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Edition for Educators: The House and Shakespeare | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives
Since the early nineteenth century, congressional debate has been recorded and distributed for public consumption. Congress initially entrusted this job to journalists working for the National Intelligencer and other newspapers. But in the years around the Civil War, lawmakers professionalized the responsibility, creating the Government Printing Office in 1860—now the Government Publishing Office—and printing speeches near verbatim in the Congressional Record starting in 1873. Debate can take many shapes on the House Floor. Members use their time to demonstrate their positions on legislation or current events. In some cases, they insert into the Congressional Record full speeches or remarks. To liven up their orations, legislators sometimes sprinkle in literary references. Before the internet became ubiquitous, the Congressional Research Service received so many requests for certain quotations from lawmakers that it published a book in 1989 titled Respectfully Quoted, which compiled more than 2,000 of the most frequently cited quotations by Members of Congress. Among the texts most quoted by legislators were the works of William Shakespeare, the famous sixteenth-century poet, playwright, and tormentor of twenty-first century high school students. Quotes from the Bard are often used to illustrate a point during congressional debate or to serve as a vehicle to tell a story. Second only to biblical references, the various works of Shakespeare are some of the most quoted or cited in congressional publications. To quote, or not to quote. That is the question Members of Congress must consider. The following Edition for Educators highlights examples of various works of Shakespeare found in the Congressional Record from debate on the House Floor and in the Extensions of Remarks.Earth Day and Shakespeare’s Birthday On Earth Day 1999, Representative Connie Morella of Maryland noted, I consider environmental protection to be national priority. I pledge to work with my colleagues to ensure the preservation of our natural resources and the protection of the public’s health. And this Earth Week, as we also celebrate the 435th birthday of William Shakespeare, we remember his words, ‘to nature none more bound.’ Today, as we observe Earth Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to a cleaner world. In this instance, Representative Morella is quoting Henry VIII, act 1, scene 2, line 129, when King Henry VIII, amid a discussion on taxation, refers to the Duke of Buckingham and calls for his execution: It grieves many: The gentleman is learn’d, and a most rare speaker; To nature none more bound; his training such, That he may furnish and instruct great teachers. Representative Morella, however, focused on the concept of being obligated to protect nature rather than the context of the play. Read more about Henry VIII from the Folger Shakespeare Library. Yielding the Floor to Shakespeare At the end of a five-minute special order speech titled “Truth in Speaking,” concerning the 1996 Whitewater investigation into President William J. Clinton, the Congressional Record captured an interesting back and forth between two Members. Representative Robert Kenneth Dornan of California yielded time to Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas by referencing Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice: "Mr. Speaker,” he said, “I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas, the Portia from the other side of the aisle." Representative Jackson-Lee, however, questioned the reference and replied, "Mr. Speaker, I do not know if I will accept that. I am the gentlewoman from Texas.” The Congresswoman went on to acknowledge that she nevertheless, “appreciate[d] the gentleman from California in his sincerity." Dornan felt he needed to explain. “Just to clear the record,” he said, “for those who were not forced to take 4 years of Shakespeare in school, that Portia, because I well know the gentlewoman’s distinguished name, means a lady lawyer of exceeding skill, as in Portia from the Merchant of Venice, who gave us the great soliloquy: The quality of mercy is not strain’d, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice bless’d: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. Afterward, Jackson-Lee showcased her own Shakespearian knowledge. Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas: Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield further, Shakespeare also said: The first thing we do is kill all the lawyers. Mr. DORNAN. That was in Henry VI. The barber said that. I do not want any part of that. Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate very much the gentleman’s compliment. I want it to be acknowledged I am just a humble servant from the 18th Congressional District of Texas. But I appreciate the kindness of the gentleman from California. Jackson-Lee’s quip about the lawyers comes from a brief line in Henry VI that focuses on the struggle for royal control and the British War of the Roses, which was a contest for power between to English families. The scene focuses on a plot against King Henry. Henry VI, part 2, act 4, scene 2, line 75:Dick (the butcher): The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers. Cade (leader of the Kentish rebellion): Nay, that I mean to do. Is not this a lamentable thing, that of the skin of an innocent lamb should be made parchment? That parchment, being scribbled o’er, should undo a man? Some say the bee stings, but I say, ’tis the beeswax; for I did but seal once to a thing, and I was never mine own man since. Learn more about Henry VI and The Merchant of Venice from the Folger Shakespeare Library. Great Tragedy On April 21, 1936, Representative Ulysses Guyer of Kansas gave a stirring address in the House Chamber during a Memorial Program held in honor of seven lawmakers (two Senators and five Representatives) who had recently passed away. Not constrained by time since the House had recessed for the ceremony, Guyer’s remarks filled nearly two pages of the Congressional Record. In his speech, Guyer quoted excerpts from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Shakespeare, in his tragedy of greatness, puts upon the lips of Marc Antony the naked truth concerning human greatness. Antonius was standing above the body of his assassinated friend and comrade, that ‘piece of bleeding earth’, that pathetic clay that but yesterday was Julius Caesar, ‘whose word might have stood against the world.’ As he gazed upon this prostrate form he exclaimed: ‘0 Mighty Caesar! dost thou lie so low? Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, Shrunk to this little measure? The phrase “piece of bleeding earth” derives from Julius Caesar act 3, scene 1, line 280, when Marc Antony, a close confidante of Ceasar, looks upon his dead compatriot following Ceasar’s murder. In act 3, scene 2, line 130, Marc Antony begins his eulogy of Ceasar: But yesterday the word of Caesar might Have stood against the world. Now lies he there, And none so poor to do him reverence.” Guyer’s final quote is from act 3, scene 1, line 164 where Marc Antony meets with Brutus and Cassius following the death of Ceasar:O mighty Caesar, dost thou lie so low? Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils Shrunk to this little measure.If Shakespeare had intended to underline the tragedy and treachery of Ceasar’s death in the play, Guyer’s use of quotations from Julius Caesar was instead intended to honored his deceased colleagues. Learn more about Julius Caesar from the Folger Shakespeare Library.Memorial Day On May 20, 1970, Representative William Bray of Indiana inserted a speech into the Congressional Record in honor of Memorial Day. To commemorate the service members who made the ultimate sacrifice by laying down their lives for their country, Bray cited a large portion of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, act 5, scene 8, lines 44 through 63. Said Bray: “Probably nowhere else in the English language is this so movingly described than in the last scene of Shakespeare’s Macbeth”: Your son, my lord, has paid a soldier’s debt: He only liv’d but ‘til he was a man; The which no sooner had his prowess confirm’d In the unshrinking station where he fought, But like a man he died. Then he is dead? Ay, and brought off the field: your cause of sorrow Must not be measur’d by his worth, for then It hath no end. Had he his hurts before? Ay, on the front. Why, then, God’s soldier be he! Had I as many sons as I have hairs, I would not wish them to a fairer death: And, so his knell is knoll’d. . . . They say he parted well, and paid his score: And so, God be with him! In this passage, Bray quotes verbatim the characters Siward (commander of the English Army) and Ross (a Scottish Noble) from Macbeth. Bray also cited musical compositions and 11 other authors including, Plato, Herodotus, Alfred Lord Tennyson, the Gospel of Mathew, Plutarch, Ecclesiticus, Abraham Lincoln, Allan Seeger, the Sioux leader Low Dog, Sir Edward Creasey, and Robert Ingersoll. Bray closes his tribute repeating the Macbeth line, “They say he parted well, and paid his score: And so, God be with him!” In 1989, the Congressional Research Service noted Respectfully Quoted “will be helpful to Members of Congress in their task of expressing our national purpose and in their debating the public issues.” With more than 38 plays to his name, Shakespeare has provided a very large and quotable body of work with which to illustrate modern events. Sources: Congressional Record, 21 April 1936, congress.gov; Congressional Record, 20 May 1970, congress.gov; Congressional Record, 05 May 1996, congress.gov; Congressional Record, 22 April 1999, congress.gov; Folger Shakespeare Library, https://www.folger.edu/; Suzy Platt, Library Of Congress, Congressional Research Service, Respectfully Quoted: A Dictionary of Quotations Requested from the Congressional Research Service. (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1989).
