Fl. Educator Programs Online PD Resources

The following websites are by no means a complete representation of all of the information on the World-Wide-Web for each of the topics below.  Instead, it is a limited selection based on specific criteria.  The material below is designed to assist our Citrus County Social Studies teachers with additional resources for classroom use.  The criteria used for the website chosen for this page are as follows: 

  • The website was a highly informational site.

  • The website was one containing primary resources for use in the classroom in conjunction with our 2007 Primary Resources training.  These resources could include documents, photographs, newspapers, letters, etc.

  • The website contained appropriate lesson plans that could be adapted to meet the needs of our classroom and Sunshine State Standards.

It is the teachers responsibility to review any website prior to using it in class.

Click on the images to go the the timeframe you desire.

If you have any additional suggestions, broken links, etc., for this site please email it to Michael Ballard at ballardm@citrus.k12.fl.us

 

American History 2:  The Gilded Age through Current America

 

 

 
  General Resources Pre-Twentieth Century     (1877-1900) Progressive Era and War  (1900-1920) Boom and Bust in America  (1919 - 1939)  
           
 

 
  World At War: WW II (1933 - 1945) Consumerism & Cold War (1945 - 1960) Vietnam and Beyond (1960-1975 A New Era (1975-2000) Challenges of the 21st Century (2000 - current) Continuing Resources  
 

General Resources

Title Description
14 TO 42: NEW YORK CITY SIGNS Travel through the streets of NYC to discover the many signs that adorn the city. Featuring signs from past and present, this site offers viewers a unique look into New York City.
2005: Kids Count Data from the 2005 Kids Count Data Book are now available in and easy-to-use, powerful online database, "State Level Data Online", that allows you to generate custom graphs, maps, ranked lists, and state-by-state profiles, or, download the entire data set as delimited text files.
20th Century Chronology Decade by decade review of the twentieth century, including fabulous interactive quizzes.
American Photography: A Century of Images Companion Web site to the PBS series capturing the images of a century of change and the role the camera has played both in creating and documenting it.
American Rhetoric Are you looking for a particular speech like "I Have A Dream" or the JFK Inaugural?  You'll find it here among many other categories of speech that has stood the test of time.
Children's Museum of Indianapolis The Children's Museum of Indianapolis' site is chock full of information easily accessible through drop-down tabs. Thanks to the support of a local foundation, it has an extensive online component to the museum's permanent gallery, Dinosphere. There are virtual tours, teachers' guides, and lots of educational materials, including dinosaur profiles. Similarly, check out the art of glass blowing tied into the FireWorks of Glass exhibit. Other thoughtful features: Games and Activities are categorized by age group and the site is available in seven languages including Russian and Japanese.
Digital History: Trailers of Historically Significant Films Hollywood has shaped our most vivid images of the historical past. This collection of film trailers allows users to see how the film studios promoted the films that are most deeply impressed in our collective imagination. This database contains trailers of films for educational use. Digital History is an educational and non-commercial site designed specifically for history teachers and their students.
Field Museum: Sue Who is Sue? "Sue is the largest, most complete, and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex. She was discovered by fossil hunter Sue Hendrickson in 1990, in the badlands of South Dakota." Following a long custody battle, Sue was sold at Sotheby's auction house October 4, 1997. The Field Museum purchased Sue for nearly $8.4 million – the most money ever paid for a fossil. On May 17, 2000 , the museum revealed Sue. She stands thirteen feet high at her hips and is forty-two feet long from head to tail.
Inside the White House "First day on the job! You got the nomination, you campaigned, you won. Then you took the oath of office, made the first speech of your administration, and danced the night away. But now it's morning in America -- time to face the Oval Office. It's YOUR chance to be President of the United States. Let's see how you do." Other fun clicks include silly things White House children have done (go to Kids) or the clickable map of the White House neighborhood (choose Mapping.) Teachers will like the grade-level classroom activities found under Learn More.
Library of Congress: Today in History Today in History mines the American Memory historical collections to discover what happened in American history today…and every day.
Long Live The Payphone - The Payphone Project  Remember the old days before mobile phones, when you carried a dime around in your pocket just in case you needed to stop and use the payphone?  The Payphone Project is an interesting site that has photographs, news, stories, and actual phone numbers of telephone booths and pay phones across the globe.  
Obituaries 101 This site contains listings and links to all the obituary notices supplied online by all the newspapers in the United States. The states are arranged alphabetically with their newspapers listed by name and city. The site also lists prominent deaths for the date, as well as those reported in the Associated Press.
Penny Postcards Take a look at the past through historical ‘penny postcards’.  This site has hundreds of these cards divided by state, then subdivided by county and city/town.  Interesting to look at.  Many have dates available.  A look at the past as it was portrayed on these post cards.
Presidential Pet Museum Forget foreign policy. Dump domestic issues. Leaders of the free world instinctively understand the strategic importance of ... a fabulous first pet. Richard Nixon made political hay with Checkers the cocker spaniel while he was Vice President, but which of his dogs wagged for photo-ops after he made it to the Oval office? Get a close up look at Miss Beazley, President Bush's Scottish Terrier or find out which president let sheep graze on the White House lawn and which kept a herd of elephants given to him by the king of Siam.
Social Studies tests New York state regency tests in 8th grade SS
The 20th Century Year by Year Click on any year from 1900 to 1999 and a new page appears with the events of the year, and often with links to further explanation and information on that event.
The Commons: The Library of Congress Photo Collection on Flickr The Library of Congress has put up two 1500+ photograph collections on Flickr for both educational use and to have the public add tags and comments to make the viewing experience "richer" for others.
The Goofiest Inventions Ever Patented  Site with both historic and current inventions that are ‘out of the norm’.
The L.A. Library Online The L.A. library became one of the first in the nation to post portions of its vast collection — mostly of historical L.A. photos — online, able to be accessed and in many cases used for free.  Its website has become the central repository for glimpses into L.A.'s past. It is where teachers find historical photos of the city to post on bulletin boards, movie production companies find inspiration for re-creating the Los Angeles of bygone eras and banks buy photos of L.A. neighborhoods to decorate new branch offices. For ordinary people, it's an easy place to find an inexpensive, if not free, way to decorate apartments and houses.
Time 100: People of the 20th Century Time magazine chronicles the most important 100 people of the 20th century in five categories: Leaders & Revolutionaries, Artists & Entertainment, Builders & Titans, Scientists & Thinkers, and Heroes & Icons. Their picks culminate with the 'Person of the Century.'
Webcasts from the Library of Congress For the past six years, the U.S. Library of Congress has recorded several hundred talks, discussions, and conferences that have occurred under its leadership. At this web page, students, teachers, and other site visitors have access to all 300-plus recordings in their entirety. The recordings take the form of webcasts that can be played using the RealPlayer plug-in. Users can search for webcasts by keyword or topic area, such as history, literature, science, or education. At press time, the site's featured webcast was a 14-minute talk about the evolution of "Rosie the Riveter" and the lives of real women workers during World War II. The speaker is Sheridan Harvey, women's studies specialist in the Library's Humanities and Social Sciences Division, and her fascinating lecture is accompanied by dozens of images and photographs from the 1940s. Teachers of all subjects are likely to find something of interest in their own classes at this site.
Women of Our Time Navigate through this Smithsonian Institution Web site that offers an interactive gallery and explore photographs of some of twentieth-century America's famous and influential wormen. Also Included are brief biographical information and a discussion of photographic styles.
Women's History Month: March 2006 In 1981, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution establishing National Women’s History Week. The week was chosen to coincide with International Women’s Day, March 8. In 1987, Congress expanded the week to a month. Every year since, Congress has passed a resolution for Women’s History Month, and the U.S. president has issued a proclamation.

