The exhibition 1492: AN ONGOING VOYAGE describes both pre- and post-contact America, as well as the Mediterranean world at the same time. Compelling questions are raised, such as: Who lived in the Americas before 1492? Who followed in the wake of Columbus? What was the effect of 1492 for Americans throughout the Western Hemisphere? The Library of Congress' Quincentenary exhibition addresses these questions, as well as other related themes, including fifteenth century European navigation, the myths and facts surrounding the figure of Columbus, and the differences and similarities between European and American world views at the time of contact.

Lincoln, Abraham. 1858. "First Debate with Stephen A. Douglas." Excerpts of speech delivered at Ottawa, Illinois, August 21, 1858. https://www.nps.gov/liho/learn/historyculture/debate1.htm

Statement by Abraham Lincoln and Dan Stone on the Subject of Domestic Slavery March 3, 1837

Alexander Stephens' Pro-Slavery argument at the beginning of the Confederate States of America

Carnegie, Andrew. "The Gospel of Wealth" Carnegie Corporation of New York. 2017,p.11-14, https://media.carnegie.org/filer_public/0a/e1/0ae166c5-fca3-4adf-82a7-74c0534cd8de/gospel_of_wealth_2017.pdfDescription: A millionaire industrialist addresses his philosophy of philanthropy

Angelina Grimké. “Appeal to the Christian Women of the South”. Book excerpt, 1836. From TeachingAmerican History. https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/appeal-to-christian-women-of-the-south/ (accessed January 19, 2022)Description: Grimke writes an anti-slavery tract.

Preston, Thomas. “Captain Thomas Preston’s Account of the Boston Massacre.” Boston Massacre Historical Society. January 19, 2022 < http://www.bostonmassacre.net/trial/acct-preston1.htm>

Smith, Sidney Lawton, Engraver, and Paul Revere. The bloody massacre perpetrated in King - Street Boston on March 5th, by a party of the 29th Regt. / engrav'd printed & sold by Paul Revere, Boston ; re-engraved by Sidney L. Smith. Boston Massachusetts, 1908. Boston, Mass.: Published by Charles E. Goodspeed. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2012648847/Embellished Engraving of the scene of the Boston Massacre by Paul Revere

Douglass, Frederick. "Emancipation Proclaimed." Frederick Douglass Project Writings- University of Rochester. 1862, https://rbscp.lib.rochester.edu/4406Description: Stephen Douglass reacts to the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation

Douglass, Frederick. "The Meaning of the Fourth of July for the Negro"Speech, Rochester, NY, July4, 1852. Independence Hall Association (ushistory.org). https://www.ushistory.org/declaration/more/douglass.htmlDescription: Douglass' address to a predominantly white audience regarding the celebration of the Fourth of July by African Americans

This unit has been developed to guide students and instructors in a close reading of Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address.” The activities and actions described below follow a carefully developed set of steps that assist students in increasing their familiarity and understanding of Lincoln’s speech through a series of text dependent tasks and questions that ultimately develop college and career ready skills identified in the Common Core State Standards.

U.S. History is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of most introductory courses. The text provides a balanced approach to U.S. history, considering the people, events, and ideas that have shaped the United States from both the top down (politics, economics, diplomacy) and bottom up (eyewitness accounts, lived experience). U.S. History covers key forces that form the American experience, with particular attention to issues of race, class, and gender.Corbett, P. Scott, Volker Janssen, John M Lund, Todd Pfannestiel, Sylvie Waskiewicz, and Paul Vickery. U.S. History. Houston, TX: OpenStax, 2014. https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/1-introduction .

Lincoln, Abraham. Abraham Lincoln papers: Series 2. General Correspondence. -1864: Horace Greeley to Abraham Lincoln, August 1, 1862 Clipping of Letter; endorsed by Lincoln. August 1, 1862.Manuscript/Mixed Material. https://www.loc.gov/item/mal4233500/.

Brown, John. Address of John Brown to the Virginia Court, when about to receive the sentence ofdeath, for his heroic attempt at Harper's Ferry to give deliverance to the captives, and to let theoppressed go free ... Boston. Printed by C. C. Mead, 91 Washin. Boston, 1859. Pdf.https://www.loc.gov/item/rbpe.06500500/Description: John Brown defends himself before his sentence is rendered

Calhoun, John C., “Speech on the Reception of Abolition Petitions, February, 1837.”

President Lincoln addresses a group of border-state politicians about emancipation in a letter to Albert G. Hodges

Thoreau, Henry David. 1906. The Writings of Henry David Thoreau (WaldenEdition) Translated by Bradley Dean (Thoreau Institute) Boston:Houghton Mifflinand Company, 1906 (https://archive.vcu.edu/english/engweb/transcendentalism/authors/thoreau/johnbrown.html)Description:A eulogy on the day of John Brown’s execution

2 articles written by Frederick DouglassFrederick Douglass, “What Shall Be Done with the Slaves if Emancipated?” Douglass Monthly, January 1862Frederick Douglass, “Why Should a Colored Man Enlist?” Douglass’ Monthly, April 1863Letter from James Henry Gooding to President LincolnJames Henry Gooding to President Lincoln, September 28, 1863, published in Herbert Aptheker, ed., A Documentary History of the Negro People in the United States (New York: Citadel Press, 1951), 482-84.

For this assignment, the student will select an historical issue from the first half of U.S. history (pre-history to 1877) to analyze in a paper using primary sources.