Honors U.S. History students traveled to Richmond to visit the Library of Virginia to further their research on various Civil War topics for their research papers. While there, these juniors were able to get a close look of objects in the Special Collections Department including a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence, one of only four copies known to exist. They were even allowed to pass around a leather-bound book that once belonged to and was signed by Patrick Henry. When they carefully turned the pages, they even discovered notes written by Henry himself! There was a collection of letters from George Washington as well as a 1493 world history book printed before the Gutenberg press was invented. As part of their current theme on the Civil War, the Special Collections Director, Tom Camden, made sure the students saw the original copy of Virginia's Ordinance of Secession as well as a small book of President Lincoln's speeches. After the tour, students moved to the Reference section of the Library where they received help from five reference librarians who helped them as they found primary source material to enhance their thesis statements and make good papers great. After their research the students visited the Museum of the Confederacy and the White House of the Confederacy where they took pictures of artifacts to use in visual documentaries they will create after their papers are complete. What a day of hands-on history for these NSA juniors!