Title: A Man's Life: An Autobiography
GLC09927
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If you don’t see the full story below, click here (PDF) or click here (Google Docs) to read it—free!
If you don’t see the full story below, click here (PDF) or click here (Google Docs) to read it—free!
If you don’t see the full story below, click here (PDF) or click here (Google Docs) to read it—free!
If you don’t see the full story below, click here (PDF) or click here (Google Docs) to read it—free!
If you don’t see the full story below, click here (PDF) or click here (Google Docs) to read it—free!
If you don’t see the full story below, click here (PDF) or click here (Google Docs) to read it—free!
If you don’t see the full story below, click here (PDF) or click here (Google Docs) to read it—free!
Sometimes documents leave us with more questions than answers. That is definitely true for this letter of October 8, 1859, from an unidentified man to his mother—both of whom appear to be slaves! First page of a letter from an unidentified slave to his mother, October 8, 1859 First page of a letter from an unidentified slave to his mother, October 8, 1859. (The Gilder Lehrman Collection) The author refers twice to having a master: "There is a young lady here that I am very much taken with and I think that my Master will buy her and take her out with us." "I went to Mrs. Bailys expecting to…
These miniature portraits of Jane and Franklin Pierce, attributed to artist Moses B. Russell, were painted shortly after the couple was married in 1834. Measuring only 4 ¼ inches tall by 3 ½ inches wide, the paintings have gilt-metal frames and are set in a fitted leather case.They were meant to be carried. Miniature portrait of Franklin Pierce, attributed to Moses B. Russell, circa 1835. Miniature portrait of Franklin Pierce, attributed to Moses B. Russell, circa 1835. Miniature portrait of Jane Pierce, attributed to Moses B. Russell, circa 1835. Miniature portrait of Jane Pierce, attributed…
Between battles, marches, and military exercises, Civil War soldiers spent their free time in camp playing music, writing and reading letters, and, for those with the skill, sketching scenes from the day. This unknown soldier’s sketchbook from 1863, "A Few Scenes in the life of A ‘SOJER’ in the Mass 44th," recounts the adventures of a soldier named "Gorge," or "George." We do not know if George is a fictional character or loosely autobiographical. The sketchbook follows the movements of the 44th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry in New Bern, North Carolina. The cartoon sketches satirize the…
In the fall of 1941 Thomas Barwiss Hagstoz Askin Jr. was on board USS Memphis counting down the days until his enlistment in the United States Navy ended. He recorded his experience in a diary he entitled "Memorys and Incidents of My Last 60 (?) Days in the United States Navy." Thomas Barwiss Hagstoz Askin Jr.'s diary, page 1. (The Gilder Lehrman Collection) Askin had joined the Navy in March 1938, at the age of 17, and was set to be discharged on October 13, 1941, one day before his 21st birthday. Unfortunately, his ship was at sea at the time. His disappointment and dejection when he…
After his escape from slavery in 1838, Frederick Douglass became a well-known orator and abolitionist. In 1845, he wrote an autobiography that increased his influence, but also increased the chances that he would be captured and returned to slavery. Seeking refuge, Douglass went on a speaking tour of Ireland and England to remove himself from immediate danger. In 1846, Anna and Henry Richardson and other English supporters gathered funds and made arrangements to purchase Douglass’s freedom. On October 6, 1846, Hugh Auld agreed to "take 150 £ sterling for the manumassion [sic] of my slave…
When World War I ended, President Woodrow Wilson attended the Paris Peace Conference, where the Allied nations met to write the Treaty of Versailles . In September 1919, President Woodrow Wilson embarked on a speaking tour of US cities to gain support for the treaty and the League of Nations, which Americans were reluctant to join. Traveling with the President was Dr. Cary Grayson, Wilson’s personal physician and friend. Grayson kept a diary of the trip and included notes on Wilson’s health. On September 26, on a train bound for Wichita, Kansas, Grayson was woken up to attend to Wilson:…
Explore in depth Paul Revere’s 1770 print "Brittish Ships of War Landing Their Troops, 1768" and check out Paul Revere’s related propaganda print of the Boston Massacre .
