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 these unique, often profoundly personal documents and objects can give them a sense of what it was like to be alive during a long-past era. Helping … [Read more...]
Primary Source Spotlight: Louise Glück
October 8, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Louise Glück is an award-winning American poet—2020 Nobel Prize for Literature, the 2014 National Book Award, 1993 Pulitzer Prize, and 1992 Bobbitt Prize, among others—who also served as a Special Bicentennial Consultant from 1999-2000 and the U.S. Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry from 2003-2004 at the Library of Congress. Event video recordings Louise Glück Reads Her Poetry Jan. 29, 1988 (1:05:08) Bicentennial Symposium: Poetry & the American People Apr. 4, 2000 … [Read more...]
Primary Source Spotlight: Film & Video
October 27, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Film & video collections America at Work, America at Leisure: Motion Pictures 1894-1915 American Variety Stage: Vaudeville and Popular Entertainment 1870-1920 Before and After the Great Earthquake and Fire: Early Films of San Francisco 1897-1916 Buckaroos in Paradise: Ranching Culture in Northern Nevada 1945-1982 The Carnegie Hall Collection of Conversations with Composers Chicago Ethnic Arts Project Collection Civil Rights History Project Coptic Orthodox Liturgical … [Read more...]
Today in History: Duke Ellington
April 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Today in History–April 29–the Library of Congress features jazz great Duke Ellington, born on this date in 1899. Ellington started to play piano at age 7 and wrote his first song–Soda Fountain Rag–at age 15. By his late teens, he was earning enough money to help his parents move into a better house. Ellington's musical versatility was astounding and not limited to jazz; he also wrote oratorios, suites, concertos, and even opera, as well as for the Broadway stage, movies, television, nightclubs, … [Read more...]
Today in History: The Star Spangled Banner
September 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Today in History–September 13–the Library of Congress features our national anthem, the Star Spangled Banner. On September 13, 1814 a lawyer named Francis Scott Key witnessed the British bombing Fort McHenry from Baltimore harbor and decided to write a song to commemorate what he saw. Uncover more of the story by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access learning activities and more primary sources. Teaching resources Learning from the Source: The Star … [Read more...]
Daniel Webster delivered “Seventh of March” speech. Check out our 
First civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Check out our 