Share the History of the Donkey and the Elephant as Political Mascots with the Young People in Your Life
Exclusive New Article Now Available on OurWhiteHouse.org
OurWhiteHouse.org, the NCBLA's companion
educational website to the art and literature anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out,
features a treasure trove of exclusive articles, discussion questions,
activities, and other resources to help young people connect with American
history. Both the Our White House website and book are perfect partners for helping you get kids engaged in this year's presidential election!
JUST ADDED to OurWhiteHouse.org is a new web exclusive "The Donkey and the Elephant" by NCBLA volunteer writer Helen Kampion.
Parents, teachers, and librarians--did
you know that two of America's most famous political icons owe their existence to a campaign insult and a phrase popular during the Civil War? Do you know which political cartoonist is responsible for cementing the usage of the donkey and the elephant as the Democratic and Republican Party mascots? You can read
all about how the donkey and the elephant rose to iconic status in Kampion's exclusive article. We encourage you to
share this article--and the accompanying discussion questions and
activities--with
all the young people in your life.
Here is an excerpt:
The earliest connection of the elephant to the Republican Party was an illustration in an 1864 Abraham Lincoln presidential campaign newspaper, Father Abraham. It showed an elephant holding a banner and celebrating Union victories. During the Civil War, “seeing the elephant” was slang for engaging in combat so the elephant was a logical choice to represent successful battles.
To read the entire
article detailing the history of donkey and the elephant as mascots, click here.
Helen Kampion received an MFA in Writing for Children and Young
Adults from Vermont College. She is a volunteer staff writer for The National
Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance and, in addition to writing picture books
and middle grade novels, runs book clubs and writing workshops for children.
Our White House is an outstanding collection of essays,
personal accounts, historical fiction, and poetry that melds with an equally
stunning array of original art to offer a look at America’s history through the
prism of the White House. Starting with a 1792 call for designers and continuing
through the present day, these highly engaging writings and illustrations,
expressing varied viewpoints and interwoven with key historical events, are a
vital resource for family and classroom sharing -- and a stirring reminder that
the story of the White House is the story of every American.
To learn more about Our White
House, click here.
For more articles and resources related to
presidential elections, check out the OurWhiteHouse.org Civic Education page AND our other NEW exclusives:
- "The Second Shall Be First: The 1948 Presidential Election--Truman V. Dewey" by Renee Critcher Lyons
- "From Peas to Paper to IPads: The Evolution of the Ballot in America" by Heather Lang.
Our White House is available
in both hardcover and paperback.
in both hardcover and paperback.
Ask for Our White House at a library or
bookstore near you!
