U.S. History Links

New Links page

Fri, 14 Apr 2006 20:21:21 GMT

Hello, please note in addition to this links page, there is now a companion site devoted to African American history. You can find this page at http://spaces.msn.com/afroam. It will contain all future updates regarding African American history.

Updates

Tue, 20 Sep 2005 10:43:24 GMT

I've now broadened the content of the site. It roughly conforms to the time period set out for a modern U.S. history survey, roughly 1877 to 1990. If the size of the categories/dates appear a little arbitrary, its because microsoft will only allow for the creation of so many lists on one webpage!

Hello

Wed, 27 Jul 2005 15:01:11 GMT

Hello,

Welcome to my page of U.S. History Links. The page offers weblinks to primary resources relating to U. S. History. At the moment, most of the links relate to either the civil rights movement or America in the 1960s, but this should change as and when I have time. You can access the sections by clicking on the "lists" section.

Jonathan Watson

Custom List: American Foreign Policy

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:28:39 GMT

American Foreign Policy

National Security Archive: Nixon In China
Declassified documents relating to the Nixon administration's relations with China.
The Gulf of Tonkin, 1964: http://tapes.millercenter.virginia.edu/exhibits/tonkin/
Exactly what happened at the Gulf of Tonkin? What motivated President Johnson's response that led to escalation in Viet Nam? This online exhibit presents you with tasty snippets of taped conversations regarding the process.
BBC Radio 4: Kennedy's Secret Tapes
Radio documentary providing a narrative history of the missile crisis, somplete with excerpts from tape recordings of ExComm meetings. A useful place to start.
The Avalon Project: Foreign Relations of the United States : 1961-1963 Cuban Missile Crisis and Aftermath
Collection of declassified documents charting the US involvement with Cuba, from the Bay of Pigs fiasco, through the crisis and beyond. Worth having some idea of the crisis before pitching into these.
The National Security Archive: Cuban Missile Crisis
Declassified documents, audio and photographs relating to the crisis.
You Tube: President Kennedy's Address to the Nation, (Oct 22nd 1962)
The President's address to the nation 6 days after learning of the presence of Soviet missiles on Cuba. As this is Your Tube, the link may not work so use the search function to find the link.
Domino Theory Principle, Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1954
The press conference in which Eisenhower made public the "domino theory". To find the section, look for the questions on Indochina.
The Cold war Files: Interpreting History Through Documents
Resource bank of primary source material. Includes text and audio. Worth checking out before you move onto the Ferraro site.
Learning Curve: Cold War
British National Archives Resource. Contains some useful documents/links
CNN: Cold War Historical Documents
Doucments to tie-in with the tv series
NSC 68: United States Objectives and Programs for National Security, 1950
This long document set out in detail the United States agenda within the context of the Cold War and the nature of the threat posed by the Soviet Union. If you don't want to read all of it, read parts I-IV.
The Avalon Project: North Atlantic Treaty; April 4, 1949
The basic text of the treaty establishing the key Western military alliance of the Cold War.
Truman Library: the Truman Doctrine
Comprehensive site covering the drafting process of the Truman Doctrine speech to Congress on March 12, 1947.
George Kennan, Excerpts from Telegraphic Message from Moscow of February 22, 1946
Highlights from the "long telegram" that formed the basis of the Truman Doctrine. Dictated by George Kennan, charge d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. The original telegram was c. 8,000 words, this site provides you with the highlights.
BBC Newsnight: Hiroshima & Nagasaki
A BBC news report from 1983 - height of the 2nd Cold War - that features original footage shot by the US army of the aftermath of the two atomic bombs. Click top right to watch.
Voice of Hibakusha: Eye-witness accounts of the bombing of Hiroshima
These testimonies offer accounts of the brutal impact of the first atomic bomb from survivors of its first use on Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945.
HIROSHIMA: Harry Truman's Diary & Papers
A valuable companion to the Truman library site noted above. This site contains more personal material from Truman, including letters to his wife, that further help us understand the motivations behind the use of atomic weapons.
Atomic Bomb: Decision
Another useful collection of documents on the decision to drop the bomb. Includes a great multiple-perspective recollection of the occasion at Potsdam when Truman told Stalin about the bomb's existence.
Truman Library: The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb
A chronological collection of letters, diary entries and minutes from meetings charting the development of the atomic bomb and the decision to use as written by President Truman himself. An invaluable resource for this controversial subject.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt's address to Congress, December 8, 1941
Scanned copy of Roosevelt's speech to a joint session of Congress and audio of the war message.
The Avalon Project: The Atlantic Charter, August 14th 1941
Text of the statement of shared values signed by Roosevelt and Churchill 5 months before Pearl Harbor.
Neutrality Act (1937)
Text of joint resolution attempting to prevent US involvement in foreign military conflict.
Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928
Full text of the treaty.
Waren Harding: Inaugual Speech March 4th, 1921
An in triguing read, mainly because most people associate Harding with isolationsim and "normalcy". While the speech does call for "normalcy to reach stability", it also notes the need for "a world-wide benediction of understanding" to prevent future war.
President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points, January 8, 1918.
The Wilsonian Plan for lasting peace.
Woodrow Wilson: War Message, April 2nd 1917
As the title suggests. Check out the Vincent Ferraro site for Wilson's earlier statements.
The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine: December 6, 1904
Theodore Roosevelt's approach to the United States' relationship with its continental neighbours. Big stick anyone?
The Platt Amendment (1901)
The Platt Amendment was a rider appended to the Army Appropriations Act, a United States federal law passed on March 2, 1901 that defined the terms of Cuban-U.S. relations until 1934.
The Open Door Note, U.S. Secretary of State, John Hay, September 6, 1899
A critical document in the history of the United States development as an international power. deals with U.S. Policy in relation to China.
William McKinley - Declaration of War with Spain (April 25th 1898)
Text of the President's declaration of war with Spain.
The Teller Amendment (April 20th 1898)
Text of the congressional resolutions proposed by Senator Henry Teller outlining the American desire for Cuban Independence.
Vincent Ferraro: Resources for the Study of International Relations and Foreign Policy
Stunningly large online collection of policy documents by era/subject. An essential resource for students of U.S. foreign policy.

