March is Women's History Month!

Reference Librarian Joe Niese reminded me the other day that March is National Women's History Month, a time of year when we remember that for every Lewis and Clark there is a Sacajawea and that for every Joe Hill, there is a Mother Jones.

Below are some links that might help you get to know the history of the American woman a little bit better.

Womenshistorymonth.gov--the Women's history section of the Library of Congress. Information-packed, media-filled and simply excellent. As far as the Internet goes, it's hard to find a better one-stop shop.

Women's History in Wisconsin--packed with information that spider-webs off in many directions. Original documents, full-text books, some of which I have looked at and recommend highly.


New York Public Library's Women's History Page--Huge, interesting and complete with audio and video. Authoritative and well-organized.

MORE Search--Women's History

U.S. Constitution & Citizenship Day

It was 223 years ago today that the U.S. Constitution was signed and began its first trip around what was to eventually become the United States of America for ratification in each state's assembly.

I'm a bit of a zealot when it comes to the subject, so I hope the reader will indulge me a moment...

The Constitution is a unique document historically, politically and intellectually, as it made workable law out of over two thousand years' worth of philosophically abstract and disparate ideas about citizen/subject self-rule, democracy and republicanism in the strictest sense of the word. The very idea that all citizens, regardless of wealth, property or social standing had certain rights that were not subject to the whims of a ruling or royal class (chattel slavery notwithstanding) without some sort of public process was, quite literally, revolutionary. If one ever gets the chance, it's interesting to really sit and read it. It's online here.

This is also the day when we are encouraged to strengthen the muscles of our citizenship by learning as much as we can about our country or reminding ourselves of what we may have forgotten.

Here are some helpful links:

Chippewa Falls Public Library Catalogue Search: Citizenship

Serve.gov--Serving one's country doesn't have to be done in fatigues. Serve.gov is the government's page cataloguing service opportunities for Americans of all ages.


Could You Become A Citizen?--Suppose you just got "off the boat." Could you pass the test?


Center for Civic Education Glossary

Glossary of Congressional and Legislative Terms--A bit more advanced than the above. Defines all those words they so casually throw around on "Meet the Press."