The Records of Resilience and Resolve: The Great Depression and World War II (1929–1945) | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives
During the 1930s and 1940s, Americans endured economic catastrophe and world war. The 1929 stock market crash devasted the global economy and stripped many Americans of their livelihoods and property. The New Deal—a series of federal policies intended to boost the economy—aided suffering Americans and expanded the role of the government. As the United States struggled through the Great Depression and practiced isolationism, dictatorships in other countries gained power. Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939 ignited a conflict that would soon erupt into the Second World War. The U.S. entered the war in December 1941 following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and declarations of war by Germany and Italy. Increased war production pulled the United States out of the Great Depression and changed the face of the workforce. When the war ended in 1945, the United States emerged with strengthened political, military, and economic power. Learn more about the United States during the Great Depression and World War II with these records from the House of Representatives.As records of the past, some primary sources reflect outdated, biased, and offensive views and opinions that are no longer commonly accepted in the United States. Through civil discourse, active listening, and empathy, students should analyze these perspectives and their impact on the country’s development.Transcriptions and downloadable PDFs of these records are available at the links below.Discussion Questions:What are the responsibilities of governments during times of crisis?What strategies did the government use to assist Americans during the Great Depression? Brainstorm other strategies and explain how they might have helped Americans.Were New Deal projects conducted in your area? Discuss their immediate and long-term effects on your community.Consider how isolationism and pacifism are different. What were the isolationist arguments for staying out of World War II? What were the pacifist arguments?During World War II, the roles and freedoms of some Americans changed. Identify specific examples and discuss how the historical circumstances of the period contributed to these changes.How did women contribute to the war effort? How did their contributions change their role in American society?Why is it important to examine records from this historical era?1933, Engrossed Copy of Glass–Steagall ActThe Banking Act of 1933, more commonly known as the Glass–Steagall Act, was passed in the wake of the October 1929 stock market crash that plunged the nation into the Great Depression. The act sought tighter regulation of the financial industry mainly by separating the interests of commercial and investment banks. The legislation also created of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation—a mechanism for insuring deposits through a pool of funds contributed by participating banks.1935, Letter Supporting Social SecurityOhio resident A.E. Bosley wrote this letter to Representative Dow Harter of Ohio on March 5, 1935, regarding the proposed social security legislation in the House. Mr. Bosley endorsed an “Old Age Pension Plan of the National Government.” The Social Security Act was considered part of the “Second New Deal” legislation, which shifted from emergency measures that propped up the economy to programs that sought to provide a long-term social safety net.ca. 1939–1944, Regionalized Types of Farming in the United StatesDuring the Great Depression of the 1930s, the large number of Americans migrating between states drew the attention of the House of Representatives. To study this phenomenon, the House formed the Select Committee to Investigate the Migration of Destitute Citizens in April 1940. The select committee used this map of regionalized types of farming to better understand the relationship between agriculture and interstate migration.1941, The Lend–Lease Act of 1941After two months of hearings and debate, the House of Representatives passed this bill, H.R. 1776, “An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States,” which became known as the Lend–Lease Act. President Franklin Roosevelt proposed a lend–lease system that distributed military aid to “the government of any country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States.” This plan allowed the United States to continue to support the war against the Axis powers without involving American troops in a foreign war. Congressional isolationists, who opposed intervention in the war, asserted that a lend–lease policy disregarded American neutrality and gave the President “practically unlimited” authority.1941, Tally Sheet for Declaration of War against JapanThis tally sheet, documenting the House’s decision to declare war against Japan on December 8, 1941, is notable because of the lone “nay” vote. Despite pressure from her fellow Members, Montana Representative Jeannette Rankin, a lifelong pacifist who had voted against U.S. entry into World War I decades before, refused to vote yes, present, or to abstain from the vote entirely. She justified her position by remarking, “As a woman I can’t go to war, and I refuse to send anyone else.”1942, Japanese Internment BillThe United States entered World War II in December 1941 after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, authorizing evacuation of persons of Japanese descent. On March 17, 1942, the Committee on Military Affairs issued House Report No. 1906, recommending the passage of H.R. 6758, which gave teeth to the executive order by creating a “penalty for violation of restrictions or orders.” The bill became Public Law 77-503 on March 21, 1942, signaling the beginning of the relocation and internment of Japanese American residents of western states and the territory of Hawaii. Close to 120,000 individuals of Japanese descent, American citizens and Japanese citizens legally residing in the United States, were interned before the relocation order was rescinded in 1944.1944, Equal Pay for Equal Work BillWinifred Stanley of New York introduced H.R. 5056 in 1944 when the United States was nearing the end of World War II. The war mobilized women into the workforce in unprecedented numbers. Stanley had the foresight to see how the return of men serving overseas and the reduction of work related to war production could affect women’s employment. Equal pay for equal work eventually became law when John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act in 1963.Interested in more records from this era?1930, Star-Spangled Banner Telegram1930, Limiting Apportionment to Citizens1930, World War Veterans Request Bonus Payment1931, Exclusion of Non-Citizens from Apportionment1934, Oscar De Priest Discharge Petition1937, Letter Opposing the Fair Labor Standards Act1938, Letter Supporting Fair Labor Standards Act1938, Conference Report on the Fair Labor Standards Act1938, Supporting a National Vote to Declare War1939, Letter on Federal Art Projectca. 1941, Map of Florida Everglades Drainage District1941, Thanksgiving Holiday Bill1941, Small Businesses and National Defense1941, Radar Plot from Station Opana1942, Letter Supporting Internment1942, Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps Bill1942, Letter Urging Restraint in Internment1945, Defeat Un-Equal Rights AmendmentThis is part of a blog series about records from different eras of U.S. history.