Custom List: Civil Rights/Black Power

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 07:05:31 GMT

Civil Rights/Black Power

American Radicalism: The Black Panthers
Small collection of documents relating to the BPP. Click on textto view scanned versions of the original documents.
Black Panther Newspaper Collection
It's About Time: Black Panther Party Legacy and Alumni
General site. Excellent photo collections.
Malcolm X: A Research Site
A useful collection of speeches.
Malcolm X, “The Ballot or the Bullet”, April 1964
Martin Luther King Papers Project at Stanford University
As it suggests.
Martin Luther King. Jr., “Letter From a Birmingham City Jail”, April 1963
Key text for understanding King’s fully formed concept of non-violent direct action.
Powerful Days in Black and White
Charles Moore's photography of the Civil Rights Era - includes pictures of two of the most famous campaigns of the movement: Birmingham 1963 and Selma 1965.
African American Odyssey
Library of Congress site. Contains several collections of documents and online displays.
Oh Freedom Over Me by John Biewen
Contains interviews with campaigners from the 1964 Freedom Summer (the campaign to register voters in Mississippi) and images. Links to a three-part online radio programme on the subject.
National Civil Rights Museum
Webcorp: Voices of the Civil Rights Era
Audio clips
Radio and Television Report to the American People on Civil Rights, June 11th 1963
In the aftermath of King’s Birmingham campaign and events at theUniversity of Alabama, President Kennedy addressed thae nation on the issue of civil rights.
"Just the Meanest, Dirtiest Lowdown Stuff I've Ever Heard" Lyndon Johnson, Civil Rights &Voter Intimidation 1964
A Miller Center online exhibit presenting audio excerpts & transcripts detailing the Johnson Adminstration's response to continued intimidation of black voters.
Civil Rights Leaders and the President
Includes scanned copies of letters and telegrams from civil rights leaders to President Kennedy. Includes
The President, The Wildcard and the Link - Selma 1965
Another online exhibit from the Miller Center. This one explores how the Johnson Administration negotitated with Gov. George Wallace to secure a successful outcome to the Selma March of 1965.
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
Site contains speeches and oral histories relating to the civilrights movement.
LBJ White House Tapes
Access to Johnson’s taped phone conversations. Click on the subject section for calls relating to civil rights
Lyndon Johnson, "We Shall Overcome"", March 15th, 1965 at U.S. Historical Documents Archive
Lyndon Johnson’s speech to Congress during the passage of the Voting Rights Act.
“The Basis of Black Power”: SNCC Position Paper 1966
Integrating Ole Miss: A Civil Rights Milestone
Documentation and audio from the struggle to integrate the University of Mississippi in 1962.
ry of Congress: Images of 20th Century African American Activists: A Select List
Television News of the Civil Rights Era, 1950-1970
Remarkable collection of films and documents covering the period. Well worth a look.
Unseen. Unforgotten.
Collection of photographs from the Birmingham News (Alabama) covering the civilr rights movement from the 1950s through to the mid 1960s.
1961 Freedom Rider’s 40th Reunion: Jackson, Mississippi, Veteran's Day Weekend, November 8-11,2001
Small collection of newspaper articles covering the CORE/SNCC sponsored bus/bus depot desegregation campaign of 1961.
SNCC 1960-1966: Six Years of the Student Non-Violent Co-ordinating Committee
Contains interviews with leading members on one of the key groups constituting the mainstream civil rights movement.
Greensboro Sit-ins: Launch of a Civil Rights Movement
Contains interviews with the college students who challenged segregation in a Woolworth’s restaurant in North Carolina. Their protest led to a wave of copycat sit-ins across the South.
Eisenhower Library: Civil Rights Act of 1957
Documents detailing the process by which President eisenhower constructed the 1957 Civil Rights Act.
Eisenhower Library: Little Rock School Integration Crisis
A fascinating set of documents tracing the presidential response to the the school integration crisis at Little Rock High School, Arkansas, in 1957.
Eisenhower Library: Civil Rights: Eisenhower and the Eisenhower Administration
Set of documents detailing the Eisenhower Administration's investigations into segregation and its relationships with civil rights leadership.
Eisenhower Library: Emmett Till Case 1955
Offers documentation from the Eisenhower Administration, FBI and the NAACP dealing with the aftermath of the murder of Emmett Till. For instance, the FBI believed the murder would be exploited by the Communist Party.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott: They Changed The World
Website established by the local Montgomery Advertiser newspaper. Contains text of local newspaper articles and a number of audio interviews with people who took part in the boycott. A fantastic resource.
The Murder Of Emmett Till
PBS site with a timeline and documents relating to the murder of Till and the acquittal of his murderers. The site also contains the confession to two killers then gave to Look magazine and responses to that piece from the magazine's letters page.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Newspaper Archive
Searchable archive that includes free and pay content of a vast collection of newspaper articles on Martin Luther King. Try to search by date rather than subject if you want pieces from the period itself - otherwise.
Eisenhower Library: Brown v. Board of Education
Documents detailing the executive response to the decision.
Brown v. Board Of Education Digital Archive
University of Michigan site containing summaries of key court cases/photos and discussions of consequent issues such as resegregation. A useful place to start.
Teacher's Domain: Diane Nash and the Sit-Ins
In this interview, civil-rights leader Diane Nash recalls her role in the 1960 Nashville sit-ins, the 1961 Freedom Rides, and the 1965 voting rights campaign in Selma, Alabama.
Fannie Lou Hamer: Testimony Before the Credentials Committee, Democratic National Convention (Aug 1964)
Full text and audio of the speech that helped highlight the limits of Democratic agenda regarding civil rights. Hamer represented a group of black Democrats trying to replace the tradit. Mississ. Dem. Party. They failed.
Dick Gregory: Speech at St. John's Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama - May 20, 1963
Dick Gregory was/is a stand up comic/activist. This brilliant routine was delivered in Birmingham, Alabama during the 1963 protests. A great example of how the city's black community relaxed during one of the most hard fought campaigns of the struggle.
Eyes On The Prize: America's Civil rights Movement, 1954-1985
This fantastic site is geat place to start for teachers and students. Every major theme/event of the movement is detailed through film, music and newspaper reports. Want to know the basics? Start here.
Museum of Broadcast Communications.
After you join for free, this website allows you to watch PBS documentaries on Little Rock, King, Malcolm X, George Wallace and LBJ among others. Use the search function and enjoy.
Civil Rights Movement Veterans
An encyclopedic collection of oral histories, interviews, photographs and a brilliant timeline produced by those involved in the movement themselves. If you're looking for primary source material, use this site.

