Philadelphia's own Marian Anderson was, according to Arturo Toscanini, “a voice such as one hears only once in a 100 years.” Her famous contralto voice was known in concert halls throughout the world, but perhaps Anderson's most famous legacy was her performance in front of 75,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial after the Daughters of the American Revolution refused to let her sing at Washington D.C.'s Constitution Hall. That refusal caused Eleanor Roosevelt to resign her DAR membership, although Anderson sang for the DAR three years later.

Anderson's home contains rare photos, books, memorabilia and films about her life, and also supports an artists-in-residence program developed by the Marian Anderson Historical Society, to encourage and mentor outstanding classical artists.

Private and group tours are offered by request.

The Northeast branch of the National Archives provides access to historic documents from the states of New York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, in addition to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Research can be conducted at two main locations in Boston, Massachusetts, and New York City, as well as within a microfilm research area in Pittsfield, Massacusetts (Silvio O. Conte National Records Center, 10 Conte Drive).

The Boston-area archives holds documents from 1780 to present pertaining to the states of Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts. Records include, but are not limited to, census and naturalization records, Dawes Commission final cards of the Five Civilized Tribes, Chinese Exclusion cases, and passenger arrival lists.

Topics of emphasis within the collection include port commerce, desegregation, War of 1812, the Amistad case, naval stations, lighthouses, the Chinese Exclusion Act, MIT and Harvard World War II research projects, and arms manufacturing. With so much information at your fingertips, a pre-visit look through the available finding aids may be a wise time investment.

Interested in researching military records or conducting genealogical research? Access a listing of upcoming genealogical workshops. All workshops are free, but require advance registration.

Earn PD points by attending five free, monthly Thursday night programs for educators, or attend other in-service teaching with document programs. Access the calendar to plan which events to attend. Large groups can request that workshops be conducted at their own location.

In the Boston area? Plan a free, hands-on archival field trip for your class, be it kindergarten or high school. Programs are customizable, designed to meet state curriculum standards, and include a behind-the-scenes tour. Example programs address the 54th Mass. Colored Regiment, the Revolutionary War, Eleanor Roosevelt and Marian Anderson, the Constitution, and migration and immigration. Please schedule ahead. The site is handicap-accessible and contains a lunchroom.

The phone and fax numbers to the left are for the Boston/Waltham location.

The New York City location holds documents from 1695 through the 1990s pertaining to New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Online finding aids are an excellent way of determining whether or not the archives may have the type of documents which you desire.

The archives offers an extensive series of public programs, including tours conducted upon request, open houses, and workshops. Workshop topics can include census records, Chinese Americans, customs records, maritime history, Civil War prize cases, and more.

Attend free professional development workshops appropriate for teachers (including home school teachers) and administrators.

Consider ordering a free CD correlating the contents of Our Documents to New Jersey and New York educational standards.

You can also schedule K-12 field trips complete with hands-on research and tours of the archives' facility.

The Northeast archives hosts a collection of online exhibits, ranging in topic from the real life von Trapp family to the Slocum tragedy.

Finally, download packets consisting of documents, transcriptions, related questions and activities, and information on how the topic relates to the standards. Teachable Texts is upgraded regularly.

If you happen to be looking for federal primary sources from Ohio, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, or Illinois, a good spot to check is the Chicago office of the National Archives and Records Administration. Records available include bankruptcy records, Chinese Exclusion case files from Chicago and St. Paul, Michigan and Illinois Selective Service System Name Index records, and naturalization records. Other topics represented in the collections include, but aren't limited to, African American history, Depression era history, disasters, espionage, and maritime history.

Consider looking through the site's finding aids to get a sense of the collections available on location.

When visiting, be ready with an official photo ID and willingness to fill out a short form concerning your interests. Leave your pens behind (pencils are permitted), and prepare to leave your belongings in a locker or in your car.

Looking for more directed opportunities? Check out the archives' upcoming events. If you teach in Illinois or Indiana, you may even be eligible for continuing education credit.

In addition to the aforementioned public programs, there are workshops designed specifically for teachers. Find them (and more opportunities) under the Workshops heading.

Archivists are ready and willing to help your students define their research topics and select appropriate primary sources, for National History Day projects or other endeavors.

The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center preserves and interprets Stowe's Hartford home and the Center's historic collections, promotes vibrant discussion of her life and work, and inspires commitment to social justice and positive change. A visit to the Center includes the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, a Victorian Gothic Revival home (1871) which includes Victorian-style gardens; the Katharine Seymour Day House (1884), a mansion adjacent to the Stowe House; and the Stowe Visitor Center (1873), with changing exhibitions.

The center offers exhibits, tours, reference library access, and occasional recreational and educational events.

The Museum is the only museum in the world dedicated exclusively to recognizing the contributions of women artists.

The museum offers exhibits, tours, research library access, educational programs, and educational and recreational events.