American Originals Part II

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Speech notes, John F. Kennedy, Remarks of June 26, 1963
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A presentation of more than 25 "of the most treasured documents in the holdings of the National Archives" with 10 contextual essays of up to 300 words in length. Arranged in chronological sections, corresponding to eras suggested by the National Standards for History, this site provides facsimile reproductions of important documents relating to diplomacy, presidents, judicial cases, exploration, war, and social issues. Includes the Treaty of Paris ending the American Revolutionary War (1783); receipts from the Lewis and Clark expedition (1803); the judgment in the Supreme Court's Dred Scott Decision (1857); Robert E. Lee's demand for the surrender of John Brown at Harper's Ferry in 1859; the Treaty of 1868 with the Sioux Indians; an 1873 petition to Congress from the National Woman Suffrage Association for the right of women to vote, signed by Susan B. Anthony, Matilda Joslyn Gage, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton; and a 1940 letter from student Fidel Castro to Franklin D. Roosevelt asking for a ten-dollar bill. Provides links to teaching suggestions for two of the documents. A good site for introducing students to a variety of the forms of documentation accumulated in the collections of the Archives.

Official Documents
Personal Accounts
Political Documents
Post-1865 [9-12]
Images
Text
Colonization & Settlement, 1585-1763
Revolution & New Nation, 1754-1820s
Expansion & Reform, 1801-1861
Civil War & Reconstruction, 1850-1877
Devel. of the Industrial US, 1870-1900
Emergence of Modern US, 1890-1930
Great Depression & WWII, 1929-1945
Postwar US, 1945-Early 1970s
African Americans
American Indians
International Relations
Legal History
Military History
Politics
Southern States
Western States
Women

The Tet Offensive

Question

How significant is the Tet Offensive in the overall narrative of the Vietnam War?

Textbook Excerpt

Textbooks present the Tet Offensive as the single most important turning point in the Vietnam War. They also argue that the war after Tet was characterized by little more than a wind down of American involvement in Southeast Asia.

Source Excerpt

There is a plethora of previously ignored sources available that illustrate the U.S. turn towards counterinsurgency in the years 1968-1973. These sources suggest that the U.S. military developed this strategy in an attempt to win in Vietnam even after Tet, and this philosophy became the basic structure of much U.S. military thought by the late 20th century.

Historian Excerpt

Historians argue that the Tet Offensive was a significant watershed event in the Vietnam War. However, many historians also point out that the years of U.S. involvement after Tet, 1968-1973, were significant and that the U.S. developed ideas of counterinsurgency during this time period.

Abstract

The Tet Offensive has become enshrined as THE turning point of the American war in Vietnam. The shock of “Tet” did cause many Americans to rethink the U.S. role in Southeast Asia. The textbooks also argue that the war after Tet was characterized by little more than a wind down of American involvement. In doing so, however, all of the texts ignore the policies of pacification and counterinsurgency that characterized U.S. military thinking from 1968 to 1973. Such omissions distort and oversimplify the story of Vietnam in such a way as to make it difficult for students to understand the relationship of the Vietnam experience to the history of American involvement in the rest of the world, both before the Vietnam War and in events since.

Children’s Voices from the Civil War

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Photo, "Camp of 31st Pennsylvania Infantry near Washington, DC," 1862, LoC
Article Body
Why do it?

Textbooks, which feature the passive voice and condensed versions of momentous events, rarely capture the passion and drama of the past. By supplementing the textbook with documents that show how real-life children experienced historical events, the teacher can engage students' interests and can also offer multiple perspectives on historical events.

As an example of this approach, consider children's experiences during the Civil War. Although Joy Hakim's excellent textbook A History of US (volume six, War, Terrible War), touches on how the war affected children's lives, students can gain a much deeper understanding through analyzing additional primary sources. Documents such as period photos and excerpts from letters help students reconstruct what children experienced during the Civil War.

Young girls were pressed into service as nurses when their farms and villages became battlefields.