Custom List: 1960-1975

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:21:51 GMT

1960-1975

Herblock: I Am Not A Crook - Cartoons on Watergate
Washington Post cartoonist Herbert Block produced these great cartoons analysing Nixon and Watergate as the case unfolded. A great resource for interpreting the downfall of Nixon by a man the president once professed "got to him".
Watergate Info
Timeline and documents detailing the basics of (possibly) the mother of all acts of presidential corruption.
National Archives: When Nixon Met Elvis
Great little site detailing the moment when the King met the President in order to become a "federal agent at large" to tackle America's drug problem(!!!) Pictures and documents to download.
Gerald Ford Library: The Watergate Files
Useful introductory site introducing Watergate and including a number of useful documents.
Nixon White House Tapes - Online
Nixon wasn't the first president to record conversations in the White House, but the tapes proved to have major consequences. Contains Watergate trial tapes, including the "smoking gun" tape and conversations about China. Go and have a look.
Richard Nixon Re-election song (1972)
This song by the Mike Curb Congregation attempts to explain why the US needed "Nixon now more than ever" in 1972. If you can listen to all of it you probably need help. Still, this was the state of the political campaign song in the 1970s.
MSU: Vincent Voice Library: Richard Nixon
Full audio of speeches given by Ricahrd Nixon, from the "checkers" speech, to the resignation address.
Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler, “Ballad of the Green Berets” (1966)
Full audio of pro-war paen to the men of the green berets.
RFK: American Experience
Go to the special features page and click on the "Shock Year: 1968" section. It provides an interactive timeline for the year.
1968 Revisited
Timeline and resources detailing student protest at New York University.
The Digger Papers
Scanned reprint of the The Digger Papers – including “Trip without a Ticket”.
Oyez: Roe v. Wade (1973)
Outline of the case that gave federal sanction to abortion. Site gives basics of the case, which justices supported the ruling, and links to audio including a podcast analyzing the case.
Documents from the Women’s Liberation Movement
Comprehensive collection of primary documents.
The CWLU Herstory Website Project: Classic Feminist Writings
Valuable collection of key documents and articles
George Wallace: Settin the Woods on Fire
Companion site to PBS Documentary
Winter Soldier
Site documenting the role of veterans in the anti-vietnam war movment.
Two Days in October
Companion site to Pbs documentary detailing first violent anti-war demonstration on a U.S. university campus and the fortunes of one platoon of American soldiers in South Vietnam. Contains video interviews.
History and Politics Out Loud
Website with audio from key events of the 20th century. Includes tapes relating to the Cuban Missile Crisis, Civil Rights and Watergate.
"The Harvard Law School Forum: Women - Dare We Not Discriminate?"
Full audio of 1966 discussion between Betty Friedan and Pauli Murray.
Kent State University Online Exhibits and Chronologies of May 4 1970
Kent State University in Ohio was the site of one of the most notorious protests of the Vietnam era when National guardsmen shot 4 students dead on May 4 1970. The university's library provides these useful chronologies to guide you through the events.
University of Washington: Vietnam War Era Ephemera Collection
Scanned copies of documents relating to a number of areas, including Vietnam, the Women's Movement and the Gay Rights Movement.
The Hard Hat Riots: An Online History Project
Details one of the backlashes against the antiwar movement.
A Visual Journey:Photographs by Lisa Law 1965-1971
During the late 1960s Lisa Law toured California photographing members of the counterculture and some of the critical events from the period. If you're looking for pictures to help understand the period, this is a good place to start.
Sir! No Sir!
Companion website to the documentary detailing the anti-Vietnam war movement within the U.S. military. Click on archives and resources to examine interviews, newspapers and photographs from the movement. An excellent collection.
Stonewall and Beyond: Lesbian and Gay Culture
Use the index to reach the stonewall section. Includes newspapers reports and photographs covering the events at the Stonewall Inn in 1969.
You Tube: CBS News (Feb. 27, 1968) - Report from Vietnam
Trusted CBS News Anchorman Walter Cronkite informs the nation that, after the Tet Offensive, the United States is now "mired in stalemate" in Vietnam. Full text is avaliable from History Matters in the general links section.
You Tube: NETWORK EVENING NEWS CBS,NBC,ABC, SUMMARY OF VIETNAM NEWS (65-68)
Apparently these excerpts are taken from Vanderbilt University's recording of news reports from US networks between 1965 & 1968. These clips provide us with a chance to explore the meaning of the term "tv war".
Mayor Richard Daley on the Community Action Program, Dec. 1965
Miller Center audio and transcription in which the mayor of Chicago, Richard Daley, voices his opposition to one of the central planks of the War on Poverty: the Community Action Program. A great example of the tensions the policy caused.
Lyndon Johnson, "The Great Society" University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, May 22, 1964
Lyndon Johnson's speech outlining the nature of the proposed Great Society/War On Poverty.
Google Video: Ronald Reagan "A Time For Choosing" 1964
Ronald Reagan first came to prominence as a politician in 1964 through this campaign speech for Republican Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater. The speech offers a glimpse of the origins of the New Right politics that Reagan represented in the 80s.
You Tube: Republican For Johnson campaign ad (1964)
4 minute election broadcast in the form of a monologue by a liberal Republican talking to camera. As striking as the "Daisy" ad in its way. For other campaign adverts, explore the EASE history site in the general links section.
TeachingAmericanHistory.Org - Lyndon Johnson
Selection of Speeches, Documents relating to Johnson's Domestic & Foreign Policies.
Lyndon Johnson Library & Museum: Media On Demand
Audio and video of critical moments in the Johnson presidency.
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum: Selected Speeches & Messages
Useful collection of speeches outlining critical policy decisions/statements.
SDS Documents Michigan
Some quite specific documents. Also useful for study of the anti-war movement.
Free Speech Movement Archives
Collection of speeches/documents from the Berkeley protests
Free Speech Movement Digital Archive
More documents from the University of California, Berkeley.
The Cuban Missile Crisis: The Washington Post
Full text of The Washington Post covering the period October 22nd to October 29th, 1962.
The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962: The 40th Anniversary
Excellent collection of audio, documents and analysis from the National Security Archive.
In Touch: One of the students remebers Kent State
This Ohio University page contains a video in which Dean Kahler, one of nine students wounded at Kent State on May 4 1970 revisits the events. Contains excellent footage of the event. A great oral history resource.
George Wallace for President 1968 Campaign Brochure
In 1968, George Wallace, the former Governor of Alabama, ran as a thrid party presidential candidate. While he didn't win his appeal streched far outside the South.
“We Are Living in a State of Anarchy”: Radical Assessments and Agendas in theYear 1968
Six years prior to these statements, Tom Hayden had co-written the Port Huron statement. What had changed?
Peter Schrag, "The Forgotten American," Harper's, August 1969
Peter Schrag's piece for Harper's magazine captures the boiling resentment of those whites who felt ignored and disadvantaged by government policies designed to eradicate poverty. An example of the entrenched opposition to the movement.
Richard Nixon, Address to the nation on the war in Vietnam ("Silent Majority" speech), November 3, 1969.
Richard Nixon's election victory was partly a consequence of appealing the to the "silent majority". How does he define them here?
August 1968: Gore Vidal vs William F. Buckley (You Tube)
Gore Vidal gets involved in a heated debate with conservative William F. Buckley over the American presidency. A row that gives you some idea of either how much these two hated each other, or the visceral nature of politics in 1968.

