The article highlights a number of images from the early 20th century that the National Child Labor Committee used in their campaign to abolish child labor, including photographs by Lewis Hine. Although today these dramatic photos are often viewed as art objects, the NCLC used them as tools--as persuasive elements that would help them make their case against child labor in the public sphere and in the halls of Congress.
History and images have a complex relationship. Many turning points in history passed with no one there to record them. Others are so thoroughly documented that it can be difficult to find the unique human stories beneath the clouds of images that surround them.
Many teachers who read the Teaching with the Library of Congress blog can probably tell a story of finding the perfect primary source at just the right time to ensure a brilliant teaching moment. Unfortunately, teachers more often spend hours painstakingly searching for promising primary sources to fit the curriculum and engage students. Hours, that is, until a Teachers Page Primary Source Set comes to their rescue!
Think of the last video you watched that made you laugh. Does the video capture someone taking a fall, misspeaking or getting caught doing something they shouldn't?
What if after 235 years all that was left to tell the story of your life was a single scrap of paper? That is exactly what happened to a woman named Martha Morris who lived in New York during the Revolutionary War.