Especially for
Teachers...
Alcove 9
- U.S. Politics,
Government and Law
- (Internet
Resources) A Library
of Congress collection
of internet sites
related to U.S.
government, politics,
and law.
American
History as Seen in
Congressional Documents,
1774-1873
- (Special
Presentation) Chart
America’s story through
its legislative records
and documents.
American
Memory Timeline:
Confederation Government
Policy Toward Native
Americans, The
- (Feature) View
18th and 19th century
documents related to
policies and strategies
America developed to
keep peace between white
settlers and Native
Americans.
American
Memory Timeline: The
United States
Constitution
- (Feature) Read
debates, drafts and
documents related to the
adoption of the
Constitution.
Benjamin
Franklin: In His Own
Words
- (Exhibition)
Learn about Benjamin
Franklin's public,
professional, and
scientific
accomplishments through
important documents,
letters, books,
broadsides, and
cartoons. The
Continental Congress
section highlights his
role as a delegate.
Congressional
Information on the
Library of Congress Web
Site
- (Library of
Congress Bibliography)
This guide provides
access to Congressional
information available on
the Library of Congress
Web site. Click on
1763-1815 for links to
more information about
the
Constitution
and related documents.
Declaring
Independence: Drafting
the Documents
- (Exhibition)
Learn about the history
of the Declaration of
Independence and view
original drafts and
related documents.
Elections
- (Feature) How
have American elections
changed over time? What
similarities can we see
in elections yesteryear
and today?
Emancipation
Proclamation, The
- (Special
Presentation) View a
timeline and gallery of
images related to the
Emancipation
Proclamation.
George
Washington Papers
Timeline
- (Special
Presentation) This
timeline links to
selected documents
covering the Colonial
Period, the American
Revolution and the Early
Republic.
Gettysburg Address, The
- (Exhibition)
View two original drafts
of Lincoln’s Gettysburg
Address.
Guide to
the Law Online
- (Internet
Resources) An
annotated guide to
government and law
information available
online prepared by the
Law Library of Congress.
Inaugurations
- (Feature)
Through images and
written accounts,
observe the pageantry of
presidential
inaugurations. The
inauguration of the
President represents the
beginning of a new era
for the Executive branch
of the US government.
Introducing ... THOMAS!
- (Learning Page
Activity) Learn
about the Web site:
THOMAS, Legislative
Information on the
Internet.
James
Madison and the Federal
Constitutional
Convention of 1787
- (Special
Presentation) Learn
about James Madison's
significant role in the
founding of the federal
government.
James
Madison: Philosopher and
Practitioner of Liberal
Democracy
- (Cybercast)
View cybercasts of
presentations made
during a 2001 symposium
celebrating the 250th
anniversary of the birth
of James Madison.
Madison’s
Treasures
- (Exhibition)
Explore handwritten
documents from the
Madison collection –
many related to the
drafting and
ratification of the
Constitution and the
amendments that became
the Bill of Rights.
Primary
Documents in American
History
- (Library of
Congress Bibliography)
This Web site, arranged
by historical era, links
to important documents
in American history.
Click on 1763-1815 for
links to the
Constitution
and related documents.
Publishing the
Declaration of
Independence
- (Cybercast)
Robin Shields discusses
the distribution of the
Declaration of
Independence through
early American
newspapers in this
Journeys
and Crossings
presentation.
Religion
and the Founding of the
American Republic
- (Exhibition)
What role did religion
play in the founding of
the American colonies?
This exhibit examines
books, manuscripts,
letters, prints,
paintings, artifacts and
music related to this
theme.
Slave
Code for the District of
Columbia
- (Special
Presentation) View
two 1860’s slave codes
outlining slavery
related law in force in
the District of
Columbia.
Star
Spangled Banner
- (Performing Arts)
Celebrate National
Anthem Day on September
14th with song sheets,
sheet music, sound files
and historical
information from
Patriotic
Melodies.</
State and
Local Governments
- (Internet
Resources) A Library
of Congress collection
of internet sites
related to state and
local governments.
