Civic Season

Biographies about the People Who Made America
2023-05-03 19:19 UTC | American Battlefield Trust, United States
From William Carney, born into slavery, who became the first Black may to earn the Medal of Honor. To Deborah Sampson, who successfully disguised herself as a man to enlist in the Continental Army. Meet more than 450 fascinating Americans who shaped the first century of our nation.

Confronting Racial Injustice: Redlining: From Slavery to $8 in 400 Years
2023-05-03 19:19 | Massachusetts Historical Society, United States
Join community activists and urban planners as they discuss Boston’s history of redlining and discriminatory housing policies, the complicity of the banks and the real estate industry, and the consequent legacy of segregation and racial wealth disparity. We also identify some specific actions we can take to address the inequities in home ownership.
This five-part series was developed by the Northeastern University School of Law Criminal Justice Task Force. It is hosted by the Massachusetts Historical Society and sponsored by a number of Boston-area organizations.

With a Single Step: Stories in the Making of America
2023-05-03 19:19 | Museum of Chinese in America, United States
With a Single Step: Stories in the Making of America presents the diverse layers of the Chinese American experience, while examining America’s journey as a nation of immigrants. It interweaves the historical and political context of Chinese immigration to the United States with the personal stories and cultural traces of multiple generations.

American Dreaming
2023-05-03 19:19 | Define American, United States
American Dreaming is a study on the impact storytelling has on immigrant storytellers and it includes an interactive essay featuring some of the storytellers we’ve interviewed.

Visit the Chinese Village Exhibit at the 1899 Export Exposition
2023-05-03 19:19 | National Archives, United States
In this activity, you will consider the experiences of several Chinese people who were exhibited in an ethnographic display at the 1899 National Export Exposition.

Confronting Racial Injustice: Slavery, Wealth Creation, and Intergenerational Wealth
2023-05-03 19:19 | Massachusetts Historical Society, United States
From the 17th century to the 21st, enslavement—even when it took place outside of Massachusetts—shaped the province and the state in significant ways. It was and has been central to creating wealth: family fortunes, institutional endowments, and public budgets in Massachusetts have benefited from its spoils. This panel explores the Commonweath’s connections to slavery and the trade of enslaved people, the wealth—and the poverty—enslavement created and bequeathed, and how the legacies of enslavement are reflected in injustices that haunt Massachusetts to this day.
This five-part series was developed by the Northeastern University School of Law Criminal Justice Task Force. It is hosted by the Massachusetts Historical Society and sponsored by a number of Boston-area organizations.

The Senate and Women's Fight for the Vote
2023-05-03 19:19 | U.S. Senate Historical Office, United States
In 1878 Senator Aaron Sargent became the first member of Congress to formally propose a constitutional amendment specifically to extend voting rights to women. The Senate never voted on Sargent’s proposal, but the idea and the suffragists who supported it persisted. Senators—some of them working closely with activists—continued to debate women’s political rights over the next four decades as suffrage lobbyists ramped up pressure on members of Congress. After several failed attempts, the Senate finally approved a constitutional amendment for woman suffrage on June 4, 1919. Ratified in 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution includes only 39 words, two sentences that represent the work of generations of activists and a dedicated group of congressional reformers.

The Role of Art in Democracy
2023-05-03 19:19 | Made By Us, JANM and MOCA, United States
What is the role of art as we get out the vote and build larger movements for change? In this national conversation with engaged artists held on October 29, 2020, hear about the importance of voting in both local and national elections, using art to challenge and shift culture, and how we build powerful—and beautiful—movements.
Made By Us in partnership with the Japanese American National Museum and Museum of Contemporary Art.

World at War (1900-1945)
2023-05-03 19:19 | World101 from the Council on Foreign Relations, United States
Between 1900 and 1945, wars emerged throughout the world. Read, watch videos, and participate in interactive activities that demonstrate the importance of this time period in world history.

Simulation: Opposing Communism in 1947
2023-05-03 19:19 | World101 from the Council on Foreign Relations, United States
The United Kingdom has just announced it can no longer support the Greek government in its fight against a communist rebel movement that threatens to bring Greece into the Soviet orbit. How should the United States respond? Participate in a foreign policy simulation.