Edition for Educators: Norman Mineta of California | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives
Since the First Congress opened in 1789, more than 11,000 people have served in the U.S. House of Representatives. Most served capably for a few terms and returned to their communities. But some lawmakers have left towering legacies and are remembered for their legislative prowess, path-breaking careers, and bold personalities. These Members of Congress, including powerful Speakers of the House, strong-willed legislators, trailblazing Representatives, and policy specialists, qualify as “Giants of the House.”Around the time of his 11th birthday in 1942, future U.S. Representative Norman Mineta of California and his family were imprisoned by the federal government in an internment camp at Heart Mountain, Wyoming, created to house Japanese Americans during World War II. Released in 1945, the family returned to San Jose, California, to rebuild their lives. Mineta would later graduate from college, serve in the U.S. Army and lead the city of San Jose as mayor, before embarking on a 22-year career in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served one term as chairman of the Public Works and Transportation Committee.In the House, Mineta sought to work with other Members on issues that impacted Asian Pacific Islander Americans, helping to create the Asian Pacific American Caucus.Well, as a member of Congress I would look at the success of the Congressional Black Caucus or the Hispanic Caucus and think, ‘Gee, we don’t have . . . a caucus that looks out after the interest of Asian Pacific Islanders.’ And so I started enquiring about [how] the Congressional Black Caucus and the Hispanic Caucus operated. And then called on not only Asian Pacific American Members of Congress, but more importantly those Congressional districts across the country where you would have a relatively large Asian Pacific American population, and enlist those members to join the caucus. And so we had a bipartisan caucus that dealt with . . . Asian Pacific American issues.Throughout his career, Mineta worked to address challenging issues including reparations for victims of internment. Mineta’s generation of lawmakers valued accountability and accessibility, but perhaps none more so than him. “It goes back to my own experience in terms of the evacuation and the internment of those of Japanese ancestry,” he said years later. “We didn’t have access to our political leaders at the time.”This month’s Edition for Educators highlights the historic career of Representative Norman Y. Mineta of California, a victim of internment who became a Congressman and later a Cabinet member under two different presidential administrations.From the California to the House ChamberPEOPLE PROFILE—Norman Y. Mineta of California Thirty years after being imprisoned by the United States government because of the happenstance of his ancestry, Norman Y. Mineta helped change forever the inner workings of the United States House of Representatives. Over a 20-year career in the House, the San Jose Congressman worked to make the federal lawmaking process more accountable. From the federal budget to the nation’s highway system, Mineta and his generation of reform-minded legislators redefined expectations on Capitol Hill. With the moral authority derived from having been unjustly incarcerated as a child, Mineta convinced Congress to address wartime internment and helped the country understand the sins of its past.BLOG—Edition for Educators—Asian Pacific Heritage Month California Representative Norman Mineta spent nearly four years of his childhood in an internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War II. First elected in 1974, Mineta served 11 terms in the House of Representatives and worked to hold the legislative process accountable and address the mistakes of the past. Learn more about the efforts and accomplishments of Mineta and other Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Congress for Asian Pacific Heritage Month. BLOG—Edition for Educators— Transportation and Infrastructure Since the First Continental Congress, America’s national legislature has taken responsibility in different ways for America’s transportation, communication, and trade. To bolster the nation’s defenses and develop the country’s commerce, early federal lawmakers used public resources to fund the construction of military installations, postal routes, lighthouses, and ports and harbors. This Edition for Educators highlights the role the House has in setting transportation and infrastructure policy, including the work of notable committee chairman Norman Mineta of California.RECORD—Internment records The United States entered World War II in December 1941 after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, authorizing the government to evacuate persons of Japanese descent. On March 17, 1942, the Committee on Military Affairs issued House Report No. 1906, recommending the passage of H.R. 6758, which gave teeth to the executive order by creating a “penalty for violation of restrictions or orders.” Learn more about House Committee interment records.Leadership and OrganizationESSAY—From Exclusion to Inclusion, 1941–1992 In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, the federal government, afraid that immigrants or their family members with Japanese ancestry had helped orchestrate the attacks from U.S. soil, uprooted more than 120,000 Japanese Americans living along the West Coast and placed them in internment camps out of “military necessity.” For these people, the war was a period of remarkable emotional and psychological trauma. Beginning in the nineteenth century, Congress and the courts prevented Japanese immigrants from becoming citizens and from participating in the