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Pre-Twentieth Century America

 

 
 

Settling the American West

The Industrialization of America

Changing Life in America

A Splendid Little War & Imperialism

 

 

Settling the American West

Title Description
About Billy the Kid Webmistress Marcelle Brothers has been a Billy the Kid afficionado for fifteen years. Her passion lead her to create this website and co-find the Billy the Kid Historic Preservation Society. Visit for several Billy the Kid biographies (short and long versions), a filmography, maps, photos, and a lively discussion board. The Fact vs. Myth section provides a good overview of some of the "hogwash written about Billy the Kid." History vs. Young Guns dissects the popular Emilio Estevez movies, and explains which parts were not historically accurate.
American Progress This site has the image of John Gast’s famous 1872 American Progress painting, and allegorical representing of the expansion of America westward through our manifest destiny.  A link takes the viewer to a complete explaination of all of the aspects of this painting.
Central Pacific Railroad This online museum provides text and pictures to the history of the Central Pacific Railroad as it was intertwined with the expansion and settlement of the American West.
Drawing on the Western Frontier From the Smithsonian Anthropological Archives:  A professional artist, James E. Taylor’s newspaper illustrations served to popularize stereotypes of the Western frontier during the post-Civil War years. Like other illustrators and writers of the period, he depicted Indian-White relations in terms of savagery versus civilization and encouraged Americans to visualize the nation’s Westward expansion in heroic terms.
Educational Programs: Illinois State Museum Provides many online resources designed for teachers, and using the available resources of the Illinois State Museum web site.
Geronimo:  His Own Story A transcribed story from Geronimo on the history of the Apache and his rememberences of an era.
Historical Photo Collection of the West This is an excellent website with well-documented pictures of our American west in the late 19th Century.
History of the American West:  1860-1920 Over 30,000 photographs, drawn from the holdings of the Western History and Genealogy Department at Denver Public Library, illuminate many aspects of the history of the American West. Most of the photographs were taken between 1860 and 1920. They illustrate Colorado towns and landscape, document the place of mining in the history of Colorado and the West, and show the lives of Native Americans from more than forty tribes living west of the Mississippi River. Also included are World War II photographs of the 10th Mountain Division, ski troops based in Colorado who saw action in Italy.
Manifest Destiny Chart This chart illustrates the difference in the reasons between American expansion across the continent and American expansion across the seas.
Native Words, Native Warriors The Smithsonian Institute presents Native Words, Native Warriors from the National Museum of the American Indian.  During WWI and WWII, hundreds of American Indians joined the US armed forces as "code talkers," using their tribal languages to communicate secret messages on the battlefield.
Newspaper Accounts of Track Laying Use the newpaper as a primary resource when studying the Transcontinental Railroad and it’s joining at Promintory Point, Utah.  Several newspaper articles from the era are included, painting a portrait of the entire process of building a railroad.
The Little Big Horn This website is designed to be a portal of exploration for groups and individuals who share an interest in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
The Oregon Trail Learn more about the Oregon Trail: "This web site is brought to you by teachers Mike Trinklein and Steve Boettcher, creators of The Oregon Trail, the award-winning documentary film which aired nationally on PBS."
The Wild West Take a tour of the American Wild West with a wonderful array of photos and original documents.
Turner’s The Significance of the Frontier on History The online edition of Frederick Jackson Turner’s controversial booklet, The Significance of the Frontier on History.  Worthwhile reading and an excellent primary resource for students to use.
Western Indian Reservations: 1875 U.S. Office of Indian Affairs published this map in a report to Congress in 1875.  Excellent resource.

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The Industrialization of America

Title Description
Advertising in America: 1850-1920 Browse the exhibits from this Duke University website, or search for a specific term such as auto or soap. Find out more about the products used in America's past.
Alexander Graham Bell Family Papers The online version of the Alexander Graham Bell Family Papers at the Library of Congress comprises a selection of 4,695 items (totaling about 51,500 images). This presentation contains correspondence, scientific notebooks, journals, blueprints, articles, and photographs documenting Bell's invention of the telephone and his involvement in the first telephone company, his family life, his interest in the education of the deaf, and his aeronautical and other scientific research.
American Experience: The Telephone: More About Bell This PBS site tells the amazing story of Bell's prodigious talents and the empire he created. At the age of fourteen, Bell "was mesmerized by a demonstration of Sir Charles Wheatstone's speaking machine" he saw in London. Upon their return to Edinburgh, Bell and his older brother successfully created a model of their own: a facsimile mouth, throat, nose, maneuverable tongue, and bellow lungs that produced human-like sounds. 
AT&T History: Inventing the Telephone From the corporate annals of AT&T, this page offers a brief biography of Bell and a short history of his famous invention. After the patent filing of February 14, 1876, Bell returned to his labs in Boston and continued his work on the telephone. The next summer, Bell and his backers created the Bell Telephone Company (the predecessor of today's AT&T.) The very first customers were typically businessmen who wanted a phone line to connect their home and their office.
City Life in the Late 19th Century This Library of Congress site looks at original documents describing life in the city.  Photographs and text make up the documents portraying American urban life during this era.
Early Office Museum An intriguing site showing a slice of life from the late 19th – early 20th century through pictures and text.
Imagined Uses of the Telephone, 1885 This site contains 4 drawings from Life April 23, 1885, on imagined uses of the new invention, the telephone.
Inside of an American Factory: Westinghouse Twentyone videos from the early 1900’s illustrating factory work at the turn of the century.  Several video formats for viewing the videos are available.  Source:  Library of Congress American Memory Project.  Interesting.
Interstate Commerce Act View the original and transcribed version of the original Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 in which railroads became the first industry subjected to federal regulation.  Powerful primary resource for discussion and analysis
John D. Rockefeller and the Standard Oil Company Pictures and text on the role of the Standard Oil Company in the late 19th, early 20th centuries.
Robber Barons of the Gilded Age This site hosts a complete lesson plan for effectively teaching about the Robber Barons of the Gilded Age.
Sears Archives Once again, Sears has made history. For the first time, Sears has opened the doors to its vast archival collection and invited the public to peek inside. More than 100 years of stories, product and brand histories, photographs, catalog images are now available online.
The Industrial Age in America: Robber Barons and Captains of Industry Though a century has passed since the heyday of the great industrialists and financiers, debate continues: were these men captains of industry, without whom this country could not have taken its place as a great industrial power, or were they robber barons, limiting healthy competition and robbing from the poor to benefit the rich? Where do we draw the line between unfair business practices and competition that leads to innovation, investment, and improvement in the standard of living for everyone? Would the industrial economy have succeeded without entrepreneurs willing to take competition to its extremes?  Hosted by Edusite, this website contains the lesson plans and resources necessary for successful completion of the unit.
The Industrial Age in America: Sweatshops, Steel Mills, and Factories About a century has passed since the events at the center of this lesson—the Haymarket Affair, the Homestead Strike, and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. For some people in our nation, these incidents illustrated the unfair conditions faced by workers as the United States assumed its position as the most highly industrialized nation in the world. For others, they demonstrated the difficulty of managing industries. Such disagreements continue to this day. Where do we draw the line between acceptable business practices and unacceptable working conditions? Can an industrial—and indeed a post-industrial—economy succeed without taking advantage of those who do the work?   Hosted by Edusite, this website contains the lesson plans and resources necessary for successful completion of the unit.
The Robber Barons The site hosts a full color print of a political cartoon showing the power of the robber barons.  Great for starting a class discussion as well as comparisons to today’s world.
Thomas Nast Portfolio A collection of political cartoons from the last half of the 19th century.

