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Kindred Spirits is a large stainless steel outdoor sculpture in Bailick Park in Midleton, County Cork, Ireland. commemorates the 1847 donation by the Native American Choctaw people to Irish famine relief during the Great Hunger. The sculpture consists of nine 20-foot (6.1 m) stainless steel eagle feathers arranged in a circle, no two feathers being identical, forming a bowl shape to represent a gift of a bowl of food.

"'Iyyikowa' – It Means Serving Those in Need": Exploring Bonds of Friendship through Indigenous Life in America

The nearly 200-year Choctaw Irish bond was celebrated in County Cork, Ireland in July 2017 with the dedication of "Kindred Spirits". The sculpture's nine steel feathers "represent the Choctaw Nation's...

Painting, Native Americas on horseback in battle.

'The collection of outlying Indians in these mountains... will be easily affected': Highlights from American Indian Wars

Now available from Readex: American Indian Wars, 1830-1898 American Indian Wars is an essential resource for both Native American history and American social history. It contains the records of the U...

Round, blue-tinted eyeglasses rest on a stack of handwritten papers on a wooden surface. The lenses reflect cursive writing, and the background is softly blurred, creating a quiet, scholarly atmosphere.

Reflecting upon the influence of the blue color of the sky: Seeing the world through General A.J. Pleasonton's blue-tinted glasses

In 1871, General A.J. Pleasonton presented ten years' worth of experimental findings to the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture in an effort to "shed light" on a new subject. Standing...

Black-and-white illustration of armed colonial militia confronting British soldiers on a village green, with men firing muskets amid smoke and fallen bodies in the foreground, while organized troops advance near large colonial buildings, barns, and a church steeple in the background—depicting an early Revolutionary War skirmish.

"Huzzah!" The Semiquincentennial of American Independence is Upon Us

In June 1776, Thomas Jefferson, sequestered in a Philadelphia boarding house, drafted the Declaration of Independence as an "expression of the American mind." Just weeks later, on July 2, Congress...

The Smithsonian Institution Building, known as the “Castle,” made of red sandstone in Romanesque Revival style, stands under a partly cloudy sky. A bronze statue of a man in formal 19th-century attire stands prominently in the foreground before the arched entrance, surrounded by greenery and trees.

"...the chief exponent of the scientific thought of the people of the United States...": How to Research the History of the Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution and its twenty museums and galleries have been in the news recently. There is controversy. If you would like to know more, we encourage you to do your own research and urge...

From the Library of Congress. Two hand painted images of American women and British soldiers. On left a Quaker woman detains an English General with tea. On right, a woman receives British soldiers on a porch.

"Such women should read, should think, and should act": Women's Special Roles in the American Revolution

In 1780, the newly formed Culper Spy Ring successfully exposed British plans to ambush the French army in Rhode Island. By quickly alerting George Washington to the enemy's plans, the group...

An 18th-century prison scene depicting British soldiers guarding sick and emaciated prisoners inside a dark, crowded cell aboard a ship. The central figure, a red-coated guard with a musket, stands among suffering inmates—some lying on straw, others slumped or comforting one another. Light filters dimly through barred windows, highlighting the harsh and unsanitary conditions. The illustration conveys despair, illness, and confinement during wartime imprisonment.

"Rebels! Turn out your Dead!": The Prison Ship Martyrs of the American Revolution

The modern rush of life in Brooklyn's historic Wallabout neighborhood is a stark contrast to the brutal history beneath the pavement. Just a stone's throw away is Wallabout Bay where, in the winter of...

Historic black-and-white photograph showing four uniformed soldiers standing near the entrance of Fort Garland, Colorado with weathered adobe walls. A small wooden guardhouse stands to the right, and a tall flagpole rises in the center of the courtyard with a pulley or signal device suspended near the top. Trees and low buildings are visible in the background, framed by distant hills or mountains. From the Library of Congress

"As to this, I really cannot attempt to explain what I consider a good joke": One Soldier's Misadventure in Comedy on the American Frontier

In American Indian Wars, 1830-1898, a Readex collection detailing decades of interactions between the U.S. Army, white settlers, and the Indigenous peoples who occupied what would become the Western...

