Here is the original text from Venture Smith's narrative on how he purchased his own freedom and his families, and his life afterwards.

An interesting interview with Robyn Muncy, a Professor of History, about Addams and the philosophy of the women who started the Hull House.

A personal interview from someone who was actually there at the historic event can tell so much more than a history book. Read an interview with a citizen of East Germany at the time of the destruction of the Berlin Wall.

Col. David Hackworth, in an interview on PBS, relives the mindset of the leaders during the Vietnam effort. His accounts reference how the war of attrition affected the mentality of both those serving the US and those at home.

First shown at the 1937 International Exposition in Paris, Guernica stands today as a universal statement against the horror of modern warfare. The painting was the response of the Spanish-born artist Pablo Picasso to the bombing of Guernica, a small Basque town in northern Spain that was destroyed on April 26, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War.

Contains images of the original document and a transcript of the complete text of the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 in an easy to read format. Also contains a brief overview on the background behind this act.

Interactive image of Eli Whitney's plans for the cotton gin, accompanied by an explanation of the cotton gin's purpose and significance in relation to the Industrial Revolution.

Amidst tensions over European political and territorial boundaries, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian terrorist in 1914 derailed peace in the western world by sparking World War IåÑone of the highest-casualty conflicts in modern times. While European nations quickly engaged, the United States immediately declared neutrality. By 1917, however, remaining neutral was no longer an option. The Great War would bring the United States out of isolationism and onto the world stage. It would also change life on the American home front forever. A centralized government took control of American life in an unprecedented fashion by instating a mandatory military draft, controlling industries, initiating food and ration restrictions, and launching elaborate campaigns to encourage patriotism. One of the most important, if temporary, changes brought by the war at home came from the stifled flow of labor, as men were pulled away by the draft and immigration slowed. The need for American labor provided second-class citizens, such as women and African Americans, a brief opportunity for better jobs. This glimpse would help foment in them a desire for more and equal opportunities after they were pulled away once more at waråÕs end. This exhibition was created as part of the DPLAåÕs Public Library Partnerships Project by collaborators from Digital Commonwealth. Exhibition organizer: Anna Fahey-Flynn.

This collection uses primary sources to explore the politics of the Gilded Age. Digital Public Library of America Primary Source Sets are designed to help students develop their critical thinking skills and draw diverse material from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. Each set includes an overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide. These sets were created and reviewed by the teachers on the DPLA's Education Advisory Committee.

A nice site about the Pendleton Act allows you to view a large image of the actual document itself, gives the transcript to the document, and provides background information about the Act.

A collection of photographs, posters, newspaper clippings, and other documents telling the stories of American civilians and military personnel during World War II.

Maps from all over the world can be printed from this site. Find historical maps of the world; thematic maps; and world, continent, country, state, and county maps for your use.

This collection contains more than 250,000 maps covering all areas of the world, and ranging from political and shaded relief maps to the detailed and the historical. Select from a region of the world or an area of highlighted interest.

This collection uses primary sources to explore perspectives on the French and Indian War. Digital Public Library of America Primary Source Sets are designed to help students develop their critical thinking skills and draw diverse material from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. Each set includes an overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide. These sets were created and reviewed by the teachers on the DPLA's Education Advisory Committee.

[Free Registration/Login Required] Several photographs of the events that occurred in Pearl Harbor in 1941 give a visual account of the attack to pair with the facts of the day.

Captivating audiovisual look at the role African Americans played during World War II.

Black and white reproductions from famous paintings by the National Archives and Records Administration. There are paintings of battle scenes, famous participants, traitors and even a perspective from the British point of view.

At this site download and read Pierre Curies Nobel Lecture, "Radioactive substance, especially radium" (in pdf format).

The original text of a plan presented by Charles Pinckney to The Second Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787.

Find a copy of the Platt Amendment, written out in beautiful handwriting, which can be enlarged for easier viewing. In addiiton is a transcription of this document, and information about it. This was a document signed with Cuba after the end of the Spanish-American War which strove to protect the independence of Cuba. It also allowed the United States to lease Guantanamo Bay.