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Changing Life In America

Title Description
19th Century Sporting Scenes Harper's Weekly was a New York based newspaper in the last half of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. In weekly issues, Harper's presented a mixture of news stories, gossip, poetry, and most notably, wood-engraved illustrations. These pictures remain one of the best sources for lively, informative images of nineteenth-century America.
American Baseball Cards The Library of Congress presents an exhibition of American baseball cards from 1887 – 1914.  Names that are heard in connection with the game – such as Cy Young – have a baseball card present.  Searches can be made by teams, individuals, leagues, or cities.  An interesting look at the foundations of the modern game.
American Impressionists of the Late 1800s and Early 1900s The National Gallery of Art presents an online exhibit of American Impressionists.  A worthwhile site to visit and use in the classroom.
American Memory: Inventing Entertainment A huge collections of film shorts from the late 19th – early 20th century.  These can be downloaded and stored on the computer for quicker play.
Around the World in 72 Days This site is a companion to a Public Broadcasting Service American Experience program about the 1889-1890 around-the-world journey of pioneering woman journalist Nellie Bly. The site includes a map of the journey, excerpts from her writings, and biographical information. Also includes a transcript of the program and a teacher's guide
Burdette's advice to young voters The Library of Congress American Memory project site has this broadside of advise to young voters during the 1884 campaign.  It’s interesting that it’s addressed to “My Son” (no women voters) and refers to events 20+ years before.
Coxey’s Army Invades the Nation’s Capital History Matters presents: Although Coxey’s Army was only one of more than forty different armies of the unemployed that headed for Washington, D.C., in 1894 to seek relief from their plight, it was by far the best known. Its leader was the colorful Jacob S. Coxey, a wealthy Populist who owned a sand quarry, bred horses, and wore hand-tailored suits. The publicity that preceded the arrival of the “armies” apparently frightened authorities. Fifteen hundred soldiers were stationed in Washington to meet the army; thousands more were available in Baltimore, Annapolis, and Philadelphia in anticipation of further trouble. But the army that arrived on May 1, 1894, numbered only 500. When Coxey tried to speak at the U.S. Capitol, police arrested him for walking on the grass.
Daniel A. P. Murray Pamphlet Collection From the site: “The Daniel A. P. Murray Pamphlet Collection presents a panoramic and eclectic review of African-American history and culture, spanning almost one hundred years from the early nineteenth through the early twentieth centuries, with the bulk of the material published between 1875 and 1900. Among the authors represented are Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Benjamin W. Arnett, Alexander Crummel, and Emanuel Love.”  Click on “subject” or “author” index to find specific resources to review.
Democratic Party Platform of 1896 Provides a good comparison when matched with the Populist and Republican Party platforms for the election year of 1896.
Dime Novels Stanford's Dime Novel and Story Paper Collection consists of over 8,000 individual items, and includes long runs of the major dime novel series (Frank Leslie's Boys of America, Happy Days, Beadle's New York Dime Library, etc.) and equally strong holdings of story papers like the New York Ledger and Saturday Night.  Included is a discussion analyzing the cover on a dime novel; samples of complete dime novels, and more. 
Dressed to the Nines This site explores the evolution of the baseball uniform, from its humble New York City origins in 1849 to the sleek synthetic outfits worn by the high-paid superstar athletes of today.
Election Results: 1896 This History Central website includes the conventions, popular votes, electoral votes, and an election map showing the results of the 1896 McKinley/Bryan election.
Ellis Island Ellis Island is the symbol of American immigration and the immigrant experience. Use our Free Search to find your immigrant ancestors arriving through the Port of New York at Ellis Island between 1892 and 1924.
Ellis Island Citizenship Test From the site:  As part of our effort to build our new Peopling of America® Center on Ellis Island, The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation is celebrating the idea of being and becoming American. In that spirit we invite you to take “The Ellis Island Citizenship Test.” Questions on our test are some of the actual questions used by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. And come back often. New questions will appear with each try!
Ellis Island Passenger Arrivals More than 22 million passengers and members of ships' crews entered the United States through Ellis Island and the Port of New York between 1892 and 1924. Information about each person was written down in ships' passenger lists, known as "manifests." Manifests were used to examine immigrants upon arrival in the United States. Now you can search these millions of records for information on individual Ellis Island passengers.
Free Coinage of Silver Speech of Hon. Galusha A. Grow, of Pennsylvania, in the House of Representatives, Thursday, February 13, 1896 on the Free Coinage of Silver.
Harper’s Bazar HARPER'S BAZAR, was an American weekly women's fashion magazine that began publication in 1867 in the large newspaper format design of Harper's Weekly.  Harper’s Bazar, based in New York, was intended for the women of the middle and upper socio-economic classes of the second half of the 19th century, and provided fashions from Paris and the German fashion newspaper, Bazar. The focus of Harper's Bazar was on "....the useful with the beautiful, and aiming to include every thing that will be interesting to the family circle.... Being intended largely for ladies, it will devote a considerable space to the matters which fall particularly under their jurisdiction, such as dress and household affairs." [Harper's Bazar, November 2, 1867] In 1901, Harper's Bazar became a monthly, and in 1929 its title was changed to Harper's Bazaar, a magazine in publication today.  The site includes the complete première issue.
Harper's Weekly: Explore History Since 1995, up to 12 indexers with advanced degrees have read every word and studied every illustration and cartoon in Harper's Weekly, and have carefully constructed user-friendly indexes that will guide you in locating information quickly and concisely. The information is presented in an easy-to-navigate, alphabetical, multi-level structure familiar to scholars, reference librarians and students alike. Descriptive sub-entries will help you determine the relative value of the references by giving you specific information about an entry prior to display.
Learn About Immigration Digital History hosts this web page lesson plan on immigration.  The lesson plan provides links to resources, a test, and more.
Legends of the Old Plantation Portions of the Uncle Remus tales by Joel Chandler Harris (first published in 1881) are presented by the University of Virginia Southern History Project.  Included are analysis of the era, pictures as well as text from the book, and contemporary reviews of the work.  From the site’s Editor Notes:  “On July 20, 1879 an undersized thirty-year-old journalist from Atlanta known as Joe Harris began a journey from relative obscurity to interregional fame. On that day, the Atlanta Constitution published the young copy editor's "Story of Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Fox as told by Uncle Remus." Within months, magazines across the country were reprinting his tales, and after more than 1,000 written requests for a collection, the first Uncle Remus book was published in November, 1880. At the time, Harris said his purpose was not ethnology, or folklore analysis, but simply documentation. He doubted that his stories and character sketches would have any lasting historical value. He was wrong. Uncle Remus: Social Context and Ramifications is an attempt to reintroduce Harris' tales, and his legendary narrator, while placing them in a historical context. The primary sources and commentaries we offer hopefully will shed light on Harris' purpose in publishing his stories and the public response to both his Remus tales and his other works. They will make observations about post-Civil War black culture, and Southern society in general, using the stories and the reactions they engendered as points of reference.”
Legends of Tuskegee: Booker T. Washington This slide show biography is my Booker T. Washington pick of the day because of the terrific photographs, use of relevant quotes, and excellent layout.
Library of Congress: Panoramic Photographs The Panoramic Photograph Collection contains approximately four thousand images featuring American cityscapes, landscapes, and group portraits. These panoramas offer an overview of the nation, its enterprises and its interests, with a focus on the start of the twentieth century when the panoramic photo format was at the height of its popularity. Subject strengths include: agricultural life; beauty contests; disasters; engineering work such as bridges, canals and dams; fairs and expositions; military and naval activities, especially during World War I; the oil industry; schools and college campuses, sports, and transportation. The images date from 1851 to 1991 and depict scenes in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.
Memorial Day Memorial Day originated in 1868, when Union General John A. Logan designated a day in which the graves of Civil War soldiers would be decorated. Known as Decoration Day, the holiday was changed to Memorial Day within twenty years, becoming a holiday dedicated to the memory of all war dead. It became a federal holiday in 1971, and is now observed on the last Monday in May.
Motherly Talks with Young Housekeepers Mrs. H. W. Beecher compliled a booklet in 1873 which now is a valuable primary resource for looking at expectations and practices for households in the 19th century.  Use the “Contents” button in the left column to see the titles and the page number that each article starts on.  Then click “body” and type in the appropriate page.  Especially interesting is the article on teaching little boys to be useful. 
National Park Service The official National Park Service provides a wide variety of resources. Highlights include a park directory (from Abraham Lincoln Birthplace to Zion National Park), a listing of all the National Park kids and game pages (look for GoZone in Interpretation and Education), the huge Nature & Science section, and Links to the Past (in History & Culture.) Don't miss the Civil War special section, or the multimedia slide shows featured on the front page. The slide shows are huge (5 MB), but there are "dial-up versions" if you run out of patience.
Nellie Bly: Pioneer Woman Investigative Journalist A summary of the story of Nelly Bly and her around the world trip, as well as Victorian trading cards, a board game, and more.
Panoramic Maps Collection The panoramic map was a popular cartographic form used to depict U.S. and Canadian cities and towns during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Known also as bird's-eye views, perspective maps, and aero views, panoramic maps are nonphotographic representations of cities portrayed as if viewed from above at an oblique angle. Although not generally drawn to scale, they show street patterns, individual buildings, and major landscape features in perspective.  Florida is one of the states represented at the Library of Congress website.  Tallahassee in 1885 looks a little bit different than Tallahassee today.
People's Party Platform, 1896 The 1896 platform of the People’s (Populist) Party.
Presidential Campaigns: 1896 An excellent website from Vassar College loaded with primary resources on the election of 1896 and it’s emphasis on two opposing views of money.  Many contemporary news articles, political/editorial cartoons, and more are to be found on this website.
Reasons why workingmen should vote for Blaine & Logan The Library of Congress American Memory project site has this broadside of advise to working men voters during the 1884 campaign.
Republican Party Platform of 1896 Provides a good comparison when matched with the Populist and Democratic Party platforms for the election year of 1896.
San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection The San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection, located in the San Francisco History Center, contains photographs and works on paper of San Francisco and California views from 1850 to the present.
The Death Of President Garfield, 1881 Eyewitness to History presents Garfield’s physician, Dr. Bliss, and his comments on the wounding and death of the President.
The Gentleman’s Page The Lively Arts History Association presents the Gentleman's Page: a resource for those who wish to look and act like; or perhaps better understand, the 19th Century American man. It is intended to help costumers, theatrical performers, museum docents, re-enactors and anyone with an interest in the life of 19th Century America.  Many illustrations and contemporary accounts.
The Haymarket Affair This Library of Congress American Memory site has a collection that showcases more than 3,800 images of original manuscripts, broadsides, photographs, prints and artifacts relating to the Haymarket Affair. The violent confrontation between Chicago police and labor protesters in 1886 proved to be a pivotal setback in the struggle for American workers' rights.
The March King: John Philip Sousa An online presentation of selected music manuscripts, photographs, printed music, historical recordings of the Sousa Band, copies of programs and press clippings, and more from the Sousa Collection at the Library of Congress.
The Nineteenth Century in Print This collection hosted by the Library of Congress presents twenty-three popular periodicals digitized by Cornell University Library and the Preservation Reformatting Division of the Library of Congress. They include literary and political magazines, as well as Scientific American, Manufacturer and Builder, and Garden and Forest: A Journal of Horticulture, Landscape Art, and Forestry. The longest run is for The North American Review, 1815-1900.  An excellent resource for the social history of America.
The Pledge of Allegiance The history and wording of the Pledge of Allegiance which was first published n 1892.
The Presidential Elections: 1860-1912 HarpWeek presents “The Presidential Elections: 1860-1912” as a free, public service to provide an informative and entertaining look at a central aspect of the American democratic system of government: the quadrennial political contest for the nation’s highest office.
Touring Turn of the Century America This site is a Library of Congress collection of pictures portrays America, 1880 – 1920.  Many of the photes deal with urban living and buildings.  This is an excellent resource.
William Jennings Bryan This site hosts a gallery of images and voice recordings of William Jennings Bryan.  Source:  The Vincent Voice Library.  It includes a recording and rolling transcript of Bryan’s “Cross of Gold” speech.

