history

history

Free at Last: A History of the Abolition of Slavery in America

Free at Last: A History of the Abolition of Slavery in America

“Free at Last: A History of the Abolition of Slavery in America” is an exhibit in the Art Gallery from March 2-30, hosted by the IU East Student Social Work Association (http://www.iue.edu/socialwork/club). When members of the SSWA asked us about resources related to this traveling exhibit, we were eager to provide supplemental content to extend the learning experience. This libguide http://iue.libguides.com/freeatlast features books, databases and other sources of interesting and reliable information.   The “Free at Last” exhibit presents letters, documents, cartoons, photographs and broadsides from the The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Prior to this traveling exhibit, these important documents were unavailable to the public nationally. Among the highlights are an early fragment of the “House Divided” speech … Continued
Civil War Resources

Civil War Resources

“It is well that war is so terrible, lest we should grow too fond of it.” -General Lee to General Longstreet “Although a soldier by profession, I have never felt any sort of fondness for war, and I have never advocated it, except as a means of peace.”  -Ulysses S. Grant A hundred and fifty years ago, on April 12, 1861, shots were fired on Ft. Sumter and four years of civil war began in the United States. The New York Times is publishing daily updates about what was happening a hundred and fifty years ago. The sesquicentennial provides an excellent opportunity to learn more about the American Civil War and there are a variety of resources available at the … Continued
Triangle Fire

Triangle Fire

This month marks the 100th Anniversary of one of the worst workplace disasters in American history.  On March 25, 1911, 146 factory workers were killed in a horrific fire in New York City’s Triangle Waistcoat Factory. Those who died were working at sewing machines on the 9th floor of the Asch Building. The Triangle Factory was one of the city’s most successful, but the workers, mostly young women, worked long hours in dangerous conditions. The fire began near closing time on a Saturday, sparked by a match or cigarette dropped into a basket of scraps. It spread quickly, giving the workers little time to respond.  A fire escape collapsed, a door was locked (a deterrent to worker’s leaving without being … Continued