The destructive swath of "total war" drew children into its path as they witnessed violent death, looting and burning of their homes and farms, and occupation by the enemy. Boys as young as 13 enlisted as drummer boys, and while official recruitment policies required that a soldier be at least 18, many younger boys conveniently added a few years to their age or received permission from their fathers to enlist. Young girls were pressed into service as nurses when their farms and villages became battlefields.

What is it?

After reading a section of the textbook, students analyze primary sources showing how children their age experienced the events described in the textbook. In this lesson, students examine excerpts from letters written by teenagers who witnessed or participated in Civil War battles, and they analyze period photographs to consider the extent and ramifications of children's involvement.

Teachers can adapt this approach to other historical topics by supplementing with the appropriate primary sources.

Example
  1. To gain background knowledge, students read Chapter 16 of War, Terrible War, "The Soldiers.” Ask students to consider the following questions as they read.
    • How did adolescent boys experience the war?
    • How did adolescent girls experience the war?
  2. As you discuss the chapter with students, help them understand the mixture of excitement, optimism, boredom, homesickness, and terror that many young soldiers describe. Students may note that the chapter does not discuss how adolescent girls experienced the war.
  3. Assign students to teams or pairs. Distribute copies or display the photograph, "A Soldier and His Family." Explain to students that this photo was taken early in the war (1862) in the camp of the 31st Pennsylvania Infantry near Washington, DC. Ask students to speculate and discuss with their teammates the following questions.
    • As a child, what do you think it would be like to live in a Civil War army camp? What responsibilities might the young girl pictured have?
    • What does the photograph tell you about living in such a camp? What details in the photo support your impressions?
  4. Distribute the sheet "Children’s Voices from the Civil War" to student pairs or teams. Students discuss the quotes with teammates, and answer the following questions.
    • How were boys' and girls' experiences of the war similar? Different?
    • How did enslaved children view and experience the war?
    • How did the war change the lives of the children being studied?
    • What character qualities did these youths demonstrate in their response to war?
    • How does it change your perspective to read the quotes from the boys and girls?
Why is this a best practice?

Comparing the textbook with additional primary source documents expands students' knowledge, breathes life into the text, and introduces the voices of those left out of the text—in this case, girls. While women did not officially serve as soldiers, some accompanied their husband or fathers to army camps or were pressed into service as nurses when battles raged near their homes. Supplementing the text with voices of young soldiers gives students a broader picture of how boys self-reported their reasons for enlisting and their experiences.

For more information

The photo, "A Soldier and His Family," is available on the Library of Congress website.

Hakim, Joy. A History of US. Vol. 6, War, Terrible War. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Student handout, Children's Voices from the Civil War.

Another Kind of American Idol

Date Published
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Smithsonian image, Star Spangled Banner
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The impressive Star-Spangled Banner, America's almost 200-year old, 34-by-34-foot flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the national anthem, is a highlight exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of American History.

But as important as the flag and the anthem are to our national identity, it's no secret that singing the anthem is not for the faint-of-voice or for the monotone, although it's publicly sung in every imaginable venue by choirs, opera singers, pop and rap performers, and many, many, many more. Now, the Smithsonian offers visitors to the online Star-Spangled Banner exhibit a chance to show the world how it ought to be sung on YouTube.

The Smithsonian invites you to

Sing the national anthem your way! Upload your video to our YouTube group and enter to win the Star-Spangled Banner singing contest sponsored by the National Museum of American History and USA WEEKEND. The Grand Prize winner will be invited to perform the national anthem at the Museum in Washington, DC and at the Baltimore Orioles vs. Atlanta Braves game, both on Flag Day (June 14, 2009). The prize includes a trip for two to Washington, DC, including airfare and two nights hotel accommodations; tickets and transportation to a Baltimore Orioles baseball game; and $400 in spending money.

Sample entries are posted; just hit the Go button and start singing!

The exhibit explores the Star-Spangled Banner as history, as artifact, and as symbol.

But first, tour other elements of this online exhibit. The Star-Spangled Banner site looks at the flag as history, as artifact, and as symbol. It weaves narratives of the past with present-day meaning. The exhibit tells the story of the flag and invites viewers to explore the physical features and dimensions of this carefully-preserved remnant. Close-up zooms focus on the fabric, weave, and color and explain history and conservation efforts over the years.