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A Splendid Little War & Imperialism

Title Description
American Imperialism Slideshow A slideshow of 57 slides providing images and text exploring American overseas expansion from the 1890s through the early twentieth century.
American Soldiers in the Philippines Write Home about the War This History Matters page provides reprints of letters home from American soldiers in the Philippines at the turn of the Twentieth Century.  An excellent primary resource.
Buffalo Soldiers at San Juan Hill The Center for Military History offers primary resource materials in the form of After Action Reports on the roll of the Buffalo Soldiers at San Juan Hill, Cuba, on July 1, 1898.
Crucible of Empire: the Spanish American War This PBS (Cosponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities) website contains a fascinating look at the Spanish American War, it’s road to American Imperialism, and provides a comparison for conflicts that the US has waged in the last few decades.  The site includes original resources, a quiz, and much, much more.  It is well worth exploring.
Debate: Should the U.S. Annex the Philippines? History Matters hosts this lesson plan on American Imperialism, which provides primary resources, plans, and more for students to become involved in the debate.
Dewey at Manila Bay The front page of the New York World reporting that Dewey Smashes Spanish Fleet.
Documents Relating to American Foreign Policy A huge collection of documents relating to American foreign policy between 1898 and 1914.  Follow the path of imperialism and expansion during this era on the part of the United States.
Images of the Spanish American War This site contains a variety of pictures of the leaders, weapons, etc., of the Spanish American war.
Josiah Strong: Our Country Josiah Strong was a late nineteenth century apologist for Imperialism.  His writings advocate a militant Manifest Destiny overseas for the burgeoning United States and Anglo-Saxon peoples. Our Country was written in 1885.  Interesting reading for discussion and debate.
Poetry Analysis—“The White Man’s Burden” This activity asks students to consider British novelist and poet Rudyard Kipling’s 1899 poem “The White Man’s Burden”—which urged the U. S. to take up the “burden” of empire, as had Britain and other European nations—and several satirical and critical responses to it. Designed for high school students, this interdisciplinary activity will help students to examine differing perspectives on imperialism at the turn of the century and to understand the use of poetry as a vehicle for expression, protest, and political satire.  This website is provided by History Matters.
Soldiers in the Philippines Photo A single picture of American troops in the Philippines can open discussion and analysis.
Spanish American War: The Naval Perspective The Spanish-American War (April-July 1898) was a brief, intense conflict that effectively ended Spain's worldwide empire and gained the United States several new possessions in the Caribbean and the Pacific. Preceded by a naval tragedy, the destruction of USS Maine at Havana, Cuba, the Spanish-American War featured two major naval battles, one in the Philippines and the other off Cuba, plus several smaller naval clashes.  This site has large collections of photos and documents from the era.  It is hosted by the US Navy Historical Center.
The Acquisition of the Philippines This site reprints William McKinley’s public statement titled The Acquisition of the Philippines, dated 1898.
The Army Nurse Corps in the War with Spain Using photographs and illustrations, the Center of Military History has created a annotated timeline gallery of the story of the Army Nurse Corps during the Spanish-American War, centered at the Caribbean.  Pictures include nurses both on land hospitals and the hospital ship Relief
The Boxer Rebellion Small World Communications hosts this informational site on the Boxer Rebellion.  From the site: Throughout the nineteenth century, China's emperors had watched as foreigners encroached further and further upon their land. Time and again, foreigners forced China to make humiliating concessions. Foreign regiments, armed with modern weapons, consistently defeated entire imperial armies. Now, as a new century was about to begin, Tsu Hsi, empress dowager of the Ch'ing Dynasty, searched for a way to rid her empire of foreign parasites.
The Debate Over Hawaii and an American Overseas Empire Revolutionaries easily overthrew the native Hawaiian monarchy in 1893. The United States then debated for five years whether to annex the former kingdom and launch an American overseas empire.  This site provides information and resources for enhancing the student’s understanding of this era.
The Duties of American Citizenship The Duties of American Citizenship is a speech by Theodore Roosevelt given in Buffalo NY on January 26, 1883.  Something perhaps all should read. 
The Independence of Hawaii This is a Library of Congress American Memory reprint of a 1885 editorial by the Pacific Commercial Advertiser.  Images of the original are also available.
The Motion Picture Camera Goes To War The Spanish America War in Motion Pictures contains "actualities" filmed in the United States, Cuba, and the Phillippines. The films show troops, ships, notable figures, and parades, as well as reenactments of battles and other war-time events.  This website is hosted by the Library of Congress.
The Spanish American War Centennial Site The Spanish American War Centennial Website has a huge amount of text and visual resources from the late nineteenth/early twentieth century.  Excellent resource.  There is even an article from Winston Churchill as a news correspondent.
The Spanish American War in Moving Pictures The Library of Congress hosts this site.  From the site:  This presentation features 68 motion pictures produced between 1898 and 1901 of the Spanish-American War and the subsequent Philippine Revolution. The Spanish-American War was the first U.S. war in which the motion picture camera played a role. These films were made by the Edison Manufacturing Company and the American Mutoscope & Biograph Company and consist of actualities filmed in the U.S., Cuba, and the Philippines, showing troops, ships, notable figures, and parades, as well as reenactments of battles and other war-time events. The Special Presentation presents the motion pictures in chronological order together with brief essays that provide a historical context for their filming.
The World of 1898 This Library of Congress presentation provides resources and documents about the Spanish-American War, the period before the war, and some of the fascinating people who participated in the fighting or commented about it. Information about Cuba, Guam, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Spain, and the United States is provided in chronologies, bibliographies, and a variety of pictorial and textual material from bilingual sources, supplemented by an overview essay about the war and the period.

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Progressive Era and The War To End All Wars

 

