This post is the last in a series highlighting different items from the Library’s Cold War primary source set.
Among the many types of primary sources included in the Cold War primary source set, items from the Congressional Record uniquely offer a glimpse into legislative decision-making from the Cold War era, as it was happening. Students can examine how elected officials spoke about, debated, and voted on issues of the era.
Below are five excerpts that teachers might use with their students. Two are included in the Cold War primary source set. Note that pagination on Congress.gov’s navigation is different from the page numbers on the print Congressional Record. The page numbers identified here reflect the print record.
- “A Formula for a Permanent Peace”: page 2845 (start first column on left)
- The Kem-Byrd-Malone-Wherry Bill: pages 10727, 10728, (see first column on left, “if the Kem-Byrd-Malone-Wherry bill should become law”)
- Senators orate on dangers of Stalin and Communism: page 11244 – 11247 (arguments and counterarguments run three pages)
- Emergency Detention Act of 1950 (included in set): page 222 (see first column on left, “Emergency Detention Act of 1950”)
- Memorial Day Address (included in set): pages 9494, 9495 (see bottom half of page 9494, Memorial Day address continues to next page)
To help students read and analyze the text, use these prompts that follow the Observe, Reflect, Question thinking routine as needed to support learners. These prompts highlight distinctive aspects of the Congressional Record.
Observe: Identify and note details
- Describe what you notice, what stands out.
- What chamber (House of Representatives or Senate) is this from? If unclear, take note.
- How is the text arranged on the page, including what text is emphasized and how is it emphasized?
- What text, words, phrases are unfamiliar? Take note.
Reflect: Generate and test hypotheses
- How would you describe the language that members of Congress use? Is the tone formal? Informal? Emotional? Dry?
- How does the tone and language impact your understanding of the text?
- What clues can you find that reveal information about what is happening at the time that this record was created?
- What do you notice about how members of Congress speak to one another? What patterns do you see?
- Based on your read of the source, what is the issue that members of Congress are discussing?
- If this source was created today, how might it be similar or different?
Question: Ask questions that lead to more observations and reflections
- What new questions does this source raise? What additional information would you like to know?
Asking additional questions about a source can take time and practice. To help students in thinking broadly about the Congressional Record as a source and what we can learn from it, you might offer guiding prompts such as:
- What is the role of elected officials in a representative democracy?
- Why is it important to practice reading arguments made by elected officials?
- How do different groups of people, occupying different roles in society, discuss and engage in challenging issues? Why is it important to look at multiple points of view, from different perspectives?
Students might be interested in exploring more of the Congressional Record to search other sessions in Congress’s history. Additionally, teachers and students could consult Congress.gov, the official website for U.S. federal legislative information.
If you use some of these ideas or modify to make your own, we’d love to hear about how it went. Please share your experiences in the comments!
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