Speech by President Lincoln: Second Inaugural Address
This is the full text of President Lincoln's second inaugural address, which took place March 4, 1865.
Speech by Senator Charles Hays Reaffirming the Rights of African Americans (1874)
Republican congressman Charles Hays of Alabama, a former slaveholder, shares his views on a new civil rights bill that would end segregation of public transportation and public accommodations.
Two Names, Two Worlds
Jonathan Rodríguez reflects on his name through poetry. How does his name “place him in the world”?
Two Names, Two Worlds (en español)
In Spanish, Jonathan Rodríguez reflects on his name through poetry. How does his name “place him in the world”?
What the Black Man Wants
Frederick Douglass demands voting rights and civil equality for Black Americans in an 1865 speech.
What the Black Man Wants (en español)
In Spanish, Frederick Douglass demands voting rights and civil equality for Black Americans in an 1865 speech.
Statistics From the Civil War
This reading features statistics on the number of deaths during the Civil War.
Statistics from the War (en español)
In Spanish, this reading features statistics on the number of deaths during the Civil War.
W. E. B. Du Bois Reflects on the Purpose of History
W. E. B. Du Bois questions the way that Reconstruction was studied and taught in an excerpt from his 1935 book Black Reconstruction in America.
The Republic of Imagination (excerpt)
Author Azar Nafisi discusses the roles of literature and imagination in both repressive states and democracies.
What Is Democracy?
Use this selection of quotes about democracy to prompt reflection on democracy's complex definition.