Today in History–October 4–the Library of Congress features Plymouth Colony. On October 4, 1636, the General Court of Plymouth Colony instituted a legal code that guaranteed citizens a trial by jury and laws made with the consent of freemen. Discover more by reviewing the Today in History section, then click the links below to access stories and…
Today in History–August 5–the Primary Source Nexus features Toni Morrison, who died at the age of 88 on this date in 2019. Her novel Beloved won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1988 and Morrison was awarded the 1993 Nobel Prize in literature for “novels characterized by visionary force and poetic import, [giving] life to…
Today in History–May 10–the Library of Congress features the capture of Confederate President Jefferson Davis by Union troops on this day in 1865. The capture thwarted Davis’ plan to escape by sea from the east coast of Florida and then to sail to Texas where he hoped to establish a new Confederacy. He was sent,…
Today in History–August 22–the Library of Congress features county and state fairs, many of which are held around this date. County and state fairs feature entertainment as well as showcase the agricultural industry and rural lifestyles. Learn more by reviewing the Today in History section, then click the links below to access primary sources & more. County and State…
Today in History–June 19–TPS-Barat features Juneteenth. On this date in 1865, Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, informing the slaves of the Emancipation Proclamation, issued two and a half years earlier by President Abraham Lincoln. Although Juneteenth was informally celebrated each year since 1865, it wasn’t until June 3,…
Today in History–May 21–TPS-Barat features Clarissa “Clara” Barton, who founded the Red Cross on this date in 1881. A former teacher, Barton was working in the U.S. patent office at the start of the Civil War. Despite having little nursing training, Barton administered aid to soldiers at several battlefields. After the war she established the…
Today in History–May 9–the Library of Congress features the first political cartoon published in the United States on this day in 1754. The “Join or Die” cartoon, purportedly devised by Benjamin Franklin, provided commentary on the need for the colonies to join together against French and Native American aggression along the western frontier. Learn more by visiting…
Today in History–May 1–the Library of Congress features May Day. Originally a celebration of spring, May Day later became a day to celebrate workers and is still celebrated as such in many countries around the world. It was first celebrated in the United States in 1887, a year after the conflict between labor protestors and…
Missouri high school social studies teacher @Bethany_Petty posted a creative idea for integrating technology into primary source learning that she dubbed as Hashtags Through History. Here is a brief overview from her blog Teaching with Technology. This activity requires students to locate an image that depicts a historic event, create a username for a person that lived…
Today in History–January 2–the Library of Congress features Haiti. On this date in 1893 Frederick Douglass, who once served as U.S. minister to this Caribbean country, delivered an address at the dedication of the Haitian Pavilion at the World’s Columbian Exposition. Learn more Douglass’ speech and the country by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access…
Today in History–December 21–the Library of Congress features the Hoover Dam, which got its start when President Calvin Coolidge signed the Boulder Canyon Project Act on this date in 1928. Originally known as the Boulder Dam, this wonder of civil engineering distributes water from the Colorado River for use in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah,…
Today in History–December 6–TPS-Barat features the Halifax explosion, which occurred on this day in 1917. The largest man-made explosion in history, killed nearly 2,000, injured around 9,000, and left approximately 6,000 people homeless. It’s a story of local devastation but also of multinational cooperation. Click the primary sources and other resources below to learn more….