Journeying Through the US Capitol’s Turbulent History
America’s seat of government has endured bombings, a presidential assassination attempt, and even destruction by foreign forces. There have also been attacks from inside—including a near-fatal attack on one lawmaker by another. The Caning of Charles Sumner, or the Brooks–Sumner Affair, occurred on May 22, 1856, in the United States Senate Chamber, when Representative Preston Brooks, a proslavery Democrat from South Carolina, used a walking cane to attack Senator Charles Sumner, an abolitionist Republican from Massachusetts, in retaliation for a speech Sumner gave two days earlier in which he fiercely criticized slaveholders, including a relative of Brooks. National Geographic provides a brief look at the threats to the Capitol, including this incident, over the years.
TheWhite House Historical Association is celebrating its 60th anniversary with a student art competition on the theme The White House: An American Story. The association is seeking submissions from students across the nation that depict and reflect the White House, its collection, and its diverse history.
KidCitizen introduces a new way for K–5 students to engage with US history. In KidCitizen’s interactive episodes, children explore civics and government concepts by investigating primary source photographs from the Library of Congress and connect what they find with their daily lives.
Teachers nationwide are considering how to support students who may be traumatized by images of violence at the United States Capitol on January 6. Some school districts are offering counseling services for students, giving them opportunities to share.