Tagged History
19th Century True Crime at the Free Library
From classics like In Cold Blood and Helter Skelter to recent bestsellers like In Light of All Darkness and If You Tell , readers love true crime. In addition to generating chills and thrills, a good true crime account sheds light on…
Collection Spotlight: Highlights from the Negro Leagues
Baseball: for over a century, the game has been known as "America’s favorite pastime." During the early parts of the 20th century, tuning in to a baseball game on the radio after a long day at work became a…
Teen Reads for Women's History Month
March is Women's History Month! Did you know that Women’s History Month has its roots in the struggle for workers’ rights? In 1908, women garment workers protested the poor working conditions inside factories. This…
It's Women's History Month in March!
Happy Women’s History Month , Philadelphia! What began as a local educational initiative in Sonoma, California 46 years ago, has evolved into a month-long celebration "commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and…
Japanese Ukiyo-E Prints in the Print and Picture Collection
I’ve been working in the Print and Picture Collection at Parkway Central Library for about a year now and I’ve still barely scratched the surface of learning about all of the art housed here. One of the first projects I was…
African American History in the Fleisher Collection
Lately, there has been a resurgence of interest in African Americans' contributions to the classical music genre. Boston Conservatory is set to have a Florence Price Birthday Celebration Concert ; the film Chevalier (released…
Collection Spotlight: A Visual History of Reconstruction
In celebration of Black History Month, the Free Library's Social Science and History Department is displaying books from the collection that tell a visual history of Reconstruction — the period from 1865 to 1877 that saw some…
Pam's Picks: Favorite Books of Legendary Actress Pam Grier
It’s the 50 Anniversary of the blaxploitation film Foxy Brown starring Pam Grier . The film is credited for revolutionizing the way women were portrayed in cinema. To celebrate this milestone, the legendary actress did a special…
Advancing African-American Education: The Helen Adele Whiting Collection
Helen Adele Johnson Whiting (1885 – 1959) was a trailblazer in the education of African-American students, particularly those in rural areas of the South. Her education from Columbia University, Howard University, and several…
“Making Shakespeare: The First Folio” - Featuring a Cherished Free Library Artifact
The Free Library of Philadelphia is the proud custodian of an astounding literary artifact in our Rare Book Department : a copy of Shakespeare's First Folio that belonged to English poet and intellectual John Milton…
Special Lecture Series: Orson Welles & The Golden Age of Hollywood
Beginning Wednesday, April 12, 2023, the Free Library of Philadelphia launches a unique seven-part series of live evening events exploring the life and career of George Orson Welles , one of the most remarkable producer/director/actors…
50 Years of Hip Hop: Books Authored by the Artists
In 2023, the Free Library is observing the 50th anniversary of hip hop with a limited-edition library card design commissioned by local artist Akinseye Brown . In honor of this milestone, here are…
Sugar Don’t Go on Grits: An Archival Look at the Great Migration’s Effect on How We Eat
I am a Black woman living, thriving, and loving in Philadelphia. How we prepare our food has a history, and that history is often long and can be challenging to decipher. We live in a world where food often loses its place of origin.…
50 Years of Hip Hop: Essential Reading in Genre History
This summer, the Free Library is observing the 50th anniversary of hip hop with a limited-edition library card design commissioned by local artist Akinseye Brown . In honor of this milestone, here are 15 must-reads from the…
Honoring Juneteenth at the Free Library
Honor Juneteenth with the Free Library of Philadelphia! This year, we celebrate Juneteenth for the third time as a federal holiday, but it has been an important celebration for nearly 200 years! Juneteenth is the oldest known…
The Free Library Observes the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop
Hip hop's 50th anniversary represents a milestone for an American genre of music and art that began in the 1970s at block parties in New York City — specifically the Bronx. Born out of the intersecting communities of the…
Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage in the Fleisher Collection
The Edwin A. Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music at the Free Library of Philadelphia offers a closing theme as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month comes to an end for 2023. As we share a sampling of the rich cultural…
Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month this May
Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month this May! Also sometimes known as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, it first began during the 1970s with a week-long celebration, and eventually got extended into…
Honoring Jewish American Heritage Month
Did you know that in 1654, 23 Jewish refugees sailed to the port of New Amsterdam (presently New York City) and established the first Jewish community in what we now call the United States? It has been nearly 400 years since this…
Profiles in Literature
The Free Library of Philadelphia has some wonderful resources for people researching the history of children's literature in America. With just a library card , several databases are available to help you learn more about the…
Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Rare Book Department: The Judaica Collection.