Custom List: 1975-2000

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:56:14 GMT

1975-2000

BBC On This Day: Jimmy Swaggart
TV Footage of "televangelist" Jimmy Swaggart seeking forgivenessfor having an affair with a prostitute in May 1988.
The Harvard Law School Forum: Phyllis Schlafly - "The ERA - Is There a Future?" - April 25, 1984
Full audio of critique of the ERAby Phyllis Schlafly.
The Harvard Law School Forum: Rev. Jerry Falwell, "The Role of Religion in Politics" (introduction by Professor Laurence Tribe)
Discussion of the role of Christian Conservatism in politics.
Google Video: Dream Deceivers: The Trial Of Judas Priest
In 1985, a fan in Nevada took the band Judas Priest to court claiming their music had made him try to commit suicide. This tv documentary provides an insight into the cultural conflicts surrounding the case. Recorded on video, then uploaded.
National Security Archive: The Iran-Contra Affair 20 Years On
Collection of documents detailing the process of selling missiles to Iran, to free hostages, so you can take the money to back an army in Nicaragua that Congress has banned you from funding. Confused? Read on...
You Tube: CNN Special Report Televangelism 3/3 (1981)
This 1981 special report provides a fascinating contemporary insight into the relationship between the religious right and US politics. Divided into 3 parts.
You Tube: CNN Special Report Televangelism 2/3 (1981)
This 1981 special report provides a fascinating contemporary insight into the relationship between the religious right and US politics. Divided into 3 parts.
You Tube: CNN Special Report Televangelism 1/3 (1981)
This 1981 special report provides a fascinating contemporary insight into the relationship between the religious right and US politics. Divided into 3 parts.
Reagan
Website created by PBS to tie in with their documentary. Includes full text of key speeches.
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library: Speeches
Text of key speeches from Reagan, including those from his 1980campaign.
CNN: The Reagan Years
Contains and audio and video of some of the critical events from the Reagan presidency.
NPR: Ronald Reagan, In His Own Words
As this website puts it: Ronald Reagan's ability to connect with audiences, whether as a movie actor or the nation's 40th president, earned him the nickname the "Great Communicator." Hear and watch key speeches and other memorable moments from Reagan's car
You Tube: Ronald Reagan's First Inaugural Speech (1981) pt 3.
The final part of the address, broken up to meet with You Tube's time requirements.
You Tube: Ronald Reagan's First Inaugural Speech (1981) pt 2.
Second part. "Time to check and reverse the size of government."
Miller Center: Ronald Reagan Speeches
Audio and text of the key speeches from Ronald Reagan's career.
Miller Center: Reagan Administration Oral Histories
Collection of transcripts from a number of members of the Reagan White House.
Miller Center: Jimmy Carter Oral History
PDF's of the wide-ranging interview undertaken with Carter in 1982 covering all aspects of his nomination and presidency.
You Tube: Ronald Reagan's First Inaugural Speech (1981) pt 1.
Part 1 of Ronald Reagan's first inaugural address. A great example of Reagan's ideas about government policy, domestic and foreign.
Iran Revolution & Hostage Crisis part 2
These excerpts from a National Geographic documentary provide us with some useful footage of the 1979 crisis - if you can put up with slightly dramatic/overly urgent presentation.
You Tube: Iran Revolution & Hostage Crisis part 1
These excerpts from a National Geographic documentary provide us with some useful footage of the 1979 crisis - if you can put up with slightly dramatic/overly urgent presentation.
WFMU's Songs Of Energy Crises Past (MP3s)
Web page featuring MP3s of some of the protest songs released during the 1970s and 80s as oil crises hit the U.S. economy and consumers. Bobby B. Baker's "Take your oil and shove it" offers a unique response to the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979.
The American Experience: Jimmy Carter
PBS Website. Contains documents and news footge relating to the Carter Presidency.
Jimmy Carter Library: The Iranian Hostage Crisis
Carter Library's own webpage offering a few documents relating to the hostage crisis that began in 1979. Includes excerpts from one hostage's diary.
Jimmy Carter: "Energy and the National Goals - A Crisis of Confidence"
Text and audio of Carter's 1979 speech outlining a national malaise.
Key Presidential Speeches of Gerald R. Ford
The kind of website you didn't know you needed. Still, some important documents regarding a neglected period in US history.
The Daily Diary of President Gerald R. Ford, April 28, 1975
Online version of the president's diary, with links to documents, on the day Saigon fell to the Communists. Fascinating insight into daily life in the Oval Office.
NPR: 1981 Strike Leaves Legacy for American Workers
National Public Radio site offering a useful timeline of the showdown between Reagan and air traffic contollers. They went on strike, he sacked all of them. What were the consequences?
Pat Buchanan; 1992 Republican National Convention Speech
Want to understand the fault lines in the culture wars? Pat Buchanan's speech in 1992 highlights the polarisation of social values on the Republican right.
RECORD LABELING - Congressional Hearings 1985
Full text of the congressional hearings on profanity in the music industry. A fascinating example of the debate over values and free expression.
Bill Clinton - Radio address regarding deadlock with Congress
In 1996 President Clinton and a Republican congress could not agree on budget issues. Clinton's radio address on the issue tells us about the struggle, and also offers an outline of the centrist Democrat approach to welfare.
Contract With America 1994
The set of legislation proposals set forward by Repuiblican congressional candidates in 1994 intended to check the liberal tendencies of the Clinton Administration. Another key document in the culture wars of the period.

