Featured Primary Sources
The Failure of Compromise
Nothing can enrich and enliven our understanding of the nation’s past, or dispel apathy about it, more powerfully than primary sources. The primary sources below open up a variety of viewpoints and have been chosen by master teachers specifically for use in the classroom. Affiliate School members can print a packet that includes an image of the document, photograph, or other resource, a transcript where applicable, and text to place the document in historical context. Additionally, you may want to search the Gilder Lehrman Collection itself for other resources to enrich your lessons.
President Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address, 1861
Creator: Abraham Lincoln Curriculum Subjects: Government and Civics Grade Levels: 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+
The Union Is Dissolved!, 1860
Creator: The Charleston Mercury Curriculum Subjects: Government and Civics Grade Levels: 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+Primary Sources from Other Sub-Eras
Runaway Slave Ad, 1860
Creator: Enoch M. Duley Curriculum Subjects: Economics, Geography, Government and Civics Grade Levels:
The “House Divided” Speech, ca. 1857–1858
Creator: Abraham Lincoln Curriculum Subjects: Government and Civics Grade Levels: 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+