Come and explore the Rare Book Department's small but signifcant Judaica Collection. Highlights of the collection will include a manusucript written in the beginning of the Spanish Inquisition, as well as…
For The Love of Hip Hop Exhibit
In collaboration with artist rod jones ii, this exhibition celebrates 50 years of hip hop and brings together Free Library staff and community members to answer the question, “When did you fall in love with Hip Hop?” …
We Are What We Eat: An Exhibition from Special Collections
The Free Library’s exhibition, We Are What We Eat , explores the intersection of food, community, and identity. With recipes and cooking techniques passed down through generations, culinary heritage helps preserve flavors and…
We Are What We Eat: Curator-Led Exhibition Tour
The Free Library’s newest exhibition, We Are What We Eat, explores the intersection of food, community, and identity. With recipes and cooking techniques passed down through generations, culinary heritage helps preserve flavors…
The Library of the Wizard Earl - Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Rare Book Department
A storied English aristocratic family, living in a palatial home that was once an abbey, struggles to maintain their household in the face of 20th century financial realities. On April 23rd and 24th 1928, this PBS plotline unfolded in…
"The Automat" Film Screening and Filmmaker Q&A
Join us for a screening of The Automat followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker, Lisa Hurwitz. Featuring photographs from the Free Library of Philadelphia's Print and Picture Collection and filmed locally, The…
Sugar Don't Go On Grits: An Archival Look at The Great Migration's Effect on How We Eat
How Black is sweet cornbread? Do WE put marshmallows on sweet potato casserole? Sugar Don't Go On Grits: An Archival Look at The Great Migration's Effect on How We Eat will be a conversational space dedicated to retracing…
Spies of the Revolution
The Museum of the American Revolution presents Revolution at the Library! In this super-secret meeting, join museum staff as we learn about the spies of the Revolution! From shopkeepers and mystery women to enslaved men who served as…
We Are What We Eat: Curator-Led Exhibition Tour
The Free Library’s newest exhibition, We Are What We Eat, explores the intersection of food, community, and identity. With recipes and cooking techniques passed down through generations, culinary heritage helps preserve flavors…
Under the Museum
The Museum of the American Revolution presents Revolution at the Library! Under the Museum. Do you love history? So do we! Go behind the scenes with museum staff to discover cool artifacts from the past, and hear the…
Ari Berman | Minority Rule: The Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People―and the Fight to Resist It
REGISTER In conversation with Neil Makhija The national voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones and a reporting fellow at Type Media Center, Ari Berman is the author of Give Us the Ballot: The Modern…
Courageous Kids: Wilma Exhibit
In partnership with Philadelphia Doll Museum Forward , we now have on display Wilma alongside related library materials and activities. Wilma was made to honor four brave Black girls named Ruby Bridges, Leona Tate, Gail Etienne…
Military History Club: Military Flashpoints - Russia and NATO
Join our monthly discussion group! We are beginning a discussion series centered on the possible military flashpoints that may lead to conflict and war. This month's discussion will center on Russia and NATO. Group meets 11 AM to…
Juneteenth 365 Flag-Making
Learn about Juneteenth, Independence Day, and how it affected African Americans in Philadelphia. Learn about the symbolism of the Juneteenth Flag and other flags of liberation. Create your own real fabric flag with your own symbols.…