The Legislative Process: Congress at Work
2023-05-03 19:19 | National Archives, United States
You will analyze historical records of the House and Senate to understand the sequence of steps in the legislative process.

The Appointment of Sandra Day O'Connor
2023-05-03 19:19 | Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, United States
In this lesson, students examine the appointment of one particular Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor, who was also the first female Justice in the 191-year history of the Court. Students will examine the process by which a President makes the appointment selection and the steps that lead to that person being confirmed by the Senate (or not).

Test your News Literacy with Informable
2023-05-03 19:19 | News Literacy Project, United States
Players develop the skills to become news-literate by practicing four distinct skills in a game format: distinguishing news articles from opinion pieces, advertisements from other types of information, false evidence from factual evidence, and fact-based statements from opinion-based statements. Informable is an innovative step toward building more responsive tools for real-world learning — expanding beyond the classroom by offering educational opportunities to the public.

Tell Me What Democracy Looks Like
2023-05-03 19:19 | Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, United States
Taking a cue from the popular protest call-and-response—”Show me what democracy looks like! This is what democracy looks like!”—this site explores what democracy looks like from the perspectives of five organizers working in today’s undocumented movement. Through their stories, these organizers invite us to look beyond the headlines and the issues often associated with undocumented immigrants, from DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) to the DREAMers. In the process, they stretch our imagination by offering fresh approaches to familiar topics such as community, citizenship, belonging, and even identity itself.

Listen to "Who's Fourth of July? African Americans and the Fourth of July"
2023-05-03 19:19 | Omohundro Institute / Ben Franklin’s World: A Podcast About Early American History, United States
Historians Dr. Martha S Jones and Dr. Christopher Bonner investigate with host Liz Covart what the Fourth of July meant for African Americans in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries on this podcast.

Highlights of the Emancipation and Juneteenth Collection
2023-05-03 19:19 | American Civil War Museum, United States
In honor of Juneteenth, here are a few documents in the American Civil War Museum’s collection associated with emancipation and its celebration, including an illustration from 1877.

The Trail to Indigenous People's Day
2023-05-03 19:19 | Humanities Truck, United States
Take a stroll with Indigenous protestors through this web exhibit highlighting the history of various demonstrations and walks for Native rights on Turtle Island. The exhibit also features short-form oral histories from Indigenous Peoples’ Day at Malcolm X Park (DC) (2020) and virtual self-directed recording and oral history opportunities for those who have participated in walks or protests for Native rights and sovereignty.

The Impact of Misinformation on American Democracy, Past and Present
2023-05-03 19:19 | Made By Us, United States
Join our expert panel as we examine the impact of fake news, misinformation and conspiracy theories on American democracy, past and present. Panel historians will look at instances of these phenomena to help us understand the challenges they present to our democracy both historically and today and what remedies we might pursue. Experts on child trafficking will contribute their expertise on how a specific conspiracy theory – like QAnon – is hijacking legitimate conversations in this critical policy area. Noted local journalists look at the impact of misinformation on the role of the media in American democracy.

Short History Videos about Rhode Island and its State House
2023-05-03 19:19 | Rhode Island Department of State, United States
Explore this playlist of short videos (most are less than 3 minutes) about RI and its State House. Learn about the signatures of 17th century Indigenous leaders, watch conservators put together a 250 year old copy of the Declaration of Independence, and learn about the RI State House.

The Boarding School, 5-minute short
2023-05-03 19:19 | Fourth Wall Films, United States
Three members of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska visit a U.S. Indian Boarding School in Genoa, Nebraska where their mother spent her childhood. They reflect on the effect the boarding school had on her and other Native American children who lost their language, culture and contact with their tribal elders.

Explore the "Reflecting Attucks" Virtual Exhibit
2023-05-03 19:19 | Revolutionary Spaces, Boston, MA, United States
Reflecting Attucks is a virtual exhibit that examines the memory of Crispus Attucks, a man of African & Native descent who was the first to die in the Boston Massacre, an event now regarded as the start of the American Revolution.

