Constitution and Laws of the Muskogee Nation A Grant of Indian Territory from the Upper Creek Indians as also the Lower Creeks and Seminoles to Colonel Thomas Brown Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Southern District of North America Articles of Convention and Agreement between the United States and the Undersigned Chiefs and Head-men of…
Primary sources, as described by the Library of Congress, “are the raw materials of history — original documents and objects that were created at the time under study. They are different from secondary sources, accounts that retell, analyze, or interpret events, usually at a distance of time or place. Bringing young people into close contact with…
Today in History–July 29–the Library of Congress features the country of Japan. On this date in 1858, the United States and Japan signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce (the Harris Treaty), which helped establish diplomatic ties between the two countries. Find out more about early U.S.-Japanese relations and Townsend Harris, the man who negotiated the treaty, by…
Today in History–May 4–the Library of Congress features Bird Day, first celebrated on this day in 1894. Pennsylvania school superintendent Charles Almanzo Babcock initiated this celebration, in conjunction with Arbor Day, to help encourage conservation training, particularly among young people. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access more resources related to birds. Bird Day:…
Today in History–January 27–the Library of Congress features John James Audubon, who died on this date in 1851. Audubon was a naturalist and artist, earning fame for his drawings and paintings of North American birds. Learn more about the namesake of the National Audubon Society by visiting the Today in History section then click the links below to access more related primary sources. John James Audubon Died from…
The Civil War Glass Negatives collection provides access to about 7,000 views and portraits made during the American Civil War (1861-1865) and its immediate aftermath, many by Mathew Brady (biographical note) and Alexander Gardner. Taking photographs during the Civil War was a complex, time-consuming process difficult to master in a studio setting and even more difficult when…
The Fall Issue of the TPS Quarterly is out and the featured article–“Beyond Typescript and Photographs: Using Primary Sources in Different Formats”–provides teaching ideas for using different primary source types in learning activities. Read the article to get tips on using handwritten manuscripts; posters, prints, and drawings; motion pictures; oral histories; historic sheet music and sound recordings; and…