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New Document Display Explores PHL's Immigrant Communities

PHILADELPHIA, PA - HSP is pleased to announce its latest free document display, A Place Called Home: Immigrant Communities from the Ground Up, is now available for viewing. 

“Bring me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses.” The essence of the American dream is rooted in the tales of immigrants. Their stories of overcoming  adversity are profound examples of the American dream: freedom and equal opportunity for all who pursue a better life for themselves and their families.

HSP Collaborates with the James Monroe Museum and the Papers of James Monroe to Host New Exhibit

In collaboration with the James Monroe Museum and The Papers of James Monroe, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania will host In the Spirit of the People: James Monroe's 1817 Tour of the Northern States, a traveling exhibit commemorating the bicentennial of an historic presidential tour. The exhibit will be on view at HSP June 19 through July 14. 

HSP, LCP Welcome 2017-18 Fellows

PHILADELPHIA, PA - HSP is proud to announce the incoming cohort of research fellows. Out of 139 applicants, three scholars were selected for HSP’s short-term Balch Fellowships in Ethnic Studies and Greenfield Fellowship in 20th-Century History. An additional 32 scholars were selected for short-term fellowships jointly sponsored by HSP and the Library Company of Philadelphia (LCP). 

Throughout the next 12 months, HSP and LCP will host several short presentations during which fellows discuss their research projects and solicit feedback and advice. Stay tuned for more information. 

Americans All! Teaching the First World War through American Immigrant Experience

On April 6, 1917, the United States joined its allies--Britain, France, and Russia--to fight in the “Great War,” or World War I. Under the command of Major General John J. Pershing, more than 2 million U.S. soldiers fought across the Western Front. These soldiers reflected the influx of immigrants to the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This arrival of immigrants combined with the “Great War” challenged the culture of the American military and forced it to reconsider its training methods and linguistic, cultural, and religious traditions.

Join HSP on May 24 as Dr. Nancy Gentile-Ford examines how the U.S. War Department drew on the experiences of progressive social welfare reformers & ethnic community leaders who assisted with training, socializing, and meeting the cultural and religious needs of immigrant soldiers. Her lecture, Americans All! Foreign Born Soldiers in the First World War, will also analyze why the U.S. War Department policies did not call for the harsh Americanization of foreign-born soldiers, but rather fostered an atmosphere that made both American and ethnic pride acceptable.

Often, we teach the First World War through military maneuvers, dates of battles, and key actors. This lecture is an opportunity to learn more about how the American immigrant population affected the U.S. military, bringing a new cultural perspective of WWI into your classroom. In addition to the lecture, HSP has an incredible collection of WWI primary sources based on the Philadelphia perspective of WWI. These resources can supplement lessons on WWI and the primary sources are all available on our digital library!

If you wish to check out these resources, or any of our other resources, visit the WWI Unit Plans on our website. If you wish to attend the Americans All! lecture, you will receive Act 48 credit as well as a free copy of our magazine Pennsylvania Legacies, featuring our WWI collections. The lecture is free, but you do need to register. We hope to see you there!

 

 

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