Custom List: 1940-1945

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:46:30 GMT

1940-1945

A. Philip Randolph 1889-1979
Go to the civil rights section to view a few documents relatingto the MOWM.
Library of Congress: Rosie Pictures: Select Images Relating to American Women Workers During World War II
Selection of photographs, posters and cartoons relating to the employment of women workers during World War Two.
Rutgers Oral History Archives
Go to "conflict index" to find interviews with people recallingtheir experiences on the American Home front.
African American mosaic: Cavalcade of the American Negro
Documents relating to the black contribution to the Chicago exposition of 1940.
NARA: Powers of Persuasion, Poster Art of World War II
Exactly as it suggets.
Donald Duck: The Spirit Of 1943
Disney cartoon in which Donald Duck takes on the axis.
Doctor Seuss Went to War
Wartime cartoons by the creator of the Cat in the Hat.
Voices of World War II: Experiences From the Front and at Home
Great set of audio/pictures/documents dealing with all aspects of the home front from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Highly Recommended.
Radio Days: The Battle for Iwo Jima
Contains radio accounts of some of the heaviest fighting of the Pacific War.
PRODUCE FOR VICTORY: Posters on the American Home Front (1941-45)
World War II posters helped to mobilize a nation. Inexpensive, accessible, and ever-present, the poster was an ideal agent for making war aims the personal mission of every citizen. Government agencies, businesses, and private organizations issued an array
Aliens In Our Midst (1942).
On May 10, 1942 the University of Chicago Round Table broadcast Aliens In Our Midst over the Red Network of the National Broadcasting Company. This "radio discussion" broadcast from the University of Chicago raised questions such as "What are we doing abou
ROSIE THE RIVETER PROJECT
A set of oral historries conducted with veterans of the home front. Requires adobe acrobat as the interviews open in PDF files.
“That’s Why I’m Marching”: Mobilizing African Americans for War
Contains propaganda material designed to bring African Americans into the war effort. Contains propaganda film using the battle between Max Schmelling and Joe Louis as a metaphor for the broader conflict.
Historic Government Publications From World War Two
Southern Methodist University's collection of official government documents & pamphlets. Fully searchable, documents appear in PDF format.
The Authentic History Center: World war two In Toons
See how Donald duck, Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny were used to confront the Nazis & Japanese in these excerpts.
PBS Zoot-Suit Riots
Website exploring the race riot that hit Los Angeles in 1943. White servicemen and locals turned on young Mexican and African-Americans - especially those wearing Zoot-Suits. Find out about this conflict over race, space and fashion here.
The Stanley Hayami Diary, 1941-1944.
Stanley Hayami was a Japanese American student from Los Angeleswho attended high school at the Heart Mountain concentration camp in Wyoming. This is his diary. An excellent resource.
After the Day of Infamy: "Man-on-the-Street" Interviews Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor.
Audio interviews with American citizens.
Voices of World War II: Experiences From the Front and at Home
A collection of radio broadcasts and oral histories from the war era.
Densho: Testimonies of Japanese American Incarceration
Website full of the testimonies of Japanese-Americans incarcerated during World War Two. The site contains different sections privding chronology and maps. You must complete free registration to access the testimonies.
THE VOICES OF WWII FOR USE IN THE CLASSROOM
This site provides audio and video testimonies from US war veterans. The site covers the European, Pacific and domestic fronts and the issue of Japanese-American internment.
FDR on African Americans in the Military (Sept 27 1940)
The Miller Center For Political Affairs has produced this audio & transcription of FDR's discussion with A. Phillip Randolph and Walter White regarding the presence of African Americans in the US army. A truly incredible insight from over 60 years ago.
"What We're Fighting For": American Visions of National Purposes and Social Relationships During World War II
A great collection of posters/advertisements that asks students to develop an analysis of how these images aimed to either reflect or mould public opinion. Another fine resource from the late Roland Marchand.
The Evacuation of the Japanese Following Pearl Harbor
The late Roland Marchand's source task asks us to consider the competing forces that shaped policy toward Japanese Americans during World War Two and consider their effects.
Studs Terkel: The Good War
Studs Terkel is an oral historian who has spent much of the past fifty years talking to Americans about their life experiences. These selections were used in his book The Good War that traced the impact of World War Two on American society.

