Welcome to The Dirksen Congressional Center's Communicator - a web-based e-newsletter providing educators with news and ideas to improve the understanding of Congress -- http://www.webcommunicator.org.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

* CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: CONGRESS IN THE CLASSROOM 2008 *

1. People Who Served in Congress
2. Congress Defined
3. * New * Legislative Branch – Want Ads: An Introductory Lesson
4. * New *  Editorial Cartoons
5. * New * Civil Rights Resources
6. * New * OpenCongress.org
7. Campaign 1944: Everett M. Dirksen's Bid For The White House
8. Civil Rights Self-Quiz & Trivia
9. Postscript Information

1. PEOPLE WHO SERVED IN CONGRESS
Sketches of famous and not-so-famous Senators and Representatives

William Maclay and Robert Morris.  Most everyone knows who the first president of the United States was.  But far fewer, if any, know who the first senator was.  Actually Maclay and Morris virtually tied.  After the ninth state ratified the U.S. Constitution, the Congress under the Articles of Confederation issued an ordinance giving states authority to conduct elections for the new federal government.  On September 30, 1788, Pennsylvania became the first state to elect its two United States senators.  Maclay was elected by the state legislature by a 66 to 1 margin; Morris won the second seat 37 to 31.  Maclay served from March 4, 1789, to March 3, 1791; Morris served from March 4, 1789, to March 3, 1795.

Sources:

Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress: 
http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000031
http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000985

Baker, Richard A., 200 Notable Days:  Senate Stories, 1787-2002 (Washington DC:  Government Printing Office, 2006) 5.

2. CONGRESS DEFINED
Words and phrases that describe congressional processes

First Reading.  The required reading to a chamber of the title of a bill or joint resolution after its introduction.  The House and Senate comply with the first reading by publishing the measure’s title in the Journal and the Congressional Record.

Source:

Congressional Quarterly, American Congressional Dictionary, 3rd ed. (Washington DC;  CQ Press, 2001):  102.

3. * NEW * LEGISLATIVE BRANCH - WANT ADS: AN INTRODUCTORY LESSON

During our annual Congress in the Classroom® workshop –– http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_programs_CongressClassroom.htm –– participants are asked to introduce the lesson plans, resources, and techniques that have proven successful in teaching about Congress in their classrooms.  A 2003 participant, Lisa Wertz, Thomas Stone High School, Waldorf, MD, presented her lesson entitled, Legislative Branch – Want Ads: An Introductory Lesson.

In this lesson, students will determine the qualifications for Congress and create want ads for the positions of senator and congressman.

Find Legislative Branch – Want Ads: An Introductory Lesson at: http://www.congresslink.org/print_lp_legbranch_wantads.htm

4. * NEW * EDITORIAL CARTOONS

The Dirksen Congressional Center recently announced the completion of the Editorial Cartoon Collection project: http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/index.htm.

The editorial cartoons and related lesson plans from The Dirksen Center will teach students to identify issues, analyze symbols, acknowledge the need for background knowledge, recognize stereotypes and caricatures, think critically, and appreciate the role of irony and humor.

This month we have posted two new cartoons:

Caption: Death of a Statesman, 2 –– http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/chron21-30.htm
Caption: Death of a Statesman, 3 –– http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/chron21-30.htm
Caption: Death of a Statesman, 4 ––http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/chron21-30.htm

5. * NEW * CIVIL RIGHTS RESOURCES

Earlier this month we sent out information about The Dirksen Center’s Civil Right Documentation Project -- http://www.congresslink.org/civilrights/index.htm.  As a result of this announcement, we received numerous responses and feedback including additional related resources we thought we would share.  Below are a few:

1. California Newsreel: http://www.newsreel.org

Founded in 1968, California Newsreel is the oldest non-profit, social issue documentary film distribution center in the country and a leading resource for the advancement of racial and social justice.  Newsreel's robust film collection includes the study of African American life and history, African cultures and politics, and the newly launched Global Economy thematic focus.

This site offers a number of films that deal directly with the Civil Rights Era:

• The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow
• At The River I Stand
• The Price of a Ticket

A complete listing of many more titles can be found at the California Newsreel website: www.newsreel.org.

 

2. The Long, Hard Furrow: Everett Dirksen's Part in the Civil Rights Act of 1964

This book, authored by Dirksen Center staff member Frank Mackaman, tells how Everett Dirksen fought the battle for the Civil Rights Act, breaking a filibuster that could have killed or weakened the act. 

The Center is offering this book for $10.  If you are interested in purchasing a copy, please call Frank at The Dirksen Center at (309) 347-7113, e-mail him at fmackaman@dirksencenter.org, or send a check payable to The Dirksen Congressional Center and send it to the following address:

The Dirksen Congressional Center
Attn: Frank Mackaman
2815 Broadway
Pekin, IL 61554

The price is to cover the cost of printing.  No profit will be made from the book.

