Friday, May 2, 2008

We Know We Belong to the Land Exhibit


Southeastern Oklahoma State University will host the traveling exhibit “We Know We Belong to the Land: A Hundred Years of Oklahoma and the Congress” from May 5 through June 6.
The exhibit was created in conjunction with Oklahoma’s statehood centennial. It charts important American historical and political milestones as they affected our state, such as the territorial government, both World Wars, the Great Depression, and the civil rights movement.
The exhibit features photos of each Oklahoman who represented our state in Congress from the late 1800s to our current delegation, more than 100 in all.
Southeastern Director of Library Services Sharon Morrison said, “This exhibit started in 2007 and has been on the road for more than a year and a half throughout our state. We’re very honored to be able to host this event.
“We are hosting the exhibit on the main floor of the Henry G. Bennett Memorial Library on campus. It was created in commemoration of our statehood and this is an excellent opportunity for our entire community, adults and students, to revisit our history.
“We will complement the exhibit with some books and other items from our library. There is no admission charge and we encourage everyone to come out and experience a great look at our past.”
This exhibit was created by the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center at the University of Oklahoma with support from the Oklahoma Humanities Council.
There is also an online version of the complete exhibit which features audio clips of campaign jingles, speeches, and a press conference. Also available online is a PDF teachers’ guide to the exhibit. To view the online exhibit, please visit http://www.ou.edu/special/albertctr/archives/ .

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Cinco de Mayo



CINCO DE MAYO!

This is a holiday that celebrates not Mexican Independence, which occurs on September 16, but the Mexican Victory at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Mexico was in a bad way after years of rule of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, and in 1861, Benito Juarez, the president of Mexico, decided to suspend payments on the foreign debt for a couple of years. England, Spain, and France decided that they couldn't wait for payment and invaded Mexico to collect the debt owed them. Spain and England made seperate deals with Mexico, but France decided to stay and create an empire in Mexico. They marched from Vera Cruz and headed for Mexico City. But the Mexicans defeated them at the Battle of Puebla. See more about Cinco de Mayo at these sites:
http://www.vivacincodemayo.org/history.htm

http://www.mexonline.com/cinco-de-mayo.htm