Custom List: 1929-1939

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 10:54:50 GMT

1929-1939

Portrait of America: Survey Graphic In The 1930s
Collection of articles from the magazine that charted the social development of the United States through the 1930s. A great resource.
A Gullible Nation? A Closer Look At That Night Of Panic
Great site offering full audio of the night in 1938 when Orson Welles convinced thousands of Americans that aliens had landed via a radio play of War of the Worlds. Provides context of the scare within American radio and world events.
Action Comics, No. 1 (June 1938)
Toward the end of the depression, Superman made his first appearance in this comic. The whole of it is reproduced here - what can Superman, and the other stories here, tell us about the period in which it was produced?
America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photgraphs from the FSA/OWI, 1935-1945.
Library of Congress site including photgraphs by Dorothea Lange.
Voices of the Dust Bowl: The Charles L. Todd and Robert Sonkin Migrant Worker Collection
Library of Congress site providing text and audio from California's migrant labour camps.
America In The 1930s
A remarkable website from the University of Virginia. Contains numerous examples of popular culture - including advertising and radio - as well as a helpful, detailed timeline.
Studs Terkel: Recordings From Hard Times
Studs Terkel has spent his entire career interviewing Americans about their experiences. This page from his website offers you the opportunity to listen to some of the inteviews conducted for Hard Times, his oral history of America in the 1930s.
FDR Library: Fireside Chats Of Franklin D. Roosevelt
So, we all know FDR reassured a worried nation through a series of radio messages, but what did he actually say? This archive gives you the full text of the critical addresses.
FDR & The Court-Packing Controversy
Supreme Court history site that includes an online documentary regarding FDR's attempts to overcome a conservative Supreme Court by adding extra justices. Click on the link to start the documentary.
The New Deal Network
Massive resource of documents relating to the New Deal. Essential.
The Depression Papers of Herbert Hoover
Was Herbert Hoover really the naive, aloof blunderer depicted by the Roosevelt Administration/every tv documentary on the Great Depression since? Make up your own mind with the help of these documents from his presidency.
Hoover Online!: Hoover and the Depression:
Documents relating to the Hoover Administration's response to the Great Depression.
Huey Long, "Every Man A King" 1934
An fine example of the way the "Kingfish" became so increadibly popular during the early years of the depression.

Custom List: 1917-1929

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 23:42:12 GMT

1917-1929

Prosperity and Thrift: The Coolidge Era and the Consumer Economy, 1921-1929
Wide array of Library of Congress source materials from the 1920s that document the widespread prosperity of the Coolidge years, the nation's transition to a mass consumer economy, and the role of government in this transition.
The Emergence of Advertising in America: 1850 - 1920: John W. Hartmann Center for Sales, Advertising and Marketing History
Collection of advertisments from the early years of the advertising industry.
Poster for the Milwaukee KKK inviting citizens to a summer 1924rally.
Poster advertising klan rally in Milwaukee, 1924.
Rhapsodies in Black: Art of the Harlem Renaissance
Site accompanying a recent exhibition covering the Harlem Renaissance. Contains brief essays and examples of art.
American Experiece: Monkey Trial
Excellent site containing cartoons and popular songs(!) reklating to the trial, in addition to a detailed timeline.
Harlem, 1900-1940: An African-American Community
Useful set of images relating to the Harlem Renaissance.
Rhapsodies in Black: The Art of the Harlem Renaissance
Contains short essays and examples of artworks from the era.
American radicalism: The Ku Klux Klan
Original texts/documents care of Michigan State University library. Click on the text to view the documents. Well worth a look.
Harlem: Mecca of the New Negro
Full Hypertext of the March 1925 edition of Survey Graphic. Contains contributions from many leading contributors to the Harlem Renaissance.
The African-American Mosaic: Chicago: Destination for the GreatMigration
Site including a number of primary resources dealing with the causes and consequences of migration. Worth a look.
Great Migration inquiry project, Spring 2002 * Resources Page
Great set of resources, including maps, detailing the nature ofthe Great Migration.
emplive: Sweet Home Chicago
Part of a site devoted to the history of American Popular Music.Includes audio interviews with blues musicians explaining why they moved out of the South.
Radical Revolution Net: The Dearborn Independent
Scanned copies of Henry Ford's company newspaper, contains examples of his racialised, anti-semitic worldview.
Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920's , Frederick Lewis Allen (1931)
The Full text of Allen's influential work on the 1920s.
“Art [and History] by Lightning Flash”:The Birth of a Nation and Black Protest
Center For History & New Media site with a clip from the movie and examples of the protest letters written by those, led by the NAACP, seeking to stop the film being shown.
Between The Wars: The Klan Rides Again
Site containing documents and audio of the 20's era Klan.
The Authentic History Center: 1920s
Music, speeches, images from the decade. Worth exploring if you're examining the development of consumer culture.
H. L. Mencken: The Scopes Trial
Part of a website called "positive atheism", this page contains links to H.L. Mencken's witty, brutal newspaper reports of the Scopes Trial. The title of the first piece "Homo Neanderthalensis" sets the tone.
Famous Trials in American History: Tennessee Vs. John Scopes, The "Monkey Trial" 1925.
Transcripts and articles relating to the famous trial.
The Red Hot Jazz Archive
This site provides film, audio and biography of the early jazz greats, tracing their roots and the roots of the music in the 19th and early 20th century. If you want to understand the development of an important strand of popular culture look here.
Famous American Trials: The Black Sox Trial, 1921
What does it say about a country when a sports team decide to throw one of its major sporting events for money? In 1919,8 members of the Chicago White Sox threw the World Series. This site traces what happened when they faced trial in 1921.
Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 Archive -- Photographs
The University of Tulsa's collection of photographs and postcards documenting the 16 hours of rioting, that led to 800 people being admitted to local hospitals, an estimated 10,000 left homeless, 35 city blocks destroyed by fire and 39 dead.
A Mitchell Palmer, "The Case Against the 'Reds,'" Forum (1920), 63:173- 185.
Article by the U.S. Attorney General justifying the tactics of the post World War One Red Scare.
Red Scare (1918-1921), an Image Database.
Photographs and cartoons relating to the postwar conservative backlash.
America's Secret War: American Intervention In The Russian Civil War, 1918-1920
Documents and photographs exploring the intervention in the Russian Civil War.
American Leaders Speak: Recordings from World War I and the 1920Election.
Text and audio recordings of speeches from politicians on a range of subjects.
Emmet J. Scott, The American Negro in the World War
Full text of early analysis of the black role in World War One by Emmet J. Scott, Special adjutant to the Secretary of war and former secretary of Booker T. Washington.
The Stars and Stripes: The American Soldiers' Newspaper of WorldWar One
Copies of the armed services' newspaper from 1918-1919.
The Authentic History Center: World War One
Music, speeches, posters and cartoons from this site holding a vast archive of popular culture source material.
FIRST CALL: American Posters of World War One
Online version of an exhibiton at Georgetown university. A Great collection of recruiting posters, calls for war bonds and other domestic issues. Great for seeing how Germany and Germans became demonized.
Famous American Trials: Sacco & Vanzetti (1921)
Site covering the trial of two immigrant Italian anarchists that became a national sensation. What does their conviction & execution tell us about attitudes toward immigrants and radical politics?
Roland Marchand: "The New Woman" Images of the emancipation and progress of the American woman in the 1920s and 1930s
Roland Marchand was a historian of modern American cultural consumption. This page offers slides and text from magazines helping understand the changing image/role of women through the 1910s/1920s.
Arthur Kallet and F. J. Schlink, 100,000,000 Guinea Pigs, Dangers in Everyday Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics
Extract from popular Depression-era text that critiques the the tactics of American industry that developed in the previous decade. Contains echoes of the progressive agenda of the early 1900s.
The Klan Manual, 1925
an outline of the structure and values of the 1920s Ku Klux Klan from one of its manuals
Robert and Helen Lynd, The Automobile Comes to Middletown, 1924
Middletown, in reality Muncie Illinois, was the subject of the Lynd's sociological study. This section charts the impact of one aspect of consumer society on family life: the rise of car ownership.

