Maine Memory Network

Israel Washburn on Republicanism, Augusta, 1862

Contributed by: Washburn Norlands Living History Center Date: 1862-01-28 Location: Augusta Media: Ink on paper

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Hannibal Hamlin to Josiah Pierce, 1836

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: 1836 Location: Hampden Media: Ink on paper

Fashion for the People: Maine's Graphic Tees

From their humble beginnings as undergarments to today's fashion runways, t-shirts have evolved into universally worn wardrobe staples. Original graphic t-shirts, graphic t-shirt quilts, and photographs trace the 102-year history of the garment, demonstrating how, through the act of wearing graphic tees, people own a part of history relating to politics, social justice, economics, and commemorative events in Maine.

Port of Portland's Custom House and Collectors of Customs

The collector of Portland was the key to federal patronage in Maine, though other ports and towns had collectors. Through the 19th century, the revenue was the major source of Federal Government income. As in Colonial times, the person appointed to head the custom House in Casco Bay was almost always a leading community figure, or a well-connected political personage.

Maine's Road to Statehood - The Missouri Compromise: A Moral Dilemma

"[34] For further details on this debate and the opinions of Maine politicians and national figures, see Banks, Maine Becomes a State, 188-204."

Maine's Road to Statehood - Turn of the Century to the War of 1812

"But in the opinion of many, separation was potentially in the best economic interest for Maine. By 1807, the idea of separation was again emerging…"

How the first chapter Veterans for Peace was founded in Maine
by Doug Rawlings

Veterans for Peace was founded in Maine and is now an international movement

An Asian American Account
by Zabrina

An account from a Chinese American teen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Becoming Maine: The Votes for Statehood

Grade Level: 3-5 Content Area: Social Studies
Maine became a state in 1820 after separating from Massachusetts, but the call for statehood had begun long before the final vote. Why did it take so long? Was 1820 the right time? In this lesson, students will begin to place where Maine’s statehood fits into the broader narrative of 18th and 19th century American political history. They will have the opportunity to cast their own Missouri Compromise vote after learning about Maine’s long road to statehood.

Becoming Maine: The District of Maine's Coastal Economy

Grade Level: 3-5 Content Area: Social Studies
This lesson plan will introduce students to the maritime economy of Maine prior to statehood and to the Coasting Law that impacted the separation debate. Students will examine primary documents, take part in an activity that will put the Coasting Law in the context of late 18th century – early 19th century New England, and learn about how the Embargo Act of 1807 affected Maine in the decades leading to statehood.