 

3. Freedom on Film: Civil Rights in Georgia

This web site spotlights civil rights developments in nine Georgia cities and towns from the Supreme Court’s “Brown v. Board of Education” decision of 1954 to the anti-poverty and anti-war campaigns of the early 1970s.  Browse the site to see video from the era, shot by photographers at WSB-TV/Channel 2 News (Atlanta) and WALB-TV/Channel 10 News (Albany). 

Find Freedom on Film: Civil Rights in Georgia at: http://www.congresslink.org/civilrights/ under “Related Sources.”
 

4. Truman Library

Civil Rights Subject Guide, which lists manuscripts in the holdings of the Truman Library that contain significant information about civil rights: http://www.trumanlibrary.org/hstpaper/civilrights.htm

Desegregation Subject Guide, which lists manuscripts in the holdings of the Truman Library that contain significant information about the desegregation of the armed services: http://www.trumanlibrary.org/deseg.htm

Desegregation of the Armed Services Student Research File, which contains complete scans of nearly 250 documents from various manuscripts in our collection related to the Desegregation of the Armed Services: http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/desegregation/large/index.php?action=chronology

6. * NEW * OPENCONGRESS.ORG

It’s never been easier to track what’s happening with our government!  OpenCongress, a joint project of the Sunlight Foundation and the Participatory Politics Foundation, announced a major update that will put all the bills and votes at your fingertips.

You can build a personal profile of bills and people you’re tracking, network with other users, comment and vote on bills, and much more.  To get started, create a “My OpenCongress” account.  It is free and takes less than one minute -- http://www.opencongress.org/register

This new resource can also be found on our portal site, AboutGovernment, that links users to hundreds of Web sites dealing with the federal government and national politics generally, and Congress particularly.  Link to OpenCongress at: http://www.aboutgovernment.org/print_news.htm

7. CAMPAIGN 1944: EVERETT M. DIRKSEN'S BID FOR THE WHITE HOUSE

Not many people know that Pekin, Illinois, produced its own presidential candidate over 60 years ago – Everett Dirksen mounted a campaign for the Republican nomination in 1944.

Although relatively few files from Dirksen’s early career survive in the Dirksen collection, The Center does have scattered materials related to his failed bid.  What we have makes for an interesting story, though.  According to his chief adviser at the time, Dirksen was six hours away from receiving an invitation to join Thomas Dewey as the vice presidential candidate.

For more information, find Dirksen Center Archivist Pens Series of Books at: http://www.pekintimes.com/articles/2008/02/01/news/news2.txt

An interesting note:  The program for the Republican Convention in Chicago carried an essay which won first place in a contest held by the Young Republican National Federation.  Entitled, “A First Voter Looks at the Republican Party,” PFC Harry Reasoner, pictured in uniform with the article, was the winner.  He outlined the Democratic case for Franklin Roosevelt’s re-election and the rebutted it point-by-point, making the case for change.  “There are millions of me like me,” Reasoner wrote.  “Millions of young men, eager for an opportunity and a promise.  There are millions of older citizens, stable and wise minds, who realize the danger in returning the present Administration for another four years.  We are together, and we are of one mind.  The Republican party, vital and sure of its tremendous role in shaping the nation’s future, can sound a clarion call and unite us all.  Together we can win the victory, and the victory means a mighty triumph for a mighty America.  It is well worth winning.”  [Source: Everett Dirksen papers, Chicago Office, f.3869].  Reasoner, who died in 1991, is best remembered as the anchor of the ABC Evening News in the 1970s.

8. CIVIL RIGHTS SELF-QUIZ

Take an interactive 3-tiered self-quiz about the civil rights era from 1954-1968.  The challenge includes a vocabulary quiz and 2 multiple-choice quizzes.  You must pass each quiz to advance to the next level of questioning.

Find Civil Rights Self-Quiz at: http://www.congressforkids.net/games/makinglaws/civilrights-vocabulary.htm

Trivia: By what name is the Civil Rights Act of 1965 more commonly known?

*Find the answer in next month's issue.

Answer to January 2008"s Fun, Facts, and Trivia: http://www.webcommunicator.org/classroomresources/funfactstrivia_ans0108.htm

9. NOTICE REGARDING E-MAIL ADDRESSES

Communicator's mailing list has over 25,000 names and is still growing. Please follow the instructions below to help us with list editing:

SUBSCRIBE: To join the Communicator mailing list, send an e- mail to enews@webcommunicator.org with the phrase - Subscribe Communicator -- in the subject line of the message.

UNSUBSCRIBE: To be removed from the Communicator mailing list, send an e-mail to enews@webcommunicator.org with the phrase - Remove Communicator -- in the subject line of the message.

UPDATE E-MAIL ADDRESS: To change your e-mail address, send an e-mail to enews@webcommunicator.org with the phrase - E–mail Change -- in the body of the message and list your old e-mail address and new e-mail address.

FORWARD E-MAIL: We encourage you to forward The Dirksen Congressional Center's Communicator to a friend!

If you experience any problems, send an e-mail to Cindy Koeppel.