In the article, Teaching Impeachment in Politically Risky Times, Education Week discusses the issues teachers face in the current context and the importance of seizing this teachable moment. "For the nation’s government and civics teachers, it all comes down to this: The wheels of a rarely used, constitutionally prescribed process—impeachment—have been set in motion. And now those teachers are on the front lines of helping interpret it for the nation’s students. Whether teachers are prepared … [Read more...]
Today in History: Charles Julius Guiteau
December 31, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Today in History–December 31–the Library of Congress features presidential assassin Charles Julius Guiteau. On this date in 1881, Guiteau penned a New Year's letter to his jailer while awaiting trial for the assassination of President James Garfield. On July 2, 1881 Guiteau had shot the newly elected president who died seventy-nine days later of infections from the bullet wound. Guiteau's trial was a national sensation and one of the first insanity pleas entered in a court of law. Discover more … [Read more...]
Primary Source Learning: Chicago Anarchists & the Haymarket Affair
December 17, 2013 by 4 Comments
Overview Haymarket Affair Digital Collection—presents original manuscripts, broadsides, photographs, prints and artifacts regarding the Haymarket Affair, an 1886 conflict between labor protestors and members of the Chicago police force. Materials document the events leading up to the May 1886 riot, the arrest and trial of those accused of throwing a bomb that killed several police officers, and the appeal process for those convicted of the bombing, including the eventual pardon of those … [Read more...]
Today in History: Impeachment
May 16, 2013 by 2 Comments
Today in History–May 16–the Library of Congress features presidential impeachments. On this day in 1868, the U.S. Senate failed by one vote to convict President Andrew Johnson of "high crimes and misdemeanors," under the eleventh article of impeachment. The second trial of a U.S. president—President Bill Clinton—on articles of impeachment occurred in January and February of 1999. The third impeachment trial of a U.S. president—President Donald Trump—is set for January, 2020. Learn more about … [Read more...]
Learning from the Source: Close Reading in Service of a Cause
February 20, 2013 by 3 Comments
Activity overview Close reading is an opportunity to read and reread thoughtfully and with purpose. By breaking down the analysis of texts and other primary sources into distinct chunks, you can increase rigor and help students more easily climb the staircase of complexity required by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). In this primary source activity students will look closely and critically at images in conjunction with historical and contemporary texts. They will compare and contrast … [Read more...]
Today in History: John Peter Zenger Trial
November 27, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Today in History–November 27–the Library of Congress features the trial of newspaper man, John Peter Zenger. The trial judge, James Delancey, was born on this day in 1703. In the 1730s Zenger published articles in the New York Weekly Journal exposing the political machinations of Governor William Cosby who, in turn, charged Zenger with seditious libel. Zenger's lawyer, Andrew Hamilton, successfully argued to the jury in 1735 that because the articles contained verifiable facts, they could not be … [Read more...]
Today in History: Andrew Johnson
December 29, 2011 by 1 Comment
Today in History–December 29–the Library of Congress features Andrew Johnson, born on this date in 1808. Learn more about our nation’s 17th president (1865-69), a self-educated career politician and infamous for being the first of three presidents impeached by the House of Representatives by visiting the Today in History section then click the links below to access more stories and primary sources about President Johnson and his impeachment proceedings. Primary source sets Andrew Johnson … [Read more...]
Featured Source: Pierce examining a witness–the good Samaritan
November 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Selecting Primary Sources: Considering Historical Context
July 27, 2011 by 1 Comment
Understanding historical context is an important element when considering why a primary source was created. The Teaching with the Library of Congress blog outlines characteristics to look for when selecting primary sources that students will be able to place in historical context. For more help providing historical context, look in the Library Teacher Guides in the primary source sets and the Collection Connections (please note that those collections marked with teaching resources are the ones … [Read more...]
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