Library of Congress Publishes Two New Educational History Books

The Library of Congress, the world’s largest library, published two new books this month about some of the most influential parts of the history of the United States, as the nation’s 250th birthday approaches in July. 

The books, announced last week, are titled The American Revolution and Immigration and Migration in US History. 

They’re both part of the Library’s “Discover and Learn with the Library” series, an educational book series designed to make primary sources of different parts of history accessible to students and educators. Other titles include Invention and Innovation, which explores “a host of life-changing inventions over the centuries and the visionaries behind them,” and The Civil Rights Movement. 

“Published during the historic 250th anniversary year of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, both books provide timely resources to help both learners and educators explore the unparalleled collections of the Library of Congress to understand different aspects of U.S. history,” the Library wrote in a release announcing the books. 

The books are designed to give students primary sources, rather than secondary sources or historical analysis. “They include full-color facsimiles of primary sources along with source citations, information about the sources’ origins, teaching strategies and guides to additional online resources,” the Library stated.

The American Revolution, for example, includes an excerpt of a spy ring code book, an early version of the Bill of Rights, and a pay voucher for a Black soldier in the Continental Army. Immigration and Migration offers copies of classified advertisements seeking formerly enslaved family members after the Civil War and oral history interviews with immigrants in the early 20th century. 

“‘Discover and Learn with the Library’ reframes research as an engaging process that feeds curiosity, creativity, and change, while preparing students for the future by developing their critical thinking skills,” the American Library Association, which published the books jointly with the Library of Congress, said in a press release. “The goal of the series is to help educators identify the most compelling and relevant items for their students from the Library’s extensive collections, help them integrate primary source materials into their instruction, and provide them the flexibility to customize the materials to meet the unique needs of their students.”