political process. After 1924, Congress made them ineligible for admission into the United States entirely, and the federal government considered them a direct threat to the nation. The native-born children of Japanese immigrants were U.S. citizens, yet they were imprisoned by their own government, including four who years later would serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Because their community lacked a voice at almost every level of government, mainland Japanese Americans’ political exclusion was quickly compounded by their physical exclusion with internment.HISTORICAL DATA—Asian Pacific American Caucus Chairman and Chairwomen In 1994, Members of Asian and Pacific Islander descent created the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). Inspired by the Congressional Black and Hispanic Caucuses, CAPAC was created for Members to formally coordinate efforts to advance legislation pertaining to the interests of Asian Pacific American communities. Since its formation, the bipartisan and bicameral caucus has educated congressional colleagues on the history of the growing Asian Pacific American community in the United States and continues to build recognition in Congress. Representative Norman Mineta became the first caucus chair. This chart provides a list of individuals in caucus and conference positions. HOUSE COLLECTION—Featured Objects and ImagesNorman Y. Mineta Lapel PinCalifornian Norman Mineta represented a Silicon Valley district for 20 years. This relatively simple campaign button contained key pieces of information for his constituents, namely, the fact that he was an incumbent running for re-election and the district he represented. Mineta cofounded and chaired the Asian Pacific American Caucus, and chaired the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the 103rd Congress.Norman Yoshio Mineta PortraitThe portrait of Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Norm Mineta tracks his life and career from an internment camp for Japanese-Americans during World War II to the halls of Congress. Artists George and Jim Pollard used their signature blue-and-white background and layered it with a dream-like image of Mineta and his parents in Heart Mountain internment camp, and the Capitol appears at lower right.Additional ResourcesLearn more about Representative Norman Mineta, his life, and his achievements in these oral histories available through these institutions:Densho Digital Archive:Japanese American National Museum CollectionLibrary of Congress Veterans History ProjectLibrary of Congress, John W. Kluge Center:Protecting National Security & Civil LibertiesUnited States Capitol Historical SocietyThis is part of a series of blog posts for educators highlighting the resources available on History, Art & Archives of the U.S. House of Representatives. For lesson plans, fact sheets, glossaries, and other materials for the classroom, see the website's Education section.
Great Outdoors: Natural Resources Committee Portraits | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives
The House’s Natural Resources Committee oversees the nation’s vast public lands. What’s one way you can tell? Look at the portraits in the committee’s hearing rooms. The walls are lined with depictions of the chairs of this committee and its predecessors. For decades, its leaders have given visitors painted glimpses of the nation’s natural treasures, from shady palm trees to towering waterfalls. Take a look at a few of the outdoorsy paintings from the last half-century.James Andrew HaleyJames Haley retired in 1976 as chair of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, the Natural Resources Committee’s predecessor. He marked the occasion with a portrait that shows both the Capitol’s dome and the palm trees of Haley’s district in Sarasota, Florida. It was the first time a bit of nature from the chair’s district made its way into a committee portrait, an inclusion later leaders embraced with gusto. Artist Thornton Utz studied at Chicago’s American Academy of Art and came to portraiture after a career in magazine art. His affinity for the foibles of 1950s suburbia resulted in more than 50 gently-mocking covers for the Saturday Evening Post.George MillerGeorge Miller chaired the Natural Resources Committee for four years, and his portrait was the first to depict a specific location under the committee’s jurisdiction. Miller, a Californian with an interest in western water resources, chose to include Yosemite Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in the world, in his portrait. Like many a visitor before him, Miller sits on a low wall in Yosemite National Park, with the upper falls in the background.Nick Joe Rahall IIWhen Nick Rahall’s portrait was painted to mark his tenure as chair of the Natural Resources Committee, it followed a tradition of including elements related to the committee’s jurisdiction. The West Virginian stands atop Diamond Point on the Endless Wall Trail in his home state’s New River Gorge, a misty river view behind him. Rahall had an enduring interest in wild and scenic rivers in West Virginia, introducing legislation that helped preserve the New, Gauley, and Bluestone Rivers.Richard William PomboRichard Pombo also followed the committee’s tradition of including vistas from back home. For his portrait as chair of the Natural Resources Committee, the Sacramento Representative included a painting of the nearby Shasta Dam and Lake Shasta, the largest reservoir in California. Pombo asked the artist to include other historical aspects of his district: longhorn cattle horns, model logging truck, Native American blanket, and the Pombo family cattle brand embroidered on the chair’s shirt cuff.Prefer portraits that are more indoorsy? The Natural Resources Committee has plenty of those, too: