Petersburg, Va. Fortifications

Today in History: Grant’s Army Attacks Confederate Lines at Petersburg

Today in History–April 2–the Library of Congress features the attack of Confederate lines at Petersburg, Virginia on this day in 1865. Led by U.S. General Ulysses S. Grant, the battle lasted less than a day and helped hasten the capture of Richmond about a month later. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access…

April fools and April showers

Today in History: April Fool!

Today in History–April 1–the Library of Congress features April Fools’ Day. Although the origins of this fun-filled holiday are unclear, it’s a great chance to play harmless jokes on friend. In France the fooled person is called poisson d’avril (“April fish”) and in Scotland the person is called a gowk (cuckoo), the symbol of a simpleton. Find more…

Primary Source Picks

Primary Source Picks

In the Primary Source Picks category, we will highlight great primary sources from the Library and beyond. We hope to help you uncover many of the primary source gems to help inspire your teaching and engage your students. If you know of a great source or set of sources that we should shine the spotlight…