The Fire of a Movement: The Future of America's Past
2023-05-03 19:19 | New American History, United States
What lessons might we learn from the stories of the families of the victims, survivors, and witnesses of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire?
The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire prompted many legislative and workplace-related reforms that still help keep workers safe. But there is also the human side of the story which, like most tragedies, can often get lost in media coverage that follows political or social unrest. Instead, these stories are remembered by the friends and family of the victims and are an important part of history.

Monticello: An American Story
2023-05-03 19:19 | Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Monticello, United States
A panel discussion about the significance of Monticello as a touchstone for understanding Thomas Jefferson, slavery and the paradox of liberty on Monticello’s West Lawn. Panelists include: Tom Brokaw, NBC News Special Correspondent Rex M. Ellis, Associate Director, National Museum of African American History and Culture, and Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author.

School Interrupted: The Future of America's Past
2023-05-03 19:19 | New American History, United States
Teenagers have always played a role in shaping history – before there was Greta Thunberg or Zy Bryant, there was Barbara Johns. Visit this virtual tour of the Moton Museum and learn how a 15 year old girl led a student walkout before Rosa Parks gave up her seat on a bus, and helped change American education forever.

Safe/Haven: Gay Life in 1950s Cherry Grove
2023-05-03 19:19 | New-York Historical Society, United States
On view outdoors in New-York Historical’s rear courtyard, this exhibition explores the gay and lesbian community that flourished during the 1950s in Cherry Grove through some 70 enlarged photographs and additional ephemera from the unique holdings of the Cherry Grove Archives Collection.

On Juneteenth: Texas and Slavery, Podcast
2023-05-03 19:19 | Omohundro Institute/ Ben Franklin’s World Podcast, United States
On Juneteenth: Texas & Slavery investigates the early history of Texas and the state’s experience with slavery. Featuring a conversation Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, Annette Gordon-Reed, listeners will hear Reed’s take on her native state’s history with slavery and its creation and celebration of the Juneteenth holiday.

The History of the Nutcracker and Yellowface
2023-05-03 19:19 | Final Bow to Yellowface, United States
It’s time for us to replace caricature with character; it’s time for Yellowface in ballet to take a Final Bow! Explore the history of yellowface in the U.S. by taking an in-depth look at The Nutcracker ballet’s choreography, costuming & makeup.

Read About The 1701 Project
2023-05-03 19:19 | The Yale Historical Review, United States
The 1701 Project is a venture led by The Yale Historical Review (YHR) that analyzes our university’s and our nation’s racist histories. Although not affiliated with The 1619 Project, we draw inspiration from Nikole Hannah-Jones and her colleagues’ examination of slavery’s legacies in the New York Times. In June 2020, we launched an ongoing program at the YHR, providing a space for repressed narratives at Yale and beyond.

#BLKFREEDOM Juneteenth
2023-05-03 19:19 | #blkfreedom, United States
On this June 15th, 10 leading Black museums and historical institutions from coast to coast will join forces for BLKFREEDOM.org to commemorate Juneteenth, the day that the Emancipation Proclamation was officially enforced, ending enslavement in Texas. The annual collaboration has produced a film documenting the national exploration of the deep-rooted anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing” through the eyes of historic museums and anthropologists from across the United States. The film will premiere on June 15, 2021, at 12:00 PM EST/11:00 AM CST/ 9:00 AM/PST.
BLKFREEDOM.org is a combined effort between America’s Black Holocaust Museum (Milwaukee, WI), Amistad Research Center of Tulane University (New Orleans, Louisiana), AugustWilson African American Cultural Center (Pittsburg, PA), California African American Museum (Los Angeles, CA), Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History (Detroit, MI), Harvey Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture (Charlotte, NC), Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park (Hilton Head Island, SC), National Civil Rights Museum (Memphis TN), Northwest African American Museum (Seattle, WA), National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (Cincinnati, OH), the National Civil Rights Museum (Memphis, TN) this collaborative program will explore the meaning and relevance of “freedom”, “justice” and “democracy”. For more information about collaborative partners visit blkfreedom.org.

Suffrage in the South: 100 Years Later
2023-05-03 19:19 | Atlanta History Center, United States
This article examines how the 19th Amendment, which granted women suffrage, has evolved over the past 100 years.
