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Presidential Elections: Library of Congress Primary Sources Bring Campaign Season to Life

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Every four years, voters go to the polls to elect the next president of the United States. We find ourselves listening to campaign advertisements, news reports on the candidates and their activities and watching debates between the candidates. Bring the campaign to life with primary sources from the Library of Congress.

The Poster Craze in Candidateville. C. J. Taylor, 1896
The Poster Craze in Candidateville. C. J. Taylor, 1896

Our newly updated Elections presentation focuses on the presidential election process, how the founders and others in the United States government determined who could vote in elections, how the right to vote has expanded and been protected, and the different issues that have played a role in presidential campaigns.

The Teaching with the Library of Congress blog has a number of posts relating to elections. Here are some highlights:

Triplicity, or Donkey, Moose or the Elephant by L. Mae Felker and H.S. Gillett, 1912
Triplicity, or Donkey, Moose or the Elephant by L. Mae Felker and H.S. Gillett, 1912

What activities are you using with your students to bring the election process to life? Share them in the comments.

Comments (2)

  1. Bringing these primary sources to students helps them discover our democratic election process as well as the important issues to the American public at the time of a particular election.

  2. wow! incredible history here

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