Today in History: Thanksgiving during the Civil War, November 24, 1864

by | Nov 24, 2009 | Holidays, Today in history

Although we traditionally trace the origins of this holiday to the Pilgrims’ first Thanksgiving celebration in 1621, it did not become an annual celebration in the United States until 1863 and a federal holiday in 1941. In the colonial era, days of thanksgiving...

International Talk Like a Pirate Day

by | Sep 19, 2009 | Books, Holidays, Manuscripts

In honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, we offer several examples from the pirate-related materials at the Clements Library. The library has a variety of books, pamphlets, manuscripts, and maps related to the history of pirates, buccaneers, privateers, and...