Samuel R. Delany | Pride Month: How Science Fiction Dances to the Music of Time
“A visionary novelist & a revolutionary chronicler of gay life” ( The New Yorker ), Samuel R. Delany speaks with Music Department library trainee & Hollywood indie film composer Mark Inchoco on the intersections…
Caring for Your Family Recipes
Have an old recipe book or recipe cards that you want to preserve? Join Maddie Cooper, Preventative Conservator, and Katie Lowe, Preservation Specialist from the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) as they give…
Taste of African Heritage Cooking Class
Let's chat, learn about nutrition, and taste traditional African dishes together! This program is presented by African Heritage and Health: An Oldways Program from Einstein and Jefferson's A Better Start F.U.N.…
Juneteenth with Thembi
Experience interactive storytelling with Read | Move | Play, where children engage with imaginative adventures through puppets, songs, playful activities, and exercise. Explore, connect, and discover with child-led exploratory play,…
Historic Bella Vista Walking Tour
Bella Vista is home to 16 buildings on the Philadelphia Historical Commission register. Join us for a free 1-hour walking tour of our neighborhood, led by BVNA Historic Preservation Committee members. Stops include St. Mary…
Madan Sara: a documentary by Etant Dupain
Join us for a film screening on the 3rd floor of the Fishtown Library on Saturday, June 8, at 2:00pm. The women known as Madan Sara in Haiti work tirelessly to buy, distribute, and sell food and other essentials in markets through the…
Alice Dunbar-Nelson
Free Library resources in support of the Rosenbach's Digital Exhibition: "I Am an American!" The Authorship and Activism of Alice Dunbar-Nelson
Freedom Train - Adults
Supplemental adult reading suggestions for the Rosenbach's Freedom Train exhibition, running July 1st, 2016 through November 1st, 2016.
Freedom Train - Teens
Supplemental teen reading suggestions for the Rosenbach's Freedom Train exhibition, running July 1st, 2016 through November 1st, 2016.
Freedom Train - Children
Supplemental children's reading suggestions for the Rosenbach's Freedom Train exhibition, running July 1st, 2016 through November 1st, 2016.
Presidents of the United States
Under the United States Constitution, the President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States. As chief of the executive branch and face of the federal government as a whole, the presidency is…
Asians American History, Cultural Traditions, and Celebrations
History of different Asian ethnic groups in America and background on Asian cultural traditions and holidays.
U.S. Elections and Politics
This list offers a comprehensive exploration of the intricate world of American elections and politics. Covering a wide range of topics, from historical perspectives to contemporary issues, these titles provide valuable insights into the…
U.S. Congressional Serial Set (1817-1980)
The bound, sequentially numbered volumes of all the Reports, Documents, and Journals of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives constitutes a rich source of primary source material on all aspects of American history. Upon…
Slavery in America and the World: History, Culture, and Law
This HeinOnline collection brings together a multitude of essential legal materials on slavery in the U.S. and the English-speaking world. It includes nearly 2,000 titles, with every statute passed by every colony and state on slavery,…
Philadelphia Tribune (1912-2001)
Full access to the oldest continuously published daily Black newspaper in the United States.
Philadelphia Evening Telegraph
Philadelphia Evening Telegraph was a daily afternoon newspaper started on January 4, 1864. Search, browse, and read it online here.
