As a child of the 1980s, the 1970s have always been a mysterious decade to me.  So, I get the appeal of the exhibition “Searching for the Seventies” now on display at the National Archives in Washington, DC, through September 8. “Searching for the Seventies” highlights the photographs of the Documerica project, a documentary project [...]

The DocsTeach App extends learning activities from the DocsTeach website to your students’ iPads. Using the app, they can choose a topic, such as “Civics & Government” or “Postwar U.S. 1945–early 1970s,” and challenge themselves with a DocsTeach activity, interacting with stories, events, and ideas of the past. The activities are all based on primary source documents from the [...]

I don’t know if it says something about me, but I have always been fascinated with propaganda posters.  When I was in the classroom, I probably spent more time than I had to focusing on the various symbols, messages, and styles the US government used during World War I and World War II to gain [...]

The National Archives at Boston in Waltham, MA, and the Boston African American National Historic Site are teaming up to offer the 2013 Summer Institute for teachers “Fighting for Freedom at Home and on the Front: Boston’s Struggle for Freedom, 1806–1865.” The two-day institute takes place Monday, June 24, 2013 and Tuesday, June 25, 2013. [...]

With over 12 billion documents in the National Archives, our records have countless stories to tell. Even with just three types of documents—a passenger arrival record, census record and a naturalization record—one can learn quite a bit about a person’s life.  And students have the opportunity to uncover these stories during a hands-on field trip at [...]

Today’s post comes from education intern Stephen Pearson. Over two days earlier this month, students arrived at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, ready to compete. There was excitement and nervous energy in the air. Both the students and history came to life through dynamic performances, stirring documentaries, and eye-popping exhibits, just to name [...]

“Mr. President, It is my Desire to be free.” Thus wrote (another – not me!) Annie Davis to Abraham Lincoln, 20 months after he issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Writing from Belair, Maryland, she continued, “Will you please let me know if we are free.” But she was not. The Emancipation Proclamation affected only those states [...]

Today’s post comes from Kris Jarosik, education specialist at the National Archives at Chicago, working alongside Ang Reidell, education specialist at the National Archives at Philadelphia. There was a time when the U.S. government seized photos and pamphlets and confiscated contraception sent through the mail. Thousands were charged with breaking federal law and over 500 cases [...]

Teaching units about the Great Depression include the Works Projects (also Progress) Administration (WPA). The records of this government program that put millions of unemployed Americans to work in public works projects are held in the National Archives. They reveal fascinating stories about local history: the building of the school cafeteria, curb cuts, road improvements…and [...]

I co-wrote today’s post with Stephen Wesson at the Library of Congress. It is also posted on the Teaching with the Library of Congress blog. In 10 words or less, it’s what we’ve got and how we got it. But we’ll go on. Because we get asked this question a lot. Both of us do. And because both [...]