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One woman watches as another examines with a magnifying glass an ornate, decorative image on a printed page

Former Teacher Finds Songwriting Inspiration in Library’s Digital Newspapers

Posted by: Cheryl Lederle

Rob Williams first used the Library’s digital newspaper collections more than a decade ago as a high-school teacher of U.S. history in Powhatan County, Virginia, near Richmond. Today, he’s a recording artist—he released his third album, “An Hour Before Daylight,” in October. But he still draws inspiration from the same online resources that captivated his history students.

Posted in: Fine and Performing Arts, Interviews with Experts

One woman watches as another examines with a magnifying glass an ornate, decorative image on a printed page

12 Years a Slave: Primary Sources on the Kidnapping of Free African Americans

Posted by: Cheryl Lederle

Currently 12 Years a Slave, the film version of the true story of Solomon Northup, is showing in theaters. His account is a powerful one: A free African American, Northup was kidnapped in 1841 and taken from New York to Washington, D.C., then to New Orleans, where he was sold into twelve years of slavery. A study of primary sources from the Library of Congress indicates that Northrup's experience was far from unique.

Posted in: African American History, National Expansion and Reform (1815-1860)

One woman watches as another examines with a magnifying glass an ornate, decorative image on a printed page

Presidential Elections: Newspapers and Complex Text

Posted by: Cheryl Lederle

Newspapers offer rich examples of complex text, and they often have features to help readers understand and put it into context. Chronicling America offers digitized historical newspaper pages from 1836-1922, including a time-saving list of Recommended Topics. In this election season, I was drawn to the pages about presidential elections. Here are a few particulars that caught my attention, with teaching ideas that came to mind.

Posted in: Government and Law, Lesson Ideas, Teaching Strategies