iThrive Sim: Lives in Balance is a 35-minute role-playing simulation game that invites middle and high school students to act as government officials tasked with responding to a public health crisis over a 35-minute class period. In a civic learning experience powered by tech and online play, students explore federalism, state rights, interstate commerce, freedom […]
With support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Regional Development Authority, the Putnam Museum is in the first stage of a multi-year process to update and reinvigorate our Regional History Exhibit. Along with community partners, our goal is to ensure that all Quad Citizens are represented, and that everyone understands the […]
A century after ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, the Chicago History Museum invites visitors to explore women’s activism in Chicago to secure the right to vote—and beyond. In this online exhibit, discover the ways women organized to challenge the status quo and how these different paths led to a mass movement for suffrage. Find out […]
Experience the story of LGBTQ+ Coloradans, from fighting for equal rights to celebrating community, in a new exhibition coming to History Colorado. For more than two years, museum curators have collected oral histories, photos, and historical artifacts from Colorado’s LGBTQ+ community. This exhibition will dive deep into the struggles and successes of LGBTQ+ Coloradans and […]
In 2021, the Kluge Center at the Library of Congress presented a series of exciting conversations to explore the nation’s civic life and ways that people from all political beliefs and social causes can build a stronger, more resilient democracy. Each conversation in the "Our Common Purpose" series was facilitated by Kluge Prize winner Danielle […]
Civic life encompasses the infinite ways that people may connect and contribute to their community and society: from voting in an election or organizing a neighborhood block-party, to standing up for a just cause or supporting arts in our parks. For some time, however, many facets of civic life have been in decline. This conversation […]
No-No Boy tells the story of Ichiro Yamada, a fictional version of the real-life “no-no boys.” Yamada answered “no” twice in a compulsory government questionnaire as to whether he would serve in the armed forces and swear loyalty to the United States. Unwilling to pledge himself to the country that interned him and his family, Ichiro […]
An assortment of teaching and learning resources about America and America's history as we approach the US Semiquincentennial.
In this activity, you will analyze documents related to American Indian history and voting rights from the 1830s to the 1970s and place them in chronological order. Documents were chosen to show the length of the fight for universal suffrage for American Indians and the different types of records that relate that history.
As our democracy faces immense challenges—strained institutions, fragmented civil society, economic inequality, unequal representation, a changed media ecosystem, coarsening civic culture—it's up to all of us to take action. Read the experts' report on 31 strategies for action.
In 2020 we celebrated the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in the United States. Since then the work to get everyone access to the polls hasn't ended. Watch a short video exploring how one family in Flint supported voting rights and education over the years.
This article explores the rediscovery of Juneteenth in the twenty-first century and how it's becoming an important American holiday.