Custom List: 1945-1960

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:54:51 GMT

1945-1960

The Kinsey Institute: Data from Alfred Kinsey's Studies
Brief collection of data from Alfred Kinsey's two studies into sexuality: Sexual Bahavior in the Human Male (1948) and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953).
Levittown: Documents of an Ideal American Suburb
Documents/photographs relating to the archtypal 1950s suburb.
D E C L A S S I F I E D: The Nixon/Khruschev Kitchen Debate
Short Colour clip of the infamous kitchen dbate between the soviet premier and the American Vice-President.
Prelinger Collection: Duck and Cover (1951)
Watch/download this cheery/scary film giving kids advice on how to survive impending nuclear war. Fronted by an animated tortoise!?!
The Beat Page
Website full of short biographies of leading writers of the beat generation including Kerouac, Ginsberg and Burroughs. Also includes examples of their work and links to other sites. A good place to start when you're reconsidering 50s cultural conformity.
This I Believe - Americans and their fundamental beliefs
In the 1950s Edward Murrow asked American citizens, some famous some not, to record a 600-word statement of their fundamental beliefs. These brief essays, only 5 minutes when broadcast, provide us within an insight into the values of 1950s America.
“Have You No Sense of Decency”: The Army-McCarthy Hearings
History Matters transcript that details the destruction of Senator Joseph McCarthy by attorney Joseph Welch. After the televised hearings, McCarthy, a broken man, succumbed to alcoholism, while Welch went on to star in the movie Anatomy Of A Murder.
Edward R. Murrow:A Report on Senator Joseph R. McCarthy See it Now (CBS-TV, March 9, 1954)
Full transcript of the Ed Murrow's damaging investigation of Sen. Joseph McCarthy's practices.
Eisenhower Library: The Rosenberg case
Collection of documents detailing how the Eisenhower Adminstration dealt with clemency appeals regarding the execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg for spying.
Eisenhower Library: McCarthyism
Documents detailing the response of President Eisenhower to the communist threat and the role of Senator Joseph McCarthy.
Prelinger Archive: Communism (1952)
Educational film outlining the perils of Communism.
Senator Richard Nixon's Checkers Speech (1952)
Richard Nixon's first major brush with corruption. Read how Nixon, as a vice-presidential nominee, attempts to reconcile the public with his alleged receipt of a secret $18,000 donation from backers.
The Times Looks Back: Eisenhower vs Stevenson, 1952 & 1956.
New York Times website offering articles covering the two presidential elections of the 1950s - both fought between Dwight Eisenhower (Rep.) & Adlai Stevenson (Dem.)
Herblock: Fire! Cartoons on McCarthyism
Herb Block was an editorial cartoonist for the Washington Post from the 20s to the early 21st century. These cartoons are a great way of exploring the issues of McCarthyism and its impact on American life.
Censure Of Senator Joseph Mccarthy (1954)
Full text of the Senate motion that damned the practices of Senator Joseph McCarthy.
Excerpts From Senate Proceedings on Senator Joe McCarthy's SpeechRelating to Communists in the State Department, Feb. 20, 1950
The congressional record of McCarthy's most infamous speech explaining the relationship between the rise of communism, the fall of China and infiltration of the US State Dept. Includes context of the speech. Look for the bold type for the speech itself
Senator Joseph McCarthy, Wheeling, W. Virginia Speech, February 9, 1950
Shorter version of the famous speech alledging communist subversion of the state dept.
American Radicalism: The Rosenberg Case.
Accused of passing on atomic secrets to the Soviet Union, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were sentenced to death in 1951. Read documents relating to their failed campaign for clemency.
NSC 68: United States Objectives and Programs for National Security (1950)
Planning document produced by Paul Nitze and presented to the National Security Council (hence the NSC) which outlines the nature of the threat posed by the Soviet Union.
Cold War: Excerpts from the Hollywood HUAC Hearings
The page contains links to testimonies of four people called before the hearings of the House Committee during the hearings held to investigate subversion in the movie industry.
American Radicalism: The Hollywood Ten
Group of 10 Hollywood producers, directors, and screenwriters who, questioned by the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947, refused to testify to possible communist affiliations. They were imprisoned and blacklisted.
The Alger Hiss Trials, 1949-50
Website providing biography and transcripts of the trials of Alger Hiss, a State Dept employee charged with communist subversion and eventually sent to jail for perjury. The investigation, conducted by HUAC, made a star of Richard Nixon.
Arthur Schlesinger, "Not Left, Not Right, But A Vital Center", New York Times Magazine, Sunday, April 4, 1948 (sec. 6)
Article pointing to the development of the Cold War Liberal ideology by one of its key architects.
1948: Year of Turmoil & Triumph
Collection of documents from the Harry Truman Library.
Universal News reels: Hollywood 'Red' Probe Begins, October 1947
Newsreel detailing the start of HUAC hearings on Hollywood.
Statement by the President on the Government’s Employee Loyalty Program, November 14, 1947
"I believe I speak for all of the people of the United States when I say that disloyal and subversive elements must be removed from the employ of the Government." read on to explore the justification of the loyalty program.
Executive Order 9835: Federal Loyalty Program, March 21st, 1947.
Full text of the Truman loyalty order from teachingamericanhistory.org. The order was designed to root out communists from all branches of government service.
"X Article" Sorces of Soviet Conduct, George Kennan, July 1947.
A core text by one of the chief architects of the Cold war strategy of Containment. Kennan was based in the U.S. embassy in Moscow. The text covered similar themes to the "long telegram" Kennan had written in February 1946.
The Truman Doctrine, March 12th, 1947
Truman Library copy of Harry Truman's speech which outlined the nature of the growing conflict between the United states and the Soviet Union. Explore the rest of the site for details of the dfarting process.
The Literature & Culture of the American 1950s
Large set of links relating to the decade. Useful for study of anticommunism.
“You Are the Un-Americans, and You Ought to be Ashamed of Yourselves”: Paul Robeson Appears Before HUAC
Paul Robeson's testimony before HUAC from 1956.

