As the next presidential election draws ever nearer, we turn to the history of politics in America. Visit an exhibit on Democrats in Denver in 1908, read summaries of past Democratic and Republican conventions, and check out a map on voting and population data over time. Then we switch to National Parks and preservation. Hear about a battlefield threatened by Wal-Mart, learn about National Parks in the classroom, and read up on repair plans for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Finally we link to the National Archives’ special document displays, the future digitization of the Dead Sea scrolls, and an upcoming conference in memory of Charles Tilly.

• 1908, When the Democrats First Came to Denver
  Riding the wave of political news, the Denver Public Library offers an online exhibit on "1908, When the Democrats First Came to Denver."
• Political Conventions Throughout History
  
  Staff in the Humanities and Social Sciences division of the Library of Congress have prepared historical summaries of past Democratic and Republican conventions.
• Mapping the Vote
  Pioneering digital scholar Ed Ayers has created the "Voting America, United States Politics 1840-2008" web site that "examines the evolution of presidential politics in the United States across the span of American history." The site allows users to customize the display of voting and population data over time. Hat tip.
• Proposed Wal-Mart Store Endangers Wilderness Battlefield in Virginia
  The National Coalition for History recently reported on how a proposed Wal-Mart in Orange County, Virginia, may threaten the nearby Wilderness Battlefield National Park.
• Bringing National Parks into the Classroom
  The National History Education Clearinghouse shares information on what the National Park Service is doing to “bring the diverse historical heritage of our national parks into schools.”
• Repair, Not Replacement, for the Tomb of the Unknowns
  The National Trust for Historic Preservation, at their PreservationNation blog, celebrates the news that repairs (instead of replacement) will be done to the Tomb of the Unknowns. Read more about the NTHP’s efforts in this matter on their Tomb of the Unknown Soldier page.
• National Archives Presents Three Summer Featured Document Displays
  The Treaty of Paris will be presented as a “special document display” at the National Archives at the end of this month in recognition of the treaty’s 225th anniversary, according to a press release from NARA.
• Israel to Display the Dead Sea Scrolls on the Internet
  The New York Times reports on the future digitization of the Dead Sea scrolls.
• A Celebration of the Life and Works of Charles Tilly
  To honor the  life of recently deceased historian and sociologist Charles Tilly, the Social Science Research Council and Columbia University will be holding the Hirschman Award Ceremony and a two-day conference, on “Contention, Change, and Explanation,” in his memory. It is free to attend the conference and award ceremony, but registration is required. Also, check out their excellent collection of Annotated Links to Charles Tilly Resources.

Contributors: Elisabeth Grant, Vernon Horn, and Robert B. Townsend

This post first appeared on AHA Today.