“Boston Five” Letter

Today we highlight a document brand new to DocsTeach. We added this 1968 letter from an attorney condemning the conviction of the “Boston Five" just this morning! Teachers at the National Archives at Boston who are participating in Primarily Teaching 2013 this week have been identifying primary source documents related to draft resistance during the Vietnam War. … Continue reading “Boston Five” Letter

Recruitment Poster for the Union Army

Today we spotlight one of the most requested documents on DocsTeach, our online tool for teaching with documents. It's a Civil War recruitment poster titled "To Colored Men!" After President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, the U.S. Army began recruiting black men in earnest to fight for the Union Army. … Continue reading Recruitment Poster for the Union Army

A Baseball Patent

This is the patent application for an improvement in baseballs, from Benjamin Shibe of Bala, Pennsylvania. Benjamin F. Shibe, one of the original owners of the Philadelphia Athletics and for whom Shibe Park in Philadelphia was named, patented a cork-centered baseball on June 15, 1909. Use of this ball in all 1911 games led to … Continue reading A Baseball Patent

The Declaration of Independence

In celebration of our nation declaring its independence 237 years ago, today's spotlight is—of course—on the Declaration of Independence. The National Archives is its permanent home. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in which the American colonies set forth a list of grievances against the British Crown and declared they … Continue reading The Declaration of Independence