 
  The Progressive Era The War to End All Wars  

The Progressive Era

Title Description
A Typical East-Side Block, 1890 and 1902 A 3-D view of a typical East-Side Block exposes what tenements were.
American on the Move: Car Collection, 1886 - Present This site by the National Museum of American History, part of the Smithsonian Institution, presents data and photos for early automobiles, including car details, photos, and a short history of the car's manufacturer.
American Women The Library of Congress site provides information on women's culture. You'll find specific manuscripts, recorded sounds, photographs, and folklore collections. The site contains a slightly expanded and fully searchable version of the print publication American Women: A Library of Congress Guide for the Study of Women's History and Culture in the United States (Washington, D.C.: Lib. of Congress, 2001). The guide has been redesigned for online use, with added illustrations and links to existing digitized material located throughout the Library of Congress Web site.
Archive of Vintage Technology ...a great site which lets you choose the decade and explore the toys, electronics, computers, gadgets, household items, and much more from 1900-2000
Big Stick Diplomacy Afloat: The Great White Fleet There are several pictures of the ships of the fleet at this site.  From the site:  From 16 December 1907 to 22 February 1909 the US Atlantic Fleet steamed around the world on a mission of "Gunboat Diplomacy". The ships, commonly known as the "Great White Fleet" due to their white-painted hulls, called in ports the world over, impressing foreign dignitaries with the appearance of great power. The entire affair was designed to impress, and everything was done to make sure the fleet's appearance was perfect.
Child Labor in the United States A lesson plan from History Matters involving the students in understanding the causes and ramifications of child labor in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Chronicling America Welcome to Chronicling America, enhancing access to America's historic newspapers. This site allows you to search and view newspaper pages from 1897-1910 and find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress as part of the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).  Florida is one of the states represented in the newspaper files.
Crazy fads Read about popular fads from the past 100 years.
Cylinder Preservation Project There are hundreds of interesting recordings to be found here - definitely worth a look just for the sake of it - or if your students are doing any multimedia projects.
Dens of Death A single picture from the Jacob A. Riis book The Battle With the Slum illustrates the death-trap that tenements had become in New York.  The picture was originally published in 1902.
Doing the Pan This ‘guided tour’ of the major building and exhibits at the 1901 Pan American Exposition.  It provides an interesting view of turn-of-the-century America.
Early Films of New York, 1898-1906 This collection contains forty-five films of New York dating from 1898 to 1906 from the Paper Print Collection of the Library of Congress. Of these, twenty-five were made by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, while the remaining twenty are Edison Company productions.
Ease History A group at Michigan State University have created a new website called EASE History. It features over 600 videos and photographs from 1900 to the present. EASE History is a rich learning environment that supports the learning of US history, (but there are global themes). It does so by connecting historical events, campaign ads and core democratic values.
Encyclopedia Britannica: 1911 The LoveToKnow Free Online Encyclopedia is based on what many consider to be the best encyclopedia ever written: the eleventh edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, first published in 1911.
Evolution of the Tenement Five diagrams of tenement floors showing the development of the overcrowded tenements in NYC.
Fun Facts on the Era of TR A collection of events, births, deaths, and more, presented in a yearly format, for the years of TR’s presidency.
Historical Advertisements Duke University’s Ad*Access is a pilot project that allows you to research and study a large selection of historical advertisements over the web. You can access more than 7,000 ads from U.S. and Canadian publications from 1911 to 1955.
Historical Literacy: Turn-of-the-Century Child The site contains an in-depth lesson on various aspects of life in the early 20th Century through the use of primary resources (photographs) and analysis questions.
History Channel Exhibits: Woman's Suffrage This History Channel exhibit is divided into three sections: History (a synopsis of 220 years of women's rights in America), Timeline (important events from 1777 to 1997) and Firsts. I particularly enjoyed Firsts, a timeline of women who were first at some achievement. For example, in 1715 Ann Teresa Mathews became the first women whose invention received a patent. Unfortunately, the patent was granted to her husband!
History, Rationale, Laws and Dates Daylight Saving Time begins for most of the United States at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of April. Time reverts to standard time at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday of October. In the U.S., each time zone switches at a different time. In the European Union, Summer Time begins and ends at 1 am Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time). It starts the last Sunday in March, and ends the last Sunday in October. In the EU, all time zones change at the same moment. The main purpose of Daylight Saving Time (called "Summer Time" many places in the world) is to make better use of daylight. We change our clocks during the summer months to move an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening. Countries have different change dates.
How Not To Help Our Poorer Brother Theodore Roosevelt speech in reply to the Populist Party Vice Presidential Candidate letter to Roosevelt, 1900.
How the Other Half Lives How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis is a look at the plight of the immigrants in the New York tenement buildings in 1890.  This site hosts the text of the original book, including the illustrations.  Excellent primary resource material for this era.
How We Made the First Flight Orville Wright’s story of the first heavier-than-air flight.
Make the Dirt Fly A Smithsonian Institute presentation on the building of the Panama Canal, with images and text.
Map of cities having at least 2500 inhabitants, 1903 A wonderful map for comparison purposes.
Mrs. Frederick Teaches Women How to Wash the Dishes As the principles of scientific management came to play a more significant role in the workplace, some reformers sought to apply these principles to any aspects of daily life that might be improved by standardization and routine. Perhaps no one applied the principles of scientific management to the home with as much passion as Christine Frederick, the household editor of Ladies Home Journal as well as the National Secretary of the Associated Clubs of Domestic Science. In 1912, she published a four-part series in the Ladies Home Journal that promised less housework. Each article opened with a box recounting Frederick Taylor’s principles of scientific management.
N.Y. Times and the 19th Amendment A reprint of selected Times articles starting with the June 5, 1919 NY Times article reporting on the 19th Amendment through an August 9, 1920 editorial.
National Women's History Museum: Woman Suffrage Cyber Exhibit At the 1848 Seneca Falls convention, "the delegates adopted a platform that called for a broad range of social, economic, legal, and political reforms that would dramatically raise the status of women in American life. To the surprise of most of us today, the demand for women's right to vote (called woman suffrage) was the most controversial reform proposed at the convention." There are two exhibits to enjoy at this cyber museum: the first is an illustrated narrative (called an "in-depth tour"), and the second is an image gallery of suffragette promotional items such as buttons, ribbons and posters.
Newspaper Cartoon Artists, 1898-1909 In the late 1890s and early 1900s, cartoons in American newspapers were an evolving art form. Highly talented artists were given generous page space on which to work their experiments in composition and dialogue. Many of these cartoonists were also painters, sculptors, and illustrators. They inherited from traditions of caricature, fable, and satire, and they reflected contemporary arts such as printing, book illustration, billboard painting, vaudeville, and kinetoscope. Their work contains innumerable references to politics, entertainment, and fashion, as well as social and technological change. They reflect the conditions of society at the time, particularly urban society.
Old Magazine Articles A wonderful primary resource looking at America through the eyes of the publishers during (mostly) the 20th century.  The articles are in pdf, and are printable for use in the classroom.  Excellent annotations on the articles so you can narrow down your focus quickly.
On the Lower East Side: Observations of Life in Lower Manhattan at the Turn of the Century This site provides a compilation of articles about life on the lower East Side at the beginning of the twentieth century.
On the Lower East Side: Observations of Life in Lower Manhattan at the Turn of the Century A huge selection of articles written in the late 19th and early 20th century on life in lower Manhattan.  Excellent primary resource for use with students.
On the Trail of the Immigrant This photo album is based upon text and pictures from a book, On the Trail of the Immigrant by Edward A. Steiner, published in 1906 by the Fleming H. Revell Company, NY.
Package Museum The purpose of the site is to preserve and display specimens of American package design during the early decade of the 20th century.
Penny Postcards How did your town look during the days of the penny postcard?  This site hosts a wide collection of penny postcards showing American life in the early 20th century.
Shorpy History in the camera's eye.  This photo blog features images of American life as we lived it about 100 years ago. Not staged—real shots from a century past. The buildings are smaller, facial hair a bit poofier, but it's still just folks selling oranges, catching rats, sunbathing on the weekend.
Silent Movie Stars Ladies of the silent screen, with portraits and information on the origins of the American movie industry.
Teaching with Documents: Failure is Impossible The National Archives Teaching with Documents program produced this web site with resources, a lesson plan, and more on the womens suffrage movement in the United States.
Telegram on Wright Flight The American Memory Project presents the telegram sent by Orville Wright to Bishop Milton Wright concerning their successful flight.
Tenement Museum The official site of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum includes video of tenement rooms, and more.
Tenement Room A picture of a tenement room taken in 1902 was subtitled "This is one of the many thousand 'living' rooms in New York that have no direct light or ventilation." The picture is from a book by Ernest K. Coulter: The Children in the Shadow which was printed in 1913.
Tenement Street Scene A 1913 picture of a street scene in a NY tenement district.
The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake The San Francisco Museum presents a virtual tour of the story of the famous 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.  Original articles, photographs, survivor accounts; the ‘shoot to kill’ looters order, and more portray the American city’s experiences with the earthquake.
The Great Quake: 1906-2006 San Francisco in 1906 was the largest city and most important port on the Pacific Coast, the financial center of the West, the ninth-largest city in the United States. The Palace was the biggest hotel in the West. This commemorative by the San Francisco Chronicle, honors the 100th anniversary of the Quake in both text and pictures.
The History of Cars A multi-part feature on the history of automobiles starting with the first steam, electrical, and gasoline-engine cars. Learn the controversy behind discovering who was really first in car history and understand the importance of the internal combustion engine. The lives of many famous automotive makers are explored in detail with special pages on the assembly line, the origins of the name automobile, the patent disputes, and more.
The Jungle Lesson Plan This History Now site hosts a complete lesson plan for effectively utilizing Upton Sinclair’s Progressive Era book: The Jungle.
The Most Dangerous Woman in America This is the companion Web site to the NOVA program 'The Most Dangerous Woman in America,' an exploration of the complex case of Mary Mallon, aka 'Typhoid Mary,' a turn-of-the-20th-century cook living in New York City who unwittingly infected more than 40 people with typhoid fever.
The Strenuous Life This speech was spoken before the Hamilton Club, Chicago, April 10, 1899 by Theodore Roosevelt.
The Wright Brothers On December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the Wright Flyer became the first powered, heavier-than-air machine to achieve controlled, sustained flight with a pilot aboard.  This National Air & Space Museum exhibit includes music from the times (really cool), classroom activities, and more.
Theodore Roosevelt Audio Recordings Michigan State University hosts a site that contains audio recordings of TR starting in 1898.  His announcing various types of bugle calls for the military is great.  Excellent audio resource.
Theodore Roosevelt: Icon of the American Century The National Portrait Gallery (NPG), along with the Smithsonian and the Theodore Roosevelt Association has produced a text and picture gallery of Theodore Roosevelt.  Excellent resource.
Things to do in Panama when you Have Yellow Fever An interesting view on the battle against Yellow Fever and the reasons for the building of the Panama Canal.
Touring Turn of the Century America From the Library of Congress: This collection of photographs from the Detroit Publishing Company Collection includes more than 25,000 glass negatives and transparencies as well as about 300 color photolithograph prints, mostly of the eastern United States.
Triangle Factory Fire This content-rich site includes primary and secondary source materials dealing with the Triangle Waist Co. fire of 1911.
Votes for Women’s Suffrage The Library of Congress American Memory project hosts 36 pictures from the women’s suffrage movement.
What is the Value of a Child?  Child Labor in the 19th and 20th Centuries Numerous print and picture resources are available on this site hosted as part of the OCP (Open Collections Program).
Why the Ward Boss Rules Jane Addams wrote an expose’ titled "Why the Ward Boss Rules"  in Outlook LVIII (April 2, 1898).
Women Working, 1800 – 1930 This site is part of the Fogg Art Museum , Social Museum Collection, and offers a huge compliation of resources concerning the world women and the world of work in the 19th and early 20th century.   There is an abundance of photos for use in the classroom.
Woodrow Wilson Repudiation of Dollar Diplomacy This site contains the text of a speech by Woodrow Wilson in which he explains, then denies the use of, a form of diplomacy started by President Taft called Dollar Diplomacy.
Working Hours of Women in Factories An article by Mary Van Kleeck (Charities and Commons) was written in 1906-1907.
World’s First Crossword Puzzle The World's first crossword was devised as recently as 1913. Arthur Wynne created it for the weekly puzzle page in Fun (the eight-page comic section of the New York World).  This site even includes the answers!

