New York to establish a premier women’s college. The college was opened in 1861 and includes many alumnae of distinction….

State Spotlight: New York

State Spotlight: New York

New York state primary source set with teacher’s guide New York state resource guide New York state maps Greater New York Illustrated (1899) Pictorial Americana: Selected images of New York state New York state images New York state books & articles New York historical newspapers New York state reports, printed ephemera, correspondence & other texts New York…

City Spotlight: New York City

City Spotlight: New York City

New York City maps Featured Image: Outside watch shop Greater New York Illustrated: Over one hundred and fifty photographic views of the foremost city of the western hemisphere (1898) More New York City images New York City historical newspapers More New York City historical newspapers Chronicling America New York City Race Riot: timeline, background, select newspaper articles Triangle…

Today in History: Robert R. Livingston

Today in History: Robert R. Livingston

Today in History–November 27–the Library of Congress features statesman Robert R. Livingston, born on this day in 1746. Born into a prominent New York family, Livingston was a politically active lawyer. He was on the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence, helped draft New York’s first constitution, and served as minister to France at the…