Government & political leaders
Edward Brooke
1919–2015
Massachusetts connection
Massachusetts U.S. senator; Boston University graduate
Elected in 1966, Brooke became the first Black U.S. senator elected directly by voters and the first Black U.S. senator from Massachusetts. He served from 1967 to 1979 and worked on housing and equal rights. A U.S. senator represents a state in the national government.
You can use your device’s reading tools or read with a partner.
Your turn, historian
Find a detail. Build an idea.
- What did this person or group do? Point to a detail in the reading.
- Whose voice did this person bring into public decisions?
- What would you like to find out next? Which kind of source could help?
“Edward Brooke mattered because ___. A detail that supports my idea is ___.”
Follow the evidence.
This short reading is an original classroom summary. Open the source with your teacher to check details and learn more.
Read the source: U.S. Senate ↗Ask: Who made this source? What can it tell us? What might it leave out?