On Tuesday, November 8, 1864, voters in 25 states--including Kansas, West Virginia, and Nevada for the first time--cast their ballots for president of the United States; voters in the 11 states that had seceded did not participate. Incumbent Abraham Lincoln ran as the Republican nominee (called the National Union Party in the 1864 election), and…

On Monday, September 17, 1787, 39 delegates to the Federal Convention in Philadelphia signed the Constitution of the United States, along with Major William Jackson, who had served as the secretary of the Convention. That same day, Jackson received instructions to leave for New York City on Tuesday and carry the document to Congress. All of these…

On July 23, 1787, delegates at the Constitutional Convention established a Committee of Detail to prepare a report and a printed draft of a Constitution "conformable to the proceedings of the convention." Two weeks later, the committee submitted a printed rough draft to the delegates for their consideration. In this first draft, the Preamble began…

The backside of a historical document can reveal interesting details about the document's history as an artifact. The details might relate directly to the document's travels, its owners, or handlers; or they might offer clues to the economic, social, and political conditions at the time of the document's creation. The back of a historical document…

Focuses on a telegram sent from Hanoi, Vietnam, by Ho Chi Minh through the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) station in Kunming, China, to President Truman in which Ho asked for support of Vietnam's independence from France. Provides background information, a reproduction of the telegram, and ideas for teaching activities. (CMK)

Provides historical background on how President Richard Nixon selected someone as vice president after Spiro T. Agnew resigned due to criminal charges. Provides background information on his choice, Gerald Ford, and discusses the process of how Ford officially became vice president. Includes a document from the Nixon Presidential Materials…