Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Parliament and the British Slave Trade, 1600-1807

http://slavetrade.parliament.uk/slavetrade/index.html

On March 25, 1807, Britain's Parliament passed an act which abolished the British slave trade. There was a great deal of public discussion and debate about the act, and this very nice online exhibit from the Parliamentary Archives explores some of the issues through primary documents and other records. The site is divided into six sections, which include "History", "Your Voice", "Explore", "Timeline", "Learning", and "Glossary". The "History" section is a great place to start, as it provides background on Britain's slave trade, the wider world of the international slave trade, and the economics behind slavery. Visitors must make a stop at the "Explore" area, where they will find poems by enslaved Africans and abolition supporters, along with various dramatizations of the slavery debate, and interactive explorations of objects related to the slave trade. Additionally, the "Learning" section contains an interactive studio for teachers who wish to create their own educational resources and a number of lesson plans and activities. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Let Your Motto Be Resistance: African American Portraits

http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/motto/index.html

The exhibition "Let Your Motto Be Resistance" consists of 100 photographic portraits of prominent African Americans. The portraits were selected from the collections of the National Portrait Gallery as part of the inaugural exhibition of the new National Museum of African American History and Culture. The show will begin a national tour in October 2008. The web site is designed for browsing in chronological order, beginning with Frederick Douglass and ending with Wynton Marsalis. Short biographies, caption information, and larger views are available with each picture. The portraits include an airborne Judith Jameson, 1976, performing in Cry; a smiling Billie Holiday photographed in 1926; and Gordon Parks in 1945 with camera and light meter in hand. There are two portraits of Martin Luther King; he is shown with his wife and daughter in 1956, and in 1968, as three of his four children file past his coffin. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Exploring 20th Century London

Exploring 20th Century London [http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk] - From the expansion of the Underground to the waves of new arrivals from the British colonies, London was greatly transformed through the 20th century. Recently, several London institutions, including the Museum of London, combed through their respective resources to create this interactive exhibit and archive that would tell visitors a bit about the city's evolution during those 100 years. The materials can be viewed through three sections: "Timeline", "Themes", and "Places". In the "Timeline" section, visitors can browse through featured objects and also learn about major events during the period. Moving on, the "Themes" area organizes the city's recent past into topical areas that focus on art and design, the built environment, ethnic communities, and leisure activities. The "Places" section features a clickable map of London's boroughs which reveals artifacts from each of these respective areas. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Science, Evolution, and Creationism

Science, Evolution, and Creationism [http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11876] - The National Academies Press published this 88 page volume in order to help answer the question "How did live evolve on Earth?" Drawing on a group of experts from a range of scientific fields, this work looks at the evidence for biological evolution, the nature of science, and creationist perspectives on evolution. Along the way, the book also offers examples of how the science of evolution can be used to prevent and treat human disease and also foster industrial innovation. The book has broad appeal, and it will be of great use to teachers, legislators, policy makers, and community leaders. Additionally, visitors can also listen to a podcast about the work and learn more about the persons responsible for the book. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Minority Health Archive

Minority Health Archive [http://minority-health.pitt.edu/] - Created in collaboration with the Center for Minority Health and the University Library System at the University of Pittsburgh, the Minority Health Archive is an online archive of print and electronic media related to the health of African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans. The archive contains over six hundred documents, including editorials, newspaper articles, research papers, fact sheets, course syllabi, and government publications. Visitors can browse the archive by subject or year, and there's also a "Latest Additions" section as well. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Exploring the Early Americas

Exploring the Early Americas [http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/earlyamericas/] - The Jay I. Kislak Collection at the Library of Congress contains over 3000 rare maps, documents, paintings, and other artifacts that span hundreds of years. Recently, the Library of Congress created this very engaging online exhibition in order to provide the general public with access to a selection of these documents. As the site notes, the collection "provides insight into indigenous cultures, the drama of the encounters between Native Americans and European explorers and settlers, and the pivotal changes caused by the meeting of the American and European worlds." The online materials are divided into three sections: "Pre-Contact America", "Explorations and Encounters", and "Aftermath of the Encounter". Some of the objects included throughout these sections include a Mayan jaguar sculpture and a hand-colored engraving detailing the route of Sir France Drake from the late 16th century. Finally, the "Interactives" area includes a complete version of the classic work "The Buccaneers of America" and the famed 1507 and 1516 world maps by Martin Waldseemüller. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/