Custom List: 1900-1917

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:50:10 GMT

1900-1917

The Armory Show Virtual Exhbit (1913)
This site presents the exhibition, named after New York's 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue where it was held. The show provided Americans an introduction to modern art that led to a highly critical response from those used to figurative art.
The Booker T. Washington Papers
The online edition of the collected papers of Booker T. Washington.
W. E. B. Du Bois, “Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others."
Chapter from Du Bois's Souls of Black Folk, critiquing Booker t.Washington.
America at Work, America at Leisure: Motion Pictures from 1894-1915
Library of Congres website containing early motion pictures of American leisure activities.
The History of Jim Crow: Jim Crow Inside the South
Click on each state to see a chronology of each state's Jim Crowlegislation.
W.E.B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk (1903)
Project Gutenburg Site: Allows you to download the full text ofDu Bois' 1903 text - if you don't want to buy it.
Inside an American Factory: Films of the Westinghouse Works, 1904
Library of Congress site allowing you to view footage from inside Westinghouse's various factories, building electricity generators, airbrakes, etc. filmed in 1904.
Theodore Roosevelt: His Life and Times On Film
Gives you exactly what you would expect. Contains film footage and sound recordings from the 1912 election.
The Evolution of the Conservation Movement
Library of Congress site providing documents that detail the connection between progressivism and conservation.
Women of Protest: Photographs From the Records Of the National Women's Party
Pictures and other information regarding the activities of the militant wing of the women's suffrage movement.
H-SHGAPE: Gilded Age and Progressive Era Resources
Motherlode of internet resources covering the United states from 1890-1920s. Well worth a look.
The Triangle Factory Fire, 1911
Includes testimonials, documents and photographs recounting the tragedy when 146 immigrant workers died in a fire in their factory in New York.
Votes For Women: Selections From the NAWSA Collection, 1848-1921
Documents from the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) giving an incite into the struggle for suffrage from Seneca Falls to the vote.
Suffragists Oral History Project
Testimonies from women involved in the struggle for the vote.
The Authentic History Center: Early 1900s
Political speeches, cartoons, documents, images of cultural artefacts. A great resource.
The Origins of American Animation
Another great Library of Congress resource. Contains early animation (1900-1921) that refelects the development of animation and social, cultural and political issues of the period.
Theodore Roosevelt, "The Case Against The Reactionaries", June 17, 1912
TR announces the formation of a new Party, the Progressive Party, in order for him to enter the 1912 presidential election against his former vice-pres. William Howard Taft. How did TR portray the progressive agenda?
Theodore Roosevelt, "The Man With The Muck Rake" April 15, 1906
Roosevelt's comments on the journalists and social reformers who highlighted the problems in American society during the 1900s. What does it tell us about his attitude toward social problems?
ehistory: The Anthracite Coal Strike 1902
Timeline and documents detailing with the United Mine Workers strike of 1902 and the role of the presidency in negotiating a settlement.
Theodore Roosevelt, State of the Union Message, Dec. 1901
After dealing with the assassination of McKinley, TR discusses the growth of massive corporations and what should be done about them.
Booker T. Washington, “Cast Down Your Bucket Where You Are" TheAtlanta Compromise speech, 1895.
Contains text of the famous "Atlanta Compromise" speech.
Miller Center: Woodrow Wilson Speeches
Transcripts of all the significant speeches made by Wilson during his two terms in the White House.
"Aid Poor By Respect: Miss Jane Addams Tells Club Women Patronage Is Worse Than Useless," Chicago Record-Herald (June 2, 1906).
This newspaper report outlines the motivations of one of the leading lights of the settlement house movement Jane Addams.
Urban Experience in Chicago: Hull-House And Its Neighborhoods
Comprehensive well resourced site from the University of Illinois that provides a wealth of material on those at the forefront of social welfare progressivism.