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The War to End All Wars

Title Description
“This Is How It Was”: An American Nurse in France During World War I Ellen N. La Motte was one of the first American nurses to serve in a French field hospital during World War I.The Backwash of War, a series of fourteen vignettes of a French field hospital, recounting her 1915 service in Belgium, was first published in fall 1916, before American entry into the world war.
Aeroplanes of World War I Six pages transposed from The Chicago Daily News War Book for American Soldiers, Sailors and Marines (1918) which provides hand-drawn illustrations of the major aircraft of the Allies and German powers during World War I.
American Leaders Speak The Nation's Forum Collection consists of fifty-nine sound recordings of speeches by American leaders from 1918-1920. The speeches focus on issues and events surrounding the First World War and the subsequent presidential election of 1920. Speakers include: Warren G. Harding, James Cox, Calvin Coolidge, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Samuel Gompers, Henry Cabot Lodge, and John J. Pershing. Speeches range from one to five minutes.  Especially interesting are comments on the League of Nations debate.
American Protest Over the Sinking of the Lusitania William Jennings Bryan’s note to the Germans about the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915
America's Army and its Part in the Great War Page by page copies of a booklet prepared by W.C. Both which have excellent maps, accounts of the Argonne, and a breakdown of American forces in Europe during WW I. 
Best War Time Recipes A collection of 47+ recipes that saved eggs, butter, milk, and wheat flour for our allies in Europe who were staving in some instances. Wheat flour was not to be used, if possible, because we shipped the wheat in sacks to Europe. Corn flour and other coarse (barley, buckwheat, graham, oat, or rye) flours were to be used. When wheat flour was used corn meal, cereals, hominy, peanuts, potatoes, and coarse flours were also used to reduced the total amount of wheat flour used.  Printed in 1918.
Cartooning for Victory: World War I Instructions to Artists The Bureau of Cartoons, headed by George Hecht, exhorted cartoonists to use their popular medium to support the war effort. Like other CPI pamphlets that urged Americans to integrate the war effort into their home and work lives, this excerpt from the CPI’s Bulletin for Cartoonists provided a mixture of suggestions, practical advice, and inspirational prose.
Fighting the Flying Circus This on-line edition of Eddie Rickenbacker's World War One memoirs dates from the original version published by Stokes in 1919. Captain Rickenbacker, originally from Ohio, was best known as one of the Commanders of the 94th "Hat-in-the-Ring" Squadron, a crack unit of pilots which included many former members of the famed Lafayette Escadrille. The 94th ended the war in France with the highest number of air victories of any American squadron.
Flags of World War I From the 1920 edition of The People's War Book and Atlas, this site provides a page illustrating the flags of the allied nations during the First World War.
Geography of World War I The display of the 1919 Geography of World War I booklet contains valuable information on Europe during the war.  Maps, charts, photos, and text contribute to a unique view of the First World War through the eyes of those who lived during the times.
I Did My Bit for Democracy From the Library of Congress:  Andrew Johnson was an African-American veteran interviewed by a WPA worker in 1938. In the excerpt below, from American Life Histories, 1936-1940, he describes some of his experiences serving in the military. How did the draft system work? Does it seem to be a fair system to you? Why or why not? What surprises you about Johnson's experiences as a soldier? How could you find out whether his experiences are typical of many soldiers?
I Didn’t Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier By 1915, Americans began debating the need for military and economic preparations for war. Strong opposition to “preparedness” came from isolationists, socialists, pacifists, many Protestant ministers, German Americans, and Irish Americans (who were hostile to Britain). One of the hit songs of 1915, “I Didn’t Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier,” by lyricist Alfred Bryan and composer Al Piantadosi, captured widespread American skepticism about joining in the European war.  Includes an audio of the song.
Interview with Walter Hare, British Infantry Great interview with a WW I veteran on the Western Front.  Wonderful primary resource.
Letters Home From War This site contains a collection of letters are from Lloyd Maywood Staley to his sweetheart Mary Beatrice Gray during World War I
Life in the Trenches of World War One Soldiers who thought that joining up for the good of their country was all guns and glamour were to be proved horribly, horribly wrong. Instead of dashing about on horses, or fighting in the beautiful fields of Europe (and meeting lots of nice French girls to boot), the soldiers found themselves facing their enemies from inside a big hole in the ground. The trenches soon became extremely inhospitable and terrible places and aside from the fact that some bloke a few yards away was trying to kill you in a variety of ingenious ways, there were many other things to contend with.  This BBC webpage describes the ‘other things to contend with’.
Lusitania Online This site hosts information about the ship, the cargo, and the events of 1915.
Outfitting a World War I Soldier - Teaching US History with Primary Sources This is a complete lesson plan from the University of North Carolina.
Photos of the Great War This site provides an easy to use navigation system to thousands of photos from World War I.
Poison Gas in World War One A huge article with illustrations on the use of poison gas during World War I.  A good tie-in to chemical warfare concerns in the 21st century.
Prudential Army-Navy Booklet A complete reproduction of the Prudential Army-Navy Booklet, published in 1917, which contains resources on the state and units of the American military during World War I.
The Doughboy Center This site provides the story of the American Expeditionary Force in a variety of multi-media formats.
The First World War This incredible site has links to photographs, documents, and articles on all aspects of World War I.
The Great War and Popular Culture This site provides resources for teaching about the Great War through primary resources and more.
The Great War in Pictures: World War I Photo Archive Great War Pictures shows this war in all its gruesomeness. Please remember that reality can never be resembled more effectively than in these photos. This reality is really beyond any description. Some photos are truly hair-raising, but are shown nevertheless without reserve because they represent the Great War – any war.
The Influenza Epidemic of 1918 It is an oddity of history that the influenza epidemic of 1918 has been overlooked in the teaching of American history. Documentation of the disease is ample, as shown in the records selected from the holdings of the National Archives regional archives. Exhibiting these documents helps the epidemic take its rightful place as a major disaster in world history.
U-boat Attack, 1916 Adolf K.G.E. von Spiegel commanded a German U-boat during the First World War. He published his memoirs in 1919. Here he describes the attack on a cargo vessel in April 1916.
Victory on the Menu Good Housekeeping printed menus, offering housewives directions for preparing tasty meals that met conservation standards. Contributed by readers, this “month’s worth of recipes” printed in August 1917 demonstrated conservation in action, as well as women’s ingenuity in redesigning menus to observe rationing guidelines.
War Garden Victorious An Internet reprint of a book published in 1919 describing the growth of Victory Gardens in World War I.
Wars and Atrocities in the First Quarter of the Twentieth Century A map that provides a graphic representation of the deaths involved between 1900 – 1925.
Weapons of World War I Copies of pages from the 1918 publication, The Chicago Daily News War Book for American Soldiers, Sailors and Marines, which illustrate the major weapons of the warring powers.
Wheatless Wednesday U.S. Food Administration poster reminding Americans about sacrificing food at home for the troops overseas.
World War I Album A large collection of photographs from WWI showing the American Army camp life and activities.
World War I Document Archives Contains documents from Europe and America pertaining to World War I.
WW I GI Newspaper Stars and Stripes from WW I online.

