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Category: Development of the Industrial United States (1877-1914)

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

And to Think That I Saw It in Union Square: Primary Sources Representing Public Space

Posted by: Stephen Wesson

Union Square opened as a public park in 1839, and by the first decades of the twentieth century was an established destination for anyone who wanted to stroll under the trees, shop for flowers, or just sit and read a newspaper. But it was also the site of a variety of large and small public demonstrations and events.

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

Mark Twain: Exploring His Life and Work with Primary Sources

Posted by: Stephen Wesson

Mark Twain's reputation spans the centuries: He spent much of his lifetime as one of the most famous writers in the United States, and his works continue to appear in classrooms, as well as in debates over the curriculum. Even now, more than a century after his death, the discovery of an unpublished Twain tale has led to the publication of a new children’s book, which is the subject of an upcoming program at the Library of Congress.

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

An Ode to Autumn by a Writer in the Spring of Her Career

Posted by: Stephen Wesson

Helen Keller had been eagerly writing since she had first gained the ability to do so several years before. Although an illness in her infancy had left her unable to see or hear, an inventive teacher, Annie Sullivan, introduced her to language, and soon she was reading and writing using braille and the assistance of interpreters.

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

Helping Students Read Between the Lines: Identifying Bias and Attitude in Newspapers for the Presidential Election of 1912

Posted by: Stephen Wesson

In the November/December 2015 issue of Social Education, the journal of the National Council for the Social Studies, our “Sources and Strategies” article focused on analyzing newspapers from the presidential election of 1912, an unusual contest at an unusual time.