Mini-essays and quizzes give context to the War of 1812 and explain why the Star-Spangled Banner and subsequent versions of the flag came to hold such meaning for Americans. Read the history of the American flag, and investigate rules and rituals surrounding its display and use.

The interactive feature, Share Your Story, encourages individuals to talk about the meaning of the flag in their own lives and to upload photographs illustrating that meaning.

Resources for Flag Day

Date Published
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Envelope, Elmer Ellsworth with sword, pistol, and flag, c.1861-1865, LoC
Article Body

Do you celebrate Flag Day? Though not an official federal holiday, June 14 (one week from today) memorializes the day when the Second Continental Congress approved the first version of what evolved into our modern national flag.

Since 1777, the flag has gained 37 stars and exact specifications for color and design, but it's always been recognizable. Red, white, and blue, it has waved over people, places, and events throughout U.S. history. How much do your students know about the flag and its history? If you ask them to share what they know, do they offer stories about Betsy Ross or the writing of "The Star-Spangled Banner"? Use these stories as starting points or explore other pieces of flag history with free online resources.

On Teachinghistory.org
  • Historian John Buescher describes the history of the flag—and the history of the story of Betsy Ross.
  • Historian Alan Gevinson looks at the design of the Confederate flag and how it differs from the U.S. flag.
  • In Lesson Plan Reviews, we explore the strong points of a Smithsonian Institution lesson on "The Star-Spangled Banner" and the War of 1812.
The Wider Web
  • The Smithsonian National Museum of American History lets you interact online with the flag that inspired the national anthem.
  • The Smithsonian exhibit July 1942: United We Stand looks at ways the image of the flag was used in World War II.
  • You can find more flag-related artifacts on the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's History Explorer.
  • OurStory, another project of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, offers a reading guide for the picture book The Flag Maker, which looks at the flag that flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.
  • The Library of Congress suggests questions to ask students about the flag and related primary sources.
  • When Alaska and Hawaii became states, the 48-star flag needed two new stars. The National Archives preserves two possible designs sent to the White House by citizens.
  • Every year, the president proclaims Flag Day. Read recent proclamations at the White House website.
  • EDSITEment offers crosscurricular lessons on the flag as a symbol and other symbols of the U.S.
For more information

Looking for resources for other holidays? How about heritage months? Check out Teachinghistory.org's spotlight pages! Spotlight pages are available all year long and update constantly.

Resources for Teaching the War of 1812

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Earlier this year, we looked at what historic sites were doing to celebrate the bicentennial of the War of 1812. But how can you teach the bicentennial in your classroom?

Teachinghistory.org has gathered together lesson plans, teaching strategies, online videos, websites featuring primary sources, quizzes, and other valuable resources on our War of 1812 spotlight page. With these resources, you can introduce your students to the perspectives of Canada, the U.S., Great Britain, and Native American peoples on the war, trace the history of our national anthem, and investigate the early days of the U.S. Navy.

But we aren't the only organization collecting and creating resources for the bicentennial! Find more materials to enhance your curriculum with these ideas:

  • Scour the Naval History and Heritage Command's collection of War of 1812 bicentennial resources. It may take a little exploration, but you'll find 19th-century artwork picturing the naval battles of the war, biographies of historical figures, event announcements, quick facts, and primary and secondary sources.
  • Download lesson plans from Fort McHenry, site of the battle that inspired Francis Scott Key to write "Defence of Fort McHenry" (more often called "The Star-Spangled Banner").
  • Find more lesson plans on the Friends of Fort McHenry website. Together with the National Park Service (NPS), the Friends developed curriculum for grades 4–8 on Fort McHenry and the War of 1812.
  • Explore the fort with a NPS Teaching with Historic Places lesson plan.
  • Peruse an 18-page guide to War of 1812-related teaching materials available on the Internet, collated by the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail.
  • Check out Maryland's downloadable War of 1812 resource guide, as well as their lesson plan directories featuring links to resources elsewhere on the Web.
  • Browse curriculum sources collected together by the U.S. Navy's official bicentennial page, Ourflagwasstillthere.org.
  • Head to sea with the USS Constitution Museum's A Sailor's Life for Me, an interactive experience for students set in the War of 1812. Enrich the experience with guidelines for teaching the war and more than 250 lesson plans.
  • Make cross-curricular connections with the lesson plans from All Hands on Deck!, another resource from the USS Constitution museum.
  • Read and analyze President James Madison's war message in a set of three lesson plans from EDSITEment.
  • Enhance understanding of the many ways people perceived the war with PBS's lesson plans designed to accompany the documentary The War of 1812.
  • Discover artifacts from the war at the Smithsonian Institution's History Explorer.
  • Compare images of the Capitol, burned by the British in 1814, using a lesson idea from the Library of Congress.