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Boom and Bust in America

 

 
  The Roaring Twenties The Great Depression  

The Roaring Twenties

Title Description
1920s Movie Timeline What were the hits at the theaters in the 1920s?  This site provides the answers with a year-by-year listing.
Aimee Semple McPherson She's been written out of many history books, but Aimee Semple McPherson was one of the most famous female evangelists in the world. Described as "dynamic, irrepressible, and complex," she's been called the "most tragic figure in America."
Clash of Cultures, 1910 – 1930 This site looks at cultural tensions that surfaced and influenced the 1920s and beyond.  Topics include Anti-Immigration and the KKK, the New Woman, The Scopes Trial, and Prohibition.  Lots of resources available on this site.
FBI History: Famous Cases Since its founding in 1908, the FBI has been involved in many famous cases. Inasmuch as inquiries often are received about them, the Office of Public and Congressional Affairs (OPCA) has prepared monographs on some of the most frequently requested, closed investigations. The monographs listed have been made available for your use. You may download them for any noncommercial use without obtaining permission from the FBI.
Film making in 1920 Actress Lillian Gish describes making the movie Way Down East with director D.W. Griffith.  Interesting comments on the times.
Food Prices in the 1920s A listing of the price of various items of food during the 1920s.  Entries are dated by year and location.  Bread: 9 cents a pound!
Images of Prohibition A large collection of photos and drawings on the era of prohibition.
Images of the Red Scare A collection of images – from editorial cartoons/comment to photographs – of the perceptions and events of the Red Scare, 1918-1921.
Look At Me This collection of "found photos" contains 572 snapshots (and growing) dating back to the 1920s. The people may be strangers, but the ubiquitous nature of human experience gives these images a life-affirming power that will brighten your day.
Music Clips from the 1920s Al Jolson to Billy Murray:  The singers of the 1920s.  This website had audio recordings from the popular hits of the 1920s.
Only Yesterday The full text of Frederick Lewis Allen’s classic work on the 1920s.  An interesting read essential to understanding the informal history of the decade.
Prosperity and Thrift: The Coolidge Era and the Consumer Economy Prosperity and Thrift: The Coolidge Era and the Consumer Economy, 1921-1929 assembles a 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.  A Library of Congress compilation.
The 1920s Economy: A Statistical Portrait Statistical information on the 1920’s economic picture.  Topics include:  Industry; Agriculture; Electric Power; Economic Concentration; Business Failures; Distribution of Wealth; Advertising; and Consumer Credit.
The Case Against The Reds A. Mitchell Palmer’s article justifying the attack of the US government on suspected Communists in 1920.
The Crash of 1929 The Crash of 1929 offers insights into topics in American history including market mechanics, the history of Wall Street, economic forecasting, the zeitgeist of the 1920s, morality and the market, the effect of economic cycles on political trends, the lifestyles of the American elite, and more. Use the film or this Web site to learn more, either in a classroom or on your own. A PBS production.
The Red Scare Contains information on the Red Scare; images from the era; and subject headings.
The Survey Graphic Harlem Edition Survey Graphic was a social work magazine of the 1920's. This site includes the entire edition of the magazine for March, 1925 which was focused on what is now termed the Harlem Renaissance. An outstanding source for primary materials.
Welcome to the 1920s PowerPoint A PowerPoint illustrating the various aspects that made the era of the 1920s unique.
Zora Neale Hurston The Florida Memory Project from the Florida Archives posted this lesson plan and teaching resources on Zora Neale Hurston.  This lesson involves reading a Hurston article “Turpentine” and meets the Sunshine State Standards.

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The Great Depression

Title Description
Amelia Earhart This official site is excellent in content, design, and navigation. Of course there is an Earhart biography, but don't stop there. Other highlights include a nice collection of quotes ("Courage is the price that Life exacts for granting peace."), a photo gallery, and screensavers and wallpaper (listed under Downloads).
America from Depression to WW II The Library of Congress Special Presentation:  The black-and-white photographs of the Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Collection are a landmark in the history of documentary photography. The images show Americans at home, at work, and at play, with an emphasis on rural and small-town life and the adverse effects of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and increasing farm mechanization.
America from the Great Depression to WWII: Color Photographs The color photographs of the Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Collection include scenes of rural and small-town life, migrant labor, and the effects of the Great Depression. A significant number of the color photographs concern the mobilization effort for World War II and portray aircraft manufacturing, military training, and the nation's railroads. The 1,600 color photographs produced by the FSA and OWI photographers are less well known and far less extensive
America in the 1930s From the American Studies Program at the University of Virginia, America in the 1930's is a compendium of the decade's visual arts: film, print, radio, murals, paintings, posters and architecture. Don't miss the multimedia timeline, which color-codes events into four categories: Politics and Society, Science and Technology, Arts and Culture, and World Events. Many of the items are linked to additional audio or video media, and each year is summarized with a Year in Review video.
American Life Histories: The Federal Writers Project These life histories were compiled and transcribed by the staff of the Folklore Project of the Federal Writers' Project for the U.S. Works Progress (later Work Projects) Administration (WPA) from 1936-1940. The Library of Congress collection includes 2,900 documents representing the work of over 300 writers from 24 states. Typically 2,000-15,000 words in length, the documents consist of drafts and revisions, varying in form from narrative to dialogue to report to case history. The histories describe the informant's family education, income, occupation, political views, religion and mores, medical needs, diet and miscellaneous observations. Pseudonyms are often substituted for individuals and places named in the narrative texts.
Anthology of the 1930s Prose A fabulous collection of writings from the 1930s.  This collection has crime fiction, some real event reportage, strikes and riots as well as humor. Click on ‘index’ for a list of the articles.
Bank Failures: 1929 – 1933 A graph depicting the number of bank failures from 1929 through 1933.
Blues and Gospel Click on the Audio Title link and enjoy the music recorded by the WPA between 1938 – 1943 at this American Memory website.  Save the song and use in class.
Brother Can You Spare A Dime The Library of Congress has provided this collection of resources (and lesson plans) on the Great Depression.
By the People, For the People: Posters from the WPA, 1936-1943 "By the People, For the People: Posters from the WPA, 1936-1943" is a collection of 900 boldly colored & graphically diverse posters produced as part of FDR's New Deal. These striking silkscreens, lithographs, & woodcuts were created to publicize health & safety programs; cultural programs including art exhibitions, theatrical, & musical performances; travel & tourism; educational programs; & community activities.
Children’s Letters to Mrs. Roosevelt: Analyzing the Letters This is a one- to two-day lesson plan using short letters from children to Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1930s.  Excellent use of analysis and primary resources, plus an intriguing look at life in the era.
Comic Strips of the 1930s A collection of comic strips produced during the 1930s, reflecting the thoughts and moods of the times.  Dick Tracy, Superman, Popeye, and more are produced for this site. 
Documenting the 1930s Documentary work by the Federal Writers Project, Dorothea Lange and Paul Taylor, Malcolm Cowley, Richard Wright, James Agee and Walker Evans, and Lewis Hine.  A huge collection of visual and textual resources.
Drought Devastates Farming in 1930s America Daily Life Online provides a lesson plan and resources on the great drought that hit with the Great Depression.  The lesson includes visual resources, student questions, and more.
Dust Bowl Movie Making of America (MoA) is a digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. The collection is particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology. Just click on ‘subject browsing’ and review hundreds of primary resources.
Electrifying Housework This site contains two pictures, both centered on methods of home laundry.  The comparison illustrates the effect of electrical appliances that were beginning to appear in American homes during the 1930s.
Farm Security Administration photos of the Great Depression The black-and-white photographs of the Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Collection are a landmark in the history of documentary photography. The images show Americans at home, at work, and at play, with an emphasis on rural and small-town life and the adverse effects of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and increasing farm mechanization. Some of the most famous images portray people who were displaced from farms and migrated West or to industrial cities in search of work.
FDR Cartoon Archive A large collection of political cartoons from the era of the FDR Presidency organized by topics.
FDR Cartoon Collection A collection of political cartoons – arranged by year published – that provides comments and insight into the Presidency of Franklin Roosevelt.
FDR Cartoons This Niskayuna High School site hosts a collection of editorial cartoons about FDR from election as president until his death.
Flint Sitdown Strike, 1936-37 A selection of images taken during the sitdown strike.
Frances Perkins and the New Deal A short biography, picture, and primary resources dealing with Frances Perkins, FDR’s Secretary of Labor.
Herblock’s History: Political Cartoons of the 1930s Herblock’s History: Political Cartoons of the 1930s contains a series of political cartoons – with background information – from the 1930s.  From the site:  Herb Block published his first editorial cartoon six months before the 1929 New York Stock Exchange crash that plunged the country into the Great Depression. His concern for the national physical environment broadened into concern for the economic and international environment. He also warned throughout the decade of the danger represented by Fascist political gains in Europe and Adolf Hitler's rise to power in Germany at the head of the Nazi Party.
History of Alcatraz Alcatraz History was designed to help introduce you to the rich history of Alcatraz during the penitentiary years and many of the inmates who called "the Rock" home. From the mid 1930's until the mid 1960's, Alcatraz was America's premier maximum-security prison, the final stop for the nation's most incorrigible inmates.
I Remember: The Great Depression Everyone has a story to tell about the past.  During the Great Depression of the 1930s, some Michiganians bartered and traded for food, clothes, shelter and services. Sharing and "making do" became a way of life. People who lived during the Depression have interesting stories to share about how they coped with hard times.  The following reminiscences were published in Michigan History Magazine, January-February, 1982.  Hosted by the Michigan Historical Society.
In Our Own Backyard: Resisting Nazi Propaganda in Southern California, 1933-1945 A fascinating look at the philosophy and activities that led to widespread Nazi influence and intolerance in California.  Text and images present a graphic picture of the spread of Nazism, especially during the Great Depression.
Loveless CCC Lyrics and audio of the song Loveless CCC, a parody on the Civilian Conservation Corps.  Other lyrics and audios available from the site include The Highway Hobo, I Rode Southern, and Stevensville Blues.
Michigan Historical Museum: The Great Depression Gallery Photographs representing life during the 1930s.
Music of the Depression Era A collection of lyrics of popular songs produced during the Depression era.
New Deal Documents List Hosted by the New Deal Network, the documents list includes a wide variety of primary resources on the New Deal, including the transcripts of a variety of Fireside Chats; magazine articles by a variety of individuals; and much more.  An exceptional resource for looking at the original thoughts of the makers of the New Deal.
New Deal Network This site, hosted by the New Deal Network, has a variety of categories for an in-depth view of the New Deal.  Teacher resources and lesson plans are included.
Photographing the Representative American From the site:  Travelling across the American South with writer Erskine Caldwell (Tobacco Road) between 1935 and 1937, Margaret Bourke-White photographed the people of the Depression.
Photos of the New Deal  The FDR Library hosts a collection of photographs reflecting the Great Depression and the New Deal.
Posters from the WPA The By the People, For the People: Posters from the WPA, 1936-1943 collection consists of 908 boldly colored and graphically diverse original posters produced from 1936 to 1943 as part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal.
Posters from the WPA This is a vintage poster collection from the Library of Congress. "These examples demonstrate the breadth and depth of the collection and the styles and content used by the WPA [Works Progress Administration] to advertise varied programs and campaigns." Because this collection features thumbnail graphics, it is much easier to browse than the rest of the online exhibit. The sample posters are organized into seven categories: Health and Safety, Cultural Programs, Travel and Tourism, Educational Programs, Community Activities, Federal Arts Programs, World War II.
Social Security Public Information Posters: 1936 - 1999 This section contains images of posters, pamphlets, and other materials that SSA has made available over the years as part of its various public information campaigns.
The Great Depression Business Cycle This site has two charts graphically illustrating the business cycle and through those visual aids indicating the true depths of the Great Depression.
The Great Depression on New York’s Lower East Site This site explores the restoration of a New York tenement from the mid-1930s – and the story of the family that lived there during the Great Depression.
The Hindenburg Crash This site has a sound recording of reporter Herbert Morrison’s descriptions of the destruction of the dirigible Hindenburg, May 6, 1937.
The Hoover Dam: Lonely Lands Made Fruitful A collection of information and pictures about the building and influence of the Hoover Dam.
The Living Newspaper The Living Newspaper: Understanding the 1930s through audio, offers a unique opportunity to explore the culture of the 30s via the Federal Theater Project.  From the site:  A Living Newspaper is a theatrical genre conceived and created by the Federal Theater Project in the 30s in order to dramatize current and historical events. To generate an “authoritative dramatic treatment,” Hallie Flanagan, head of the FTP, created a staff of the Living Newspaper which “was set up like a large city daily, with editor-in-chief, managing editor, city editor, reporters and copyreaders.”
The New Deal Network The New Deal Network,sponsored by the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute and the Institute for Learning Technologies at Teachers College/Columbia University, provides a number of primary resources on the New Deal era.  Classroom Resources, including lesson plans, Web projects, and bibliographical materials are available as well as Online Resources on FDR and the Great Depression.  This extensive site has over 4000 Images available.
The Papers of Franklin Roosevelt The Avalon Project hosts a collection of FDR papers including all four inaugural addresses and various war papers.  A small, but interesting, collection.
The Sinking of Panay This text document gives details on the sinking of the U.S.S. Panay.  From the introduction: U.S.S. Panay was one of five small, shoal-draft river gunboats that had been built about ten years earlier, primarily for patrolling the Yangtze in order to protect American commerce and American nationals during the Chinese civil war.[12] They were used to being fired upon (and seldom hit) by irresponsible guerrilla bands of Chinese,[13] but what happened to Panay  was deliberately planned by responsible Japanese officers. 
Time: Lessons from the Depression A Time Magazine article from January, 2009, about lessons we should learn from the Great Depression.
Unemployment: 1929 – 1942 This site hosts a chart showing the effects of the Great Depression and War on unemployment.  Included are significant events that affected the unemployment rates.
Voices from the Dust Bowl The Library of Congress Learning Page has compiled an impressive collection of primary resource documents, photos, and recorded interviews of the Dust Bowl era.  My favorite:  the song (includes a text copy as well as audio) of Why We Came To Californy.
Voices from the Dust Bowl Voices from the Dust Bowl: The Charles L. Todd and Robert Sonkin Migrant Worker Collection is an online presentation of a multi-format ethnographic field collection documenting the everyday life of residents of Farm Security Administration (FSA) migrant work camps in central California in 1940 and 1941. This collection consists of audio recordings, photographs, manuscript materials, publications, and ephemera generated during two separate documentation trips supported by the Archive of American Folk Song.
Wars and Atrocities in the Second Quarter of the Twentieth Century A graphic map representing the deaths through war and atrocities between 1925 – 1950.
With the Civilian Conservation Corps An article on the CCC in the American Forestry magazine, July 1933.