Historical Newspapers - Black Newspapers
Primary source material from ten historic Black newspapers, including the Chicago Defender, The Baltimore Afro-American, New York Amsterdam News, Pittsburgh Courier, Los Angeles Sentinel, Atlanta Daily World, and the Cleveland Call and Post
Gun Regulation and Legislation in America
This new HeinOnline collection brings together more than 550 titles dealing with this difficult and important topic. Included are periodicals, key compiled federal legislative histories, relevant congressional hearings, CRS Reports,…
Gale OneFile | High School Edition (formerly InfoTrac Student Edition) *
High school students will have access to age-appropriate content from magazines, journals, newspapers, reference books, and engaging multi-media covering a wide range of subjects, from science, history, and literature to political…
Gale In Context: U.S. History
Covers themes, events, individuals and periods in U.S. history from pre-colonial times to the present. The material also includes access to the citations for over 180 additional history journals from the Institute for Scientific…
Gale in Context | Middle School (formerly Research in Context) *
Discover reliable and trusted information on a variety of topics to support middle school student research for government, U.S and world history, geography, literature, sciences, and social issues. Research In Context offers…
Early American Imprints, Series II: Shaw-Shoemaker (1801-1819)
Covering every aspect of American life during the early decades of the United States, this rich primary source collection provides full-text access to the 36,000 American books, pamphlets and broadsides published in the first nineteen…
Early American Imprints, Series I: Evans (1639-1800)
Based on the renowned American Bibliography by Charles Evans. The definitive resource for every aspect of life in 17th- and 18th-century America, from agriculture and auctions through foreign affairs, diplomacy, literature, music,…
Archive of Americana
Search or browse the books, pamphlets, and other imprints listed in the renowned bibliography by Charles Evans, including publications unavailable earlier. Search or browse the books, pamphlets, broadsides and other imprints listed in…
Frank Bruni | The Age of Grievance
In conversation with Karen Heller, former national features writer and current contributor for The Washington Post, formerly a metro and features columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and a finalist for the 2001 Pulitzer Prize in…
Erik Larson | The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War
In conversation with award winning broadcaster and journalist, Tracey Matisak. “America’s most compelling popular historian” (The Christian Science Monitor) , Erik Larson is the bestselling author of eight critically acclaimed books,…
Karen Valby | The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History
Featuring: Lydia Abarça, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells, Karlya Shelton, and Khadija Tariyan (daughter of Gayle McKinney Griffith) In conversation with Shelly Power, The Dr. Carolyn Newsom Executive Director, Philadelphia Ballet Karen Valby…
Bakari Sellers | The Moment: Thoughts on the Race Reckoning That Wasn't and How We All Can Move Forward Now
In 2006, Bakari Sellers defeated a twenty-six-year incumbent State Representative to become the youngest member of the South Carolina state legislature and the youngest African American elected official in the nation. The state’s 2014…
David E. Sanger | New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West
In conversation with Robert E. Hamilton, Head of Eurasia Research - Eurasia Program, Foreign Policy Research Institute Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Endowed Lecture The White House and national security correspondent for The New York…
Dennis Yi Tenen | Literary Theory for Robots: How Computers Learned to Write
Dennis Yi Tenen is an associate professor of English at Columbia University, where he also serves as co-director of the Center for Comparative Media. Affiliated with Columbia’s Data Science Institute, he is a former fellow at the…
Tricia Rose | Metaracism: How Systemic Racism Devastates Black Lives—and How We Break Free
In conversation with award-winning journalist and broadcaster Tracey Matisak Acclaimed for her study of the intersections of pop music, contemporary Black U.S. culture, and sex and gender, sociologist Tricia Rose is the author of…
Fareed Zakaria | Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present
Pine Tree Foundation Endowed Lecture Fareed Zakaria is the host of CNN’s flagship domestic and international affairs program Fareed Zakaria GPS , which has aired around the world since its debut in 2008. Also a weekly columnist for…
Astra Taylor and Leah Hunt-Hendrix | Solidarity: The Past, Present, and Future of a World-Changing Idea
