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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

Women’s History Month: Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Suffragist March of 1913 with Primary Sources

Posted by: Cheryl Lederle

On March 3, 1913, thousands of demonstrators marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in a call for women’s suffrage. Primary sources from the Library of Congress can help students not only see the size and grandeur of this historic parade, but also go behind the scenes to examine the plans and promotional strategies of its organizers.

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

Edward S. Curtis and The North American Indian

Posted by: Cheryl Lederle

Photographs offer a snapshot of a particular time and place, telling a careful viewer as much about the photographer as about the subjects of the pictures. That’s often particularly true when the photographer isn’t a member of the group being photographed. One example from the Library of Congress’s collections is Edward S. Curtis, who dedicated most of his career to photographing Native American cultures and traditions to publish in a multi-volume book titled The North American Indian.

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

The Titanic: In the News and in Memory

Posted by: Cheryl Lederle

How can we learn from tragedies? It’s a universal question that can engage students as they consider both contemporary and historic examples. April 15, the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the luxury liner Titanic, presents a timely opportunity. Help your students analyze varying perspectives on this tragic event through primary sources from the Library of Congress.

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

A Clean Sweep for the New Year: Exploring a Cartoon from the Turn of the Twentieth Century

Posted by: Cheryl Lederle

Explore a cartoon, published as the front cover of a magazine in January 1905, that draws on the many metaphors about the New Year offering a clean start. Although many of the specific images in the cartoon may be unfamiliar to students, the labels on them offer a clear starting point for researching the context and the details the artist included.