"Koshkonong Prairie Historical Society, KPHS, is a non-stock and non-profit corporation organized under the provisions of Chapter 181 of the Wisconsin Statutes, and was created for the purpose of preserving, advancing and disseminating knowledge of the history of Koshkonong Prairie."
"Our mission is to unite those people interested in the history of Switzerland County, Indiana, and surrounding region, for its protection, preservation, and promotion to the public."
"Founded in 1976 for the purpose of preserving the history of the Toledo Fire Division and educating citizens about fire prevention and safety. In memory of fallen firefighters, the two-story museum is located in a working fire station, "Old Number 18 Fire House", circa 1920, which was replaced by a new station in 1975."
"The Fulton Historical Society is located in this Civil War era home donated to the City by Leonard and Maxine Martin. The Society has taken over the operation of the home as a repository of information and materials relevant to the history of the City of Fulton and its inhabitants. In addition, the Society wishes to preserve the heritage of the community and provide educational opportunities for the purpose of increasing and enriching public knowledge."
If the Lecompton Constitution version that would have allowed no further importation of slaves had won, would children born to the slaves already in Kansas still be considered slaves as well as their children into the future?
In the fall of 1857, the Kansas Territory's proslavery legislature met in the town of Lecompton and worked out a constitution, which it proposed to put up for a vote. The vote, however, was only between "the constitution with slavery" or "the constitution without slavery."
The proposed constitution was written in such a way that a vote "for the constitution without slavery" still allowed the residents of Kansas to keep the slaves they owned, while preventing new slaves from entering the territory.
Anti-slavery voters boycotted the referendum and consequently the "constitution with slavery" passed by a large margin. Kansas voters, however, eventually elected a new legislature and defeated the Lecompton Constitution. In 1859, they ratified the Wyandotte Constitution that outlawed slavery.
Article 7, Section 1, of the Lecompton Constitution stated that "… the right of the owner of a slave to such slave and its increase is the same and as inviolable as the right of the owner of any property whatever." The slave's "increase" meant the children of the slave, so they would still have been considered slaves, as would those slaves' children into the future.
Manuscript of the Lecompton Constitution
Thomas Goodrich. War to the Knife: Bleeding Kansas, 1854-1861. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1998.
Images:
"Forcing Slavery Down the Throat of a Free Soiler," 1856 political cartoon, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.
Detail of a map of Douglas County, Kansas Territory, 1858, showing the town of Lecompton.
Detail of an engraving of the town of Lecompton, 1859, Kansas State Historical Society.
Located on the campus of the only college named for Abraham Lincoln in his lifetime, the award-winning Lincoln Heritage Museum exhibits a significant collection of Abraham Lincoln and Civil War related artifacts, as well as local and Lincoln College history, Presidential letters, and a tribute to September 11, 2001. On display are such items as several 1860 Lincoln presidential campaign banners, a ballot box in which he voted, several of his personal books (including Shakespeare), and tools, several furnishings from the Lincoln's Springfield home, and Lincoln family personal items including Mary Lincoln's jewelry.
Admission to the museum is free, and museum staff supply schools with personalized and living history tours catered to the topics being covered in individual classes.
Created by a tribal member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. From five sections--History; Images and Maps; Genealogy: Cherokee and other Native Americans; Books and Newspapers; and Related Links--users can access excerpts from 12 historical texts; 18 images dealing with Cherokee history; and seven maps. In addition, the site provides a bibliography of 18 books and newspapers on Cherokee history; information on seven relevant booksellers; and 43 links on such topics as Cherokee genealogy, language, and tribal organizations. A useful starting point for those interested in Cherokee history and culture.
This megasite brings together resources for teaching U.S. and world history from the far corners of the web. Most of these websites boast large collections of primary sources from the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, the National Archives and Records Administration, and prominent universities. There are more than 600 websites listed for U.S. history alone, divided by time period and topic: Business & Work, Ethnic Groups, Famous People, Government, Movements, States & Regions, Wars, and Other Social Studies. While most of these websites are either primary source archives (for example, History of the American West, 1860-1920) or virtual exhibits, many offer lesson plans and ready-made student activities, such as EDSITEment, created by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
A good place to begin is the (Subject Map), which lists resources by sub-topic, including African Americans (67 resources), Women's History (37 resources), and Natural Disasters (16 resources). Each resource is accompanied by a brief annotation that facilitates quick browsing.
This archive affords access to the local history material and collections in more than 45 Michigan libraries, including photographs, family papers, oral histories, public reports, notices, and documents. More than 3,000 items are available, on a wide range of subjects that include architecture, automobiles, churches, cities and towns, commerce and business, factories and industry, families, farming, geography and landscapes, housing, schools, and sports and recreation. The time period of the material is primarily from the post-Civil War era to the early 20th century. The material can be browsed by subject or institution and a keyword search is also available. A useful site for researching the cultural history of Michigan and its localities.
Visitors to the Museum can share in the journey of the Great Lakes Indian tribes who were forced to emigrate to Kansas in the 1800s, adapting their traditional Woodlands cultures to the rolling prairie landscape. At the Museum, once a Presbyterian mission built in 1845 to educate Iowa and Sac and Fox children, you will find quillwork, baskets, and other artwork of present-day descendants of emigrant tribes. Through the interactive exhibits, Native Americans tell stories in their own words.
The site offers exhibits, tours, and educational and recreational programs.