View the full Battle of the Thames document and read an essay on the Battle for Baltimore during the War of 1812 .
View Columbus’s letter , read an excerpt , or view a depiction of his landing .
There’s just one month left until the next test date for the SAT Subject Test in US History on November 7, 2015. Sure, this test is no APUSH , but the 95 multiple-choice questions in just 60 minutes require a familiarity with a wide swath of American history. Quick—can you name at least one Transcendentalist? Why should you "remember the Maine "? Which came first, Progressivism or Populism? If some of these answers aren’t coming to you right away, don’t panic. Take a deep dive into our SAT Test Guide's videos , timelines , reference cards , and quizzes. You’ve got a month —start now and you…
On Monday, October 12, many Americans had the day off and stores hosted sales under the name of that 15th-century Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus. But Columbus’s impact on our world reaches past a 3-day weekend and great deals at department stores . The Columbian Exchange refers to the flow of goods between the Americas, Europe, and Africa that followed Columbus’s widely advertised "discovery" of the New World. People, animals, plants, and diseases passed from continent to continent . . . and nothing would ever be the same. Click to explore the Columbian Exchange Click to explore the…
The Lincolns’ dog Fido, 1865 (Gilder Lehrman Collection) The Lincolns’ dog Fido, 1865 (Gilder Lehrman Collection) Ever wonder why the name "Fido" has become synonymous with dogs? It all goes back to a very special dog belonging to Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln always had a fondness for animals, and it has been speculated that he relied on his pets to help get him through periodic bouts of depression . The name Fido came from the Latin word "fidelity" and suited Lincoln’s favorite dog perfectly. A short-haired yellow dog of mixed breed, Fido was a mangy but lovable mutt who followed Lincoln…
On October 27, 1904, New York City was forever changed. Nine miles of what one day would become 137 miles of subway track were ready for travel. Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum. After months of construction and a few iffy test rides, the IRT (Interborough Rapid Transit) subway line began offering full service at 5 cents a ride. The IRT line ran from City Hall to 145th Street, boasting that it could take customers from "City Hall to Harlem in 15 Minutes." The mayor of New York City, George B. McClellan, was given the honorary duty of starting the first train as it departed from City…
Mary Winsor in 1917, Winsor was sentenced to 60 days at Occoquan Workhouse for picketing. (Library of Congress) Mary Winsor in 1917, Winsor was sentenced to 60 days at Occoquan Workhouse for picketing. (Library of Congress) Meryl Streep’s new bio-pic, Suffragette , chronicles the adventuresome lives of the British women’s rights advocate Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters. Tired of waiting for equality, the Pankhurts’ Women’s Social and Political Union favored direct action over lobbying and legislating. Suffragettes (not suffragists) picketed, staged protests, chained themselves to…
Read an excerpt of John R. Chapin's eyewitness account of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 .
Alexander Hamilton (based on painting by Alonzo Chappel) (Gilder Lehrman Collection) Alexander Hamilton (based on a painting by Alonzo Chappel) (Gilder Lehrman Collection) In 1769, Alexander Hamilton, an ambitious young clerk in St. Croix, wrote to a friend that "I . . . would willingly risk my life, tho not my Character, to exalt my station. . . . I wish there was a war." Seven years later, he was a soldier in the American Revolution and soon came to the attention of George Washington. Although Hamilton gained a position of respect as Washington’s aide-de-camp, he never lost his conviction…
View the account of the 1793 yellow fever outbreak in Philadelphia or read the transcript .
Do you want to make a great interactive timeline that incorporates images, text, audio, and video? TimelineJS is a great free tool to explore. View this tutorial as a printable PDF. If you need more help, or if you'd like to explore more digital tools, check out our digital literacy toolbox .