Image from New York Public Library digital library, Wikimedia Commons. Black-and-white engraving depicting the Capture of Fort Ticonderoga (1775) during the American Revolution. In the foreground, Ethan Allen, dressed in military uniform with sword raised, confronts the British commander inside the stone fort. The caption below reads: “Capture of Fort Ticonderoga. ‘By what authority?’ ‘In the name of the Great Jehovah & the Continental Congress.’”

Ethan Allen: "...farmer, businessman, land speculator, philosopher, writer, lay theologian, and American Revolutionary War patriot, hero, and politician..."

On September 25, 1775, Ethan Allen of Vermont was captured during the Battle of Longues-Pointe, his failed attempt to wrest Montreal from the British. After his storied capture of Fort Ticonderoga...

Those They Left Behind: The Hidden Grief of LGBTQ+ Loss in 19th and Early 20th Century Obituaries and Poetry

Scottish poet Thomas Campbell wrote, "To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die." While each life is unique, some experiences and emotions—such as fear, excitement, love, and loss—are universal...

Black-and-white engraving of a large-scale battlefield scene showing soldiers in formation, officers on horseback, and cannons being prepared in the foreground. Dense ranks of infantry are seen advancing toward a hill under a smoky sky, with smoke and chaos at the Battle of Bunker Hill. The dramatic sky and dynamic composition convey the intensity and scale of the historical battle. From: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library.

"...devoted to his country when her soil was everywhere pressed by the foot of her enemy and peril environed her on every side...": How Revolutionary War Veterans and Heirs Petitioned Congress for Pensions

On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress established the Continental Army, which was led by George Washington throughout the Revolution. In October, they established the Continental Navy, and...

Black-and-white photo of the Old Belfry in Lexington, Massachusetts, a wooden structure with a small belfry tower and a plaque above the door. Surrounded by trees and grass, this historic building is where the alarm was sounded early on April 19, 1775, summoning the Minute Men to the Lexington Common at the start of the American Revolutionary War. From the Library of Congress

"A cry of defiance, and not of fear": Did Paul Revere Ride Alone?

In June 1776, Thomas Jefferson, sequestered in a Philadelphia boarding house, drafted the Declaration of Independence as an "expression of the American mind." Just weeks later, on July 2, Congress...

Black and white photograph of a group of suffragettes and supporters gathered at Union Square, New York, dated February 16, 1908. The central women are smiling and dressed in winter coats and elaborate hats, holding flowers and pamphlets, surrounded by a crowd of men in bowler hats. The image has a handwritten caption at the bottom: "Suffragettes at Union Sq. 2/16/08."

"Moving Forward Together!": Amplifying Women's History and Experiences

Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations -National Women’s History Alliance 2025 Women’s History Month theme Researchers will uncover diverse voices to build historical...

An engraved illustration of The Custom House in New York, which was in use from 1799 to 1815. The neoclassical building features a grand portico with columns and a triangular pediment, surrounded by a fenced courtyard. In the foreground, a lively street scene depicts men and women in period attire engaging in conversation, a horse-drawn cart, and individuals carrying goods. The engraving is credited to W.M. Aikman and Wm. Rollinson, and it was published for the Society of Iconophiles in 1906.

"Tinkering the Tariff": Uncovering Tariff Debates in Historical Newspapers, Imprints, and Government Documents

Tariff: "a tax or duty to be paid on a particular class of imports or exports" per Oxford Languages. It seems simple on the surface. It has never been. A simple search using Readex AllSearch and...

