For more than two hundred years, the Capitol has been the place where representatives of the American people have debated how best to achieve the nation’s ideals. This exhibit displays some of our most important documents, drawn primarily from the collections of the Library of Congress and the National Archives, to illustrate the role of Congress in defining and helping to realize national goals and aspirations.
Grade 6 “When in the Course of Human Events:” Introducing the Declaration of Independence
This lesson will use a close reading of the Declaration of Independence to explore the American colonists’ reasons for separating from Great Britain. By the conclusion of this lesson, students should be able to identify the specific arguments made for Independence. Students will assess the objectives of the Declaration and identify if and how the drafters may have fallen short of some of their stated goals.
The Preamble to the Constitution: How Do You Make a More Perfect Union?
Help your students understand, by way of primary source documents from archival sources, why the Founders found it necessary to establish a more perfect Union and what goals guided them in accomplishing such a weighty task.
You Can’t Say That: Right to Know vs. Security Risk
Explain to students that tensions between the press and the military have always existed, as the goals of each group are often in conflict. Reporters want information to flow freely, while the military guards national security interests. The debate over how to balance these competing interests continues today.