Keeping It Brief!

News and information from the Dickinson Law Library

You are here: Home / Archives for Library of Congress

Black History Month: Firsts In Their Field

by

February is Black History Month. In honor of this occasion, the Law Library has published a blog each week highlighting resources that focus on African American leaders in their law-related fields: Civil Rights Activists; Justices & Judges; Government Officials; and, Firsts in Their Field.

This last entry of the series, Firsts in Their Field, explores resources that celebrate the accomplishments of African Americans who pioneered success in their career field.  The featured databases from government websites such as the Library of Congress and the National Archives provide excellent historical materials and documentation of the African American experience. The list of Firsts that follows highlights notable pioneers in the fields of law, government, and librarianship.

Featured Databases:

African American History Month: Selected Exhibits and Collections
Hosted by the Library of Congress, and in partnership with the National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, this site provides links to exhibits and collections on topics such as civil rights, slavery and emancipation, culture, education, and more.  Collections included are The Abraham Lincoln Papers; The Civil Rights History Project; The Papers of Rosa Parks; Slaves and the Courts, 1740-1860; and the William A. Gladstone Afro-American Military Collection.


The holdings of the National Archives at Atlanta include a wealth of records related to the long struggle for Civil Rights as it played out in the federal government. From Civil War interment reports to court cases enforcing the 15th Amendment in 1871 to the records of the establishment of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday in the 1980s and 1990s, these unique and diverse holdings span more than a century of American history.

African American Research
Also from the National Archives, this site provides a wealth of material documenting the African American experience, and highlights these resources online, in programs, and through traditional and social media.  Resources include featured blogs, images, exhibits, videos, and collections.

African American Firsts in Their Field:

Macon B. Allen Admitted to the Bar 1845
Hiram Revels U.S. Senator, Mississippi 1870-1871
Edward Christopher (E.C.) Williams Professional librarian 1892-1929
Clarence Muse To matriculate at The Dickinson School of Law 1908
William Henry Hastie Federal Judge 1937-1939
Constance Baker Motley Female Federal Judge 1966-2005
Thurgood Marshall U.S. Supreme Court Justice 1967-1991
Shirley Chisholm Female in Congress, U.S. Representative, New York 1969-1983
Female and African American to seek the nomination for U.S. President from one of the two major political parties 1972
Andrew Young U.S. Representative to the UN 1977-1979
L. Douglas Wilder U.S. Governor (elected), Virginia 1990-1994
Carol Mosely Braun Female U.S. Senator, Illinois 1992-1998
Colin Powell Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 1989-1993
U.S. Secretary of State 2001-2004
Condoleeza Rice Female U.S. Secretary of State 2005-2009
Barack Obama Major party nominee for U.S. President 2008
U.S. President 2009-2016
Loretta E. Lynch Female U.S. Attorney General 2015-2017
Carla Hayden Female and African American Librarian of Congress 2016-

Sources: BlackPast.org, Black History Month 2014: 101 African American Firsts ; loc.gov, Library of Congress Magazine ; infoplease.com, Famous Firsts by African Americans

Bill of Rights Day

by

Bill of Rights

Bill of Rights

 

“The Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.” – Preamble to the Bill of Rights

(A full transcription of the Bill of Rights can be found on the National Archives website.)

One hundred and fifty years later, on November 27, 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a presidential proclamation designating December 15th as Bill of Rights Day. Seventy-five years later, this year marks the 225th anniversary of the signing of the Bill of Rights.

Roosevelt wrote: “It is fitting that the anniversary of its adoption should be remembered by the Nation which, for one hundred and fifty years, has enjoyed the immeasurable privileges which that charter guaranteed: the privileges of freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and the free right to petition the Government for redress of grievances.

It is especially fitting that this anniversary should be remembered and observed by those institutions of a democratic people which owe their very existence to the guarantees of the Bill of Rights: the free schools, the free churches, the labor unions, the religious and educational and civic organizations of all kinds which, without the guarantee of the Bill of Rights, could never have existed; which sicken and disappear whenever, in any country, these rights are curtailed or withdrawn.”

A discussion of the signing of the United States Constitution, as well as information about the storage and travels of the Constitution, can be found on the website for the National Archives.

  • Did you know that the Constitution, unlike the Declaration of Independence, is in excellent physical condition?
  • Did you know the Constitution was stored at Fort Knox during World War II?
  • Did you know that the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are stored in helium-filled cases?

GPO Launches govinfo

by

fdlpgraphicFDLP News Release: The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) launches govinfo and ushers in a new, dynamic way for the public to discover and access Government information on the three branches of the Federal Government. Govinfo is a user-friendly, modernized site that provides an easy to use navigation system accessible on smartphones, tablets, laptops and personal computers. GPO receives information from Federal agencies and organizations in all three branches of the Government. Its content feeds The Library of Congress’ www.congress.gov and the Federal Register site. Currently in beta, govinfo will replace GPO’s Federal Digital System (FDsys) in 2017.

There are more than 1.5 million titles available on govinfo, with more added daily. Collections on govinfo include:

  • The Congressional Record
  • Federal Register
  • Congressional Calendars, Hearings, Reports
  • Bills
  • The U.S. Code
  • Code of Federal Regulations
  • U.S. Courts Opinions
  • The Federal Budget

Some key features on govinfo:

  • Mobile-friendly optimized for screen size
  • An ABC list of collections
  • Quick Links to popular publications
  • Related Documents
  • Shareable social media content

GPO is the Federal Government’s official, digital, secure resource for producing, procuring, cataloging, indexing, authenticating, disseminating, and preserving the official information products of the U.S. Government. The GPO is responsible for the production and distribution of information products and services for all three branches of the Federal Government, including U.S. passports for the Department of State as well as the official publications of Congress, the White House, and other Federal agencies in digital and print formats. GPO provides for permanent public access to Federal Government information at no charge through govinfo, partnerships with approximately 1,200 libraries nationwide participating in the Federal Depository Library Program, and our secure online bookstore. For more information, please visit www.gpo.gov.

Dickinson Law has been part of the depository program since 1979. Learn more from our United States Government Documents research guide.

 

Skip to toolbar