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Posted by: Cheryl Lederle
The original Constitution of the United States was nearly mute on voting rights, ceding them to the states to determine. This, the second of two posts exploring the struggles of two groups to gain full voting rights, will take a look at the long road toward the full enfranchisement of women.
Posted in: Government and Law, Women's History
Posted by: Cheryl Lederle
The original Constitution of the United States was nearly mute on voting rights, ceding them to the states to determine. The 15th Amendment to the Constitution confers voting rights on African Americans, declaring that “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”
Posted in: African American History, Constitution, Government and Law
Posted by: Danna Bell
Campaign posters, buttons and other ephemera are not new. Prior to the advent of radio, television and the internet, candidates used campaign signs, buttons, ribbons, light shades and banners to reach out to voters who might not have been able to come to a speech or access a newspaper. The Library of Congress has made many of these unique artifacts available online.
Posted in: Government and Law, Lesson Ideas
Posted by: Danna Bell
Campaign songs have been part of presidential elections for almost as long as there have been presidential elections. These songs helped rally the crowd, encourage enthusiasm for the candidate and sometimes say something about the candidate and his beliefs.
Posted in: Fine and Performing Arts, Government and Law
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
Posted by: Danna Bell
On Tuesday, November 6, voters in the United States will go to the polls to elect a president, members of Congress and other state and local political leaders. As we move closer and closer to Election Day, this blog will be providing suggestions for ways to use primary sources from the Library of Congress to help students learn about the election process and past elections.
Posted in: Government and Law, Industrial United States, World Wars and the Great Depression (1914-1945)
Posted by: Stacie Moats
As students (and teachers) begin looking ahead to summer, celebrate the Fourth of July a little early in your classroom by using The Declaration of Independence: Rewriting the Rough Draft, an online activity from the Library of Congress,
Posted in: Government and Law, Revolution and the New Nation (1764-1815)
Posted by: Cheryl Lederle
You can learn a lot by getting to know a member of Congress-either in person or through primary sources.
Posted in: Government and Law, Lesson Ideas
Posted by: Danna Bell
By law, February 22 is called George Washington's Birthday, but many now use the day to honor or commemorate all U.S. presidents. One easy way to help your students explore the legacy of three great presidents is by using a primary source set from the Library of Congress.
Posted in: Government and Law, Holidays