Today in History–September 28–the Library of Congress features William Christopher Handy, whose song the “Memphis Blues” was published on this date in 1912. Handy introduced the blues into mainstream music and became known as the father of the blues. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access a rich collection of blues music…
Today in History–September 14–the Library of Congress features Harvard University, named in honor of its first benefactor, John Harvard, who died on this day in 1638. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access more primary sources related to this venerable institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard images Harvard sheet music Harvard…
Today in History–September 7–the Library of Congress features the Panama Canal. On this date in 1977 U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian Chief of Government Omar Torrijos signed the Panama Canal Treaty and Neutrality Treaty, which officially authorized the transfer of the canal’s authority from the United States to the Panama Canal Authority on December 31, 1999. Find…
Today in History–September 2–the Library of Congress features the Rock Springs massacre, which happened on this day in 1885 when a mob of white coal miners attacked their Chinese co-workers after they refused to participate in a strike for higher wages planned by the American miners. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section then click the links below…
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…
Voices from the Dust Bowl: The Charles L. Todd and Robert Sonkin Migrant Worker Collection is an online presentation of a multi-format ethnographic field collection documenting the everyday life of residents of Farm Security Administration (FSA) migrant work camps in central California in 1940 and 1941. Todd and Sonkin, both of the City College of New York, traveled to Arvin, Bakersfield, El Rio, Firebaugh, Porterville,…
Today in History–August 22–the Library of Congress features the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (UFWOC), later renamed the United Farm Workers of America (UFW), which was formed on this day in 1966. Under the leadership of founders Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, the UFW won many concessions for disenfranchised Mexican-American farmworkers. Find out more by reading the Today in History section, then clicking the…
Using Sheet Music to Bring History to Life Teaching with the Library: Primary Sources & Ideas for Educators Analyzing Primary Sources: Learning from Music guiding questions for analyzing sheet music and song recordings Tech Tool: Sheet Music Scanner America Singing: Nineteenth Century Song Sheets | Resources for Teachers Baseball Sheet Music | Teaching Resources Civil…
Today in History–August 10–the Library of Congress features Missouri, which entered the Union this day in 1821, becoming the twenty-fourth state. Commonly known as the Show Me State, you can learn more about the state’s history and culture by visiting the Today in History section, then following the links below to access more primary source treasures. Missouri stories from America’s Library Missouri primary source set…
Today in History–August 5–the Library of Congress features San Francisco, California. On August 5, 1775, the Spanish ship San Carlos, commanded by Juan Manuel de Ayala, entered what would later be called San Francisco Bay. Learn more about this golden city by visiting the Today in History section, then follow the links below to access more primary source treasures. San Francisco maps San Francisco images Before and…
Today in History–August 1–the Library of Congress features Colorado, which entered the Union this day in 1876, becoming the thirty-eighth state known as the Centennial State. Visit the Today in History section to learn about the state’s history and culture, then follow the links below to access more primary source treasures. Colorado primary source set with Teacher’s Guide Raising Voices: Annotated Resource Sets…
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…