Today in History–June 21–the Library of Congress features the U.S. defeat of Japanese troops on Okinawa Island on this day in 1945. One of the longest and bloodiest battles of World War II, the battle for Okinawa claimed somewhere around 12,000 American and 110,000 Japanese lives. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below…
Today in History–June 13–the Library of Congress features the Office of War Information (OWI), which was created on this date in 1942. Later that year, the documentary photography unit of the Farm Security Administration (FSA) was transferred to the OWI. An important U.S. government propaganda agency during World War II, OWI supported the war effort by recording the nation’s preparations for…
Today in History–May 30–the Library of Congress features Memorial Day, first celebrated on this day in 1868 at Arlington National Cemetery, where both Confederate and Union soldiers were buried. Learn more about this national day of observance celebrating those who died in defense of the United States by visiting the Today in History section, then follow the links below to access more related primary sources….
Today in History–April 25–the Library of Congress features the Spanish American War, declared on this date in 1898. Learn more about this short, decisive war by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to learn even more from primary sources. The World of 1898: The Spanish American War Spanish American War primary source set, includes teacher…
Today in History–April 11–the Library of Congress features submarines. Although submarines were used as early as the War of 1812, the U.S. Navy acquired its first submarine on this day in 1900. Find out about the first submarine to sink a battleship and more by visiting the Today in History section, then follow the links below to access related…
Today in History–February 23–the Library of Congress features the Mexican American War. On this day in 1847 U.S. General Zachary Taylor was victorious over Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna in the Battle of Buena Vista. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to discover more about this war between the U.S. and its…
Today in History–February 15–the Library of Congress features the Spanish-American War, sparked on this date in 1898 when an explosion sank the battleship U.S.S. Maine in the Havana, Cuba harbor, killing 266 of the 354 crew members. Two months later, President William McKinley announced a state of war with Spain on April 25, 1898. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to…
Today in History–February 2–the Library of Congress features the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed on this day in 1848. The treaty ended the United States’ war with Mexico and extended the U.S. western boundary to the Pacific ocean. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to discover more about this war between the…
Today in History–December 9–the Library of Congress features Nobel Peace Prize winner Ralph Bunche, who died on this date in 1971. This trailblazing U.S. diplomat took over as mediator of the Palestine mission in 1948 and successfully negotiated an end to the first Arab-Israeli War the following year. In addition to his work with the United Nations, Bunche served as…
Below you will find teaching ideas related to Civil War prisons and prisoners. Civil War: First-Person Narratives of the American South, 1860-1920 This collection chronicles the experiences of southerners from all stations in life — white and black, rich and poor, including many accounts that relate the common soldier’s perspective on the war. Some of these accounts…
Today in History–November 9–the Library of Congress features Confederate officer Henry Wirz, executed as a war criminal on this day in 1865. Wirz was the commanding officer in charge of the Confederate prison at Andersonville, Georgia, also known as Camp Sumter. Learn more about Banneker by visiting the Today in History section, then follow the links below to access more primary sources and teaching…
“The Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.” The Teaching with the Library of Congress blog provides some great starting points for using the Veterans History…