In conversation with author and Pennsylvania State Senator, Nikil Saval In Solidarity , Astra Taylor and Leah Hunt-Hendrix offer a comprehensive look at not just the popular and ethereal idea of solidarity, but how it can be used by…
Hamilton Nolan | The Hammer: Power, Inequality, and the Struggle for the Soul of Labor
In conversation with Kim Kelly A labor journalist who regularly contributes to In These Times magazine and The Guardian, Hamilton Nolan has written about inequality, politics, and class war for The New York Times, The Washington…
Marie Arana | Latinoland: A Portrait of America’s Largest and Least Understood Minority
In conversation with Elisabeth Perez-Luna, contributor to The Philadelphia Inquirer and former Executive Producer of Audio Content at WHYY The inaugural Literary Director of the Library of Congress, Marie Arana is the author of the…
Barbara McQuade | Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America
In conversation with Ali Velshi Barbara McQuade is a legal expert for MSNBC and NBC News , and a co-host of the podcast #SistersInLaw . She teaches courses in criminal law, criminal procedure, national security, and data privacy at…
Calvin Trillin | The Lede: Dispatches from a Life in the Press
In conversation with Bill Marimow “Perhaps the finest reporter in America” ( The Miami Herald ), Calvin Trillin has written more than 400 nonfiction and comic articles for The New Yorker since 1963. His book include U.S. Journal …
Grace Lin | Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite American Chinese Foods
In conversation with Ellen Yin A New York Times bestselling children’s author and illustrator, Grace Lin earned the Newbery Honor for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon , the Theodor Geisel Honor for Ling and Ting , and the…
Benjamin Herold | Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling of America's Suburbs
In conversation with Kristen Graham, education reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer Public education reporter Benjamin Herold ’s stories, features, and investigative exposés have appeared in Education Week, PBS NewsHour, The…
Jonathan Karl | Tired of Winning: Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party
In conversation with Tamala Edwards, anchor, 6abc Action News morning edition Jonathan Karl is the author of the instant New York Times bestsellers Front Row at the Trump Show and Betrayal , behind-the-scenes accounts of Donald Trump…
Kimberlé Crenshaw | #SayHerName: Black Women’s Stories of Police Violence and Public Silence
In conversation with Dorothy Roberts One of the country’s foremost authorities in civil rights, Black feminist legal theory, race, and the law, Kimberlé Crenshaw is a law professor at UCLA and Columbia Law School, where in 1996 she…
Tanisha Ford | Our Secret Society: Mollie Moon and the Glamour, Money, and Power Behind the Civil Rights Movement
In conversation with Marc Lamont Hill Tanisha Ford ’s Our Secret Society is a biography of Mollie Moon, the socialite, powerbroker, and founder of the National Urban League Guild, who was a key fundraiser for the Civil Rights Movement.…
Joseph Sassoon | The Sassoons: The Great Global Merchants and the Making of an Empire
Watch the video here . “A marvelous epitaph to a monumental family, makers of several worlds and keepers of none” ( The Wall Street Journal ), Joseph Sassoon ’s eponymous historical volume The Sassoons charts the remarkable 19th-century…
Rachel Maddow | Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism
In conversation with Julian E. Zelizer Rachel Maddow is host of the Emmy Award–winning The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC, as well as the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Drift and Blowout , and the New York Times…
What Was on the Menu at the First Thanksgiving?
Traditional Thanksgiving dinner includes turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes but the First Thanksgiving likely included wildfowl, corn, porridge and venison.
The Story of America’s Freedom Trains
In-depth history and information about America’s Freedom Trains.
National Parks Center – Valley Forge
Valley Forge was the site of the 1777-1778 winter encampment of the Continental Army. The park commemorates the sacrifices and perseverance of the Revolutionary War generation and honors the ability of citizens to pull together and…
National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center is the first and only institution in America established by Congress to “disseminate information about the United States Constitution on a non-partisan basis in order to increase the awareness and…
American Anti-Slavery and Civil Rights Timeline
This timeline was prepared for NHD Philly!, the regional National History Day program for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is a collaboration of more than thirty history and community-based organizations in the Greater Philadelphia region.…
10 Thanksgiving Myths Dispelled
Read about these 10 Thanksgiving Myths and separate the fact from the fiction.