Photograph of Susanna Salter in 1887. She has light skin, high cheekbones, and a serious expression. Her hair is neatly pulled back with curls framing her forehead. She is dressed in a high-collared dark dress adorned with a brooch at the collar and a decorative chain. The background is softly faded, highlighting her face and attire. Image: Kansas Historical Society, Wikimedia

"Come west, young woman, come west!" Susanna Salter and her unlikely rise to first woman U.S. mayor

In 1776, early women's rights advocate Abigail Adams wrote to her husband, future President John Adams, urging him to "Remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your...

An antique illustration depicts three Chukchi people in a landscape near Plover Bay. One individual is wearing traditional hoop armor made of overlapping plates, covering their torso and head. They hold a bow and have a stoic expression. Another person, dressed in warm fur clothing, holds a spear, while a child reaches out toward them. The background consists of rolling hills and an open expanse. The caption below reads, "Chukchis wearing Hoop Armor, Plover Bay.

Martial Arts: Indigenous Use of Shields and Body Armor in 18th-20th Century North and Central America

Nearly two hundred years before Neo, the hero of the Matrix films, extended his consciousness to render bullets harmless in his ostensive reality, Comanche chief and medicine man Po-bish-e-quash-o...

Portrait of Nellie Bly (ca. 1890). Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2010631213/>.

Nellie Bly and the 'Stunt Girls' that Smashed Barriers in Turn-of-the-Century Journalism

Legendary investigative journalist Nellie Bly (born Elizabeth Jane Cochran) died more than 100 years ago. Bly's legacy shaped both the lives of women and the field of journalism. After her death...

"When the Waters Reached the Orphan Asylum," Project Gutenberg's The Complete Story of the Galveston Horror, by Various

The Great Galveston Hurricane and the Sisters of St. Mary's Orphanage: "They did not save them, but they did their best. Try to save something of real value in the world."

In September and October 2024, two historic hurricanes slammed into Florida's Gulf coast and wreaked havoc into the Appalachia region, impacting 6 states, and resulting in over 230 casualties. It is...

A Eugenics Society poster (1930s) from the Wellcome Library Eugenics Society Archive. By Wellcome Library.

A Brief History of the Eugenics Movement in America, "...or, The scientific production of human thoroughbreds"

The so-called eugenic marriage of today is a happy combination of the ideality of a stockyard with the practicality of a hummingbird. - Dr. Edward Earle Purinton Eugenics: "the practice or advocacy of...

Opening ballot boxes (LOC). Bain News Service, publisher. [between ca. 1915 and ca. 1920]. https://flic.kr/p/ANNMmc

The Electoral College: How One Senator from Indiana Almost Brought It Down

Much like Black Friday and spray cheese, the electoral college is a uniquely American invention. Surprisingly, though, unlike Americans' undying love of discount TVs and processed cheese product, the...

Making the Presidency: How John Adams Created Presidential Customs for the 21st Century. Dr. Lindsay M. Chervinsky.

How John Adams Shaped Presidential Customs for Modern America [Video]

I pray Heaven to bestow the best of Blessings on this House and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise Men ever rule under this roof. -John Adams On a bright morning in June...

George Washington's Farewell Address, Early American Imprints, Series 1, no. 31540_1796

George Washington's Radical Decision: A Modern Precedent

On Wednesday, July 24, 2024, President Joe Biden addressed the nation from the Oval Office. NPR reported*, "Biden tried to send the message that no one person is bigger than the country — and that...

Mrs. Yoshiye Abe, an American of Japanese ancestry, helps to make American flags in a Denver factory, from The Library of Congress

"This year, many persons of Japanese ancestry in the United States will once again observe this great day within the confines of a relocation center." Fourth of July celebrations in Japanese Relocation Centers during World War II

July 4, 2024, marked 82 years since thousands of Japanese Americans faced Independence Day behind barbed wire. Japanese Americans - forcibly relocated to ten concentration camps during the Second...

“…According to the laws of God and the rules of the Indian department”: The Role of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and “Civilizing” Native Americans

This is the sixth in a series of blog articles highlighting primary source content from the Readex Native American Tribal Histories collection. The articles in this series offer further insight and...

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