A Cybrary of the Holocaust

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Oil on Canvas, Marching Out to Work, Mieczyslaw Koscielniak
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Created in 1995, this site presents an impressive body of primary and secondary source materials about the Holocaust. Offers an wide range of contemporary and historical resources, including more than 100 images from concentration camps and the Warsaw ghetto; more than 30 drawings and paintings by Holocaust survivors; interactive maps of two concentration camps; the text of the 1942 Wannsee Protocols; four interviews with historians; lesson plans for teaching about the Holocaust to school children; background essays; survivor narratives, poetry, and literature; letters, speeches, and posters by Nazi perpetrators; and scores of links. A sophisticated search engine guides users through the site's poorly organized and sometimes confusing interface. The site's author is a website marketing consultant. Particularly useful for secondary school teachers seeking to design student projects, this is an extremely rich collection of material.

Literary Sources
Newspapers and Periodicals
Official Documents
Oral History
Personal Accounts
Photographs
Political Documents
Speeches
Images
Text
Days of Remembrance
Splash Pullout Days of Remembrance
Learn Days of Remembrance
Great Depression & WWII, 1929-1945
Ethnicity
Ideas & Ideologies
Military History
Religion

IWitness

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Film still, Ellis Lewin, 4 December 1996, IWitness
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IWitness is an incredible resource for educators intent on bringing awareness and analysis of the Holocaust to their classroom. The site offers more than 1,000 video testimony clips from Holocaust survivors, liberators, and others. These videos can be browsed by topic (from "Anti-Jewish Laws" to "Warsaw Ghetto Uprising") or searched by name or topic. Searching provides a few benefits for lesson planning. For one, video search results will play the portion of a clip containing information related to your search, making it easy to decide if the result is actually relevant to your classroom plans. In addition, searches may reveal related materials such as photographs of artifacts in the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum collection or encyclopedia articles providing additional information and context.

You can also register as an educator or a student. Educators can assign activities and view student work (only viewable by the specific student and the teacher). Students can watch videos on items such as understanding testimony and archives or editing video interviews in an ethical manner. Activities that call for video editing allow students to save clips into a library for future use in their projects and prepare their own videos using video-editing tools which are part of the website—no download needed.

For a quick introduction to the site, consider watching the six-minute demonstration video linked at the top of the About Us page.

Interested in learning more about IWitness? Read teacher Brandon Haas's Tech for Teachers article.

Artifacts and Objects
Personal Accounts
Photographs
Holocaust
oral history
Images
Text
Video
Days of Remembrance
Splash Pullout Days of Remembrance
Learn Days of Remembrance
Great Depression & WWII, 1929-1945
Ethnicity
Ideas & Ideologies
International Relations
Military History

The Civil War in American Memory

Description

From the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website:

"Gary Gallagher, John L. Nau III Professor in the History of the American Civil War at the University of Virginia, discusses the different Civil War narratives that emerged in the popular consciousness in the century after the war. From the 'Lost Cause' rhetoric of the defeated Confederacy, in which an unapologetic South found honor in defeat, to the 'Emancipation Cause' advanced by the Union, which held that the North went to war in order to liberate slaves, Gallagher explains that these narratives drew both on fact and myth and were critical in the formation of regional and national American identity."

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