Thomas
- (Legislative
Resource) Thomas
provides links to
legislative information
on the Internet. View
this site dedicated to
archiving the day-to-day
activiites of the United
States Congress.
Thomas
Jefferson Papers
- (Special
Presentation) View
Thomas Jefferson
(1743-1827) and Virginia
Records (1553-1743)
timelines with links to
selected images and
documents from the
Thomas Jefferson Papers.
Thomas:
Historical Documents
- (Legislative
Resource) This
Thomas resource page
links to the text and
information about
historic American
documents including the
Declaration of
Independence, the
Constitution, the Bill
of Rights and the
Federalist Papers.
To Form a
More Perfect Union - The
Work of the Continental
Congress and the
Constitutional
Convention
- (Special
Presentation) Learn
about the birth of the
American nation through
its documents.
Words We
Live By: Your Annotated
Guide to the
Constitution, The
- (Cybercast)
Linda Monk discusses her
book -
The Words
We Live By: Your
Annotated Guide to the
Constitution.
Especially for your
Students...
American Political
Parties Past
- (Learning Page
Activity) Match
the political party
with its platform.
American Treasures:
A Looking Glass for
1787
- (Exhibition)
This satirical,
eighteenth-century
engraving touches on
some of the major
issues in
Connecticut politics
on the eve of
ratification of the
Constitution.
American Treasures:
A Rare Civics Lesson
- (Exhibition)
What were the duties
of the president and
other governmental
officials in 1825?
American Treasures:
Draft of the
Virginia
Constitution
- (Exhibition)
Learn about
Jefferson’s May,
1776 draft document
which influenced the
Virginia government
and was the direct
predecessor of the
Declaration of
Independence.
American Treasures:
Report of the
Committee of Detail
- (Exhibition)
Read the draft
constitution
submitted on August
6, 1787 by the
five-man Committee
of Detail to the
Federal Convention.
American Treasures:
Report of the
Committee of Style
- (Exhibition)
This September 12,
1787 report
contained
suggestions for last
minute changes to
the Constitution.
American Treasures:
The Federalist
- (Exhibition)
The eighty-five
Federalist
articles, originally
published in the
daily newspapers in
New York City,
analyzed the system
of government
presented in the
Constitution.
For
and Against
- (Learning Page
Activity) Enjoy
1914 vaudeville
jokes poking fun at
the ideologies and
behavior of
political parties
from our nation's
past.
I
Spy: Gray’s Ferry
- (Learning Page
Activity) Spot
items in this 1789
drawing of the
Gray’s Ferry
community preparing
to receive General
Washington.
I
Spy: Lincoln's
Inauguration
- (Learning Page
Activity) Spot
items in this 1865
photograph taken at
Lincoln’s
inauguration.
Jump
Back in Time: April
13, 1743
- (America’s
Library) Read
about Thomas
Jefferson.
Jump
Back in Time:
December 12, 1745
- (America’s
Library) Read
about John Jay, one
of our nation’s
founding fathers.
Jump
Back in Time:
December 15, 1791
- (America’s
Library) Read
about the adoption
of the Bill of
Rights.
Jump
Back in Time:
January 12, 1737
- (America’s
Library) Read
about John Hancock.
Jump
Back in Time:
January 23, 1964
- (America’s
Library) Read
about the passage of
the 24th Amendment
that ended the poll
tax.
Jump
Back in Time: July
20, 1848
- (America’s
Library) Read
about the Seneca
Falls Convention and
women’s fight for
equal rights.
Jump
Back in Time: July
28, 1868
- (America’s
Library) Read
about the passage of
the 14th Amendment
that granted
citizenship to those
born in the United
States.
Jump
Back in Time: May
29, 1736
- (America’s
Library) Read
about Patrick Henry.
Jump
Back in Time:
November 15, 1777
- (America’s
Library) Read
about the adoption
of the Articles of
Confederation.
Jump
Back in Time:
November 19, 1863
- (America’s
Library) Read
about Lincoln’s
delivery of the
Gettysburg Address.
Making of the
Constitution, The
- (Wise Guide)
Each May 1, Law Day
is celebrated in
honor of the laws
that are the guiding
principles of the
nation.
Meet
Amazing Americans -
Dynamite Presidents
- (America’s
Library) Have
fun learning about
the four presidents
whose images are
carved into Mount
Rushmore.
Meet
Amazing Americans
Presidents Scavenger
Hunt
- (America’s
Library) Locate
the answers and earn
a certificate in
this presidential
fact finding
activity.
Meet
Amazing Americans:
Abraham Lincoln
- (America’s
Library) Learn
about America’s 16th
president.
Meet
Amazing Americans:
Dwight D. Eisenhower
- (America’s
Library) Learn
about America’s 34th
president.
Meet
Amazing Americans:
George Washington
- (America’s
Library) Learn
about America’s 1st
president.
Meet
Amazing Americans:
James Madison
- (America's
Library) Learn
about James
Madison’s
contribution to the
Consititution.
Meet
Amazing Americans:
Theodore Roosevelt
- (America’s
Library) Learn
about America’s 26th
president.
Meet
Amazing Americans:
Thomas Jefferson
- (America’s
Library) Learn
about America’s 3rd
president.
Today
in History
(September 17, 1787)
The United States
Constitution
- (Today in
History) On this
date members of the
Constitutional
Convention signed
the final draft of
the Constitution.
Search the
Archives
using the term "Consititution"
for related events.
Who’s
the Father of the
Constitution?
- (Wise Guide)
James Madison is
known as the Father
of the Constitution
because of his
pivotal role in the
document's drafting.
Lesson Plans
Use these lesson plans
(created by educators
for educators) to
explore American
government and civics
with your
students in
your classroom:
Created
Equal?
- (Grades 6-8, Grades
9-12) Students argue
Thomas Jefferson's
intentions in stating
Students gain an
appreciation of Thomas
Jefferson's efforts to
deal with the complex
issues of equality and
slavery in the
Declaration of
Independence.
In
Congress Assembled
- (Grades 6-12) Students
look at the Constitution
and link early
legislative debates to
issues of today.
Constitution: Counter
Revolution or National
Salvation?, The
- (Grade 11) Students
identify arguments for
and against the
ratification of the
Constitution.
From Jim
Crow to Linda Brown
- (Grades 9-12) Students
explore the era of
legalized segregation.
Students simulate the
National Afro-American
Council that met in
Washington, D. C. in
1898.
George
Washington
- (Grades 8-12) Students
engage in three lessons
examining George
Washington's leadership.
Lessons two and three
relate to Washington’s
role in the development
of American government
and his tenure as
president.
Great
Depression and the
1990s, The
- (Grades 7-11) Students
gain a better
understanding of why the
government takes care of
its people and how
welfare programs
started. Lessons one
and three relate to
current issues in
government.
All
History is Local
- (Grades 9-12) Creating
an archive of primary
source materials
constitutes the
principal activity of a
year-long American
Studies class focusing
on historiography and
the use of primary
sources. Students
understand and
articulate the interplay
between national, state,
local, and personal
history.
Conservation at a
Crossroads
- (Grades 9-12) Two
separate lessons for
students to investigate
and debate the
controversies inherent
in conservation
programs. Students
research federal laws
related to conservation.
Reservation
Controversies
- (Grades 6-8) Students
are confronted with two
real world problems
regarding Native
Americans, which have no
preconceived right or
wrong answers. In
Scenario 2, students
explore the effects of
laws regarding Indian
reservations.
Voices
for Votes: Suffrage
Strategies
- (Grades 4-6) Students
create original
documents encouraging
citizens to vote in
current elections.
Students stage mock
elections and design
ephemera to influence
public opinion.
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