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World at War:  World War II

Road to War    

War in Europe

War in the Pacific

American Homefront

 

Road to War

Title Description
African Americans In the U. S. Army - Early WWII Using photographs, the Center of Military History has created a annotated timeline gallery of African Americans in the Army, 1941.  Black and white photos provide the pictorial story.
Battleship Row: A Photographic History of Pearl Harbor Information and pictures on the ships in Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
Codes and Ciphers in the Second World War Students can see the practical side, and how technology and mathematics helped break codes during World War II. Take a virtual tour of Bletchley House, where code-breaking operations were housed, and learn about Enigma, the coding machine that was so tough to break.
Days of Infamy: December 7 and 9/11 Within the living memory of Americans are two deadly surprise attacks against the United States: Japan's assault on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Both times, the Library of Congress sent people out to record the voices of ordinary Americans as they reacted to a changed world.
Eyewitness to History: Attack at Pearl Harbor "The surprise was complete. The attacking planes came in two waves; the first hit its target at 7:53 AM, the second at 8:55. By 9:55 it was all over. By 1:00 PM the carriers that launched the planes from 274 miles off the coast of Oahu were heading back to Japan." This single page description of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor includes quotes from eyewitnesses and some amazing photographs. Links to related pages (The Japanese View and The White House Reacts) are in the right-column, below the ad.
Maps of WW II: Blitzkrieg 1939-1941 A collection of black and white maps focusing on different events during the blitzkrieg, especially against France in 1940.
MSNBC Interactive: Pearl Harbor This interactive movie from MSNBC starts as soon as the page loads, so have your speakers turned on. At first glance, this looks like a regular "old-fashioned" video, but there are interactive activities to explore in between each chapter. Start by examining four clues to the impending Japanese air strike that were mostly ignored, and then move through the chapters using the Next button, or the direct navigation menu at the bottom of the player. Peppered with first-person narratives, this is an outstanding example of multimedia learning.
National Geographic: Remembering Pearl Harbor The National Geographic Pearl Harbor site is overflowing with excellent features. The following are just two of my favorite clicks. Beyond the Movie takes a look behind the scenes of the 2001 "Pearl Harbor" movie from Touchstone, and at characters such as Dorie Miller, the real-life cook played by Cuba Gooding. The Attack Map is a multimedia map and time line created with photos, narratives, and footage that "bring the attack on Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii, to life – moment by moment, target by target."
Pearl Harbor Raid A site hosted by the U.S. Navy provides the details – in print and pictures – of December 7th 1941.
Pearl Harbor Remembered: The Day Propaganda posters began to appear in early 1942, as the country prepared for war. One of the first, created soon after the Pearl Harbor attack, declared "Remember Dec. 7th!" As the war continued, the cry changed to "Remember Pearl Harbor." The Oregonian (of Portland) is generally credited with this phrase that became the rallying call of a nation at war. Explore the rest of the Pearl Harbor Remembered site by following the link to the Main Menu.
Preparing for Battle Using photographs, the Center of Military History has created a annotated timeline gallery of Americans in the Army, 1941 – 1943.  Black and white photos provide the pictorial story of training, the WACS, nurses, and more as the Army prepares to go to war.
Voices of World War II: Pearl Harbor In partnership with the Truman Presidential Museum and Library, The University of Missouri-Kansas City has published a collection of World War II audio and video. The Pearl Harbor page includes a dozen radio broadcasts ("It's no joke. It's a real war."), film footage of the attack from aboard USS Enterprise and USS Franklin, and nine popular songs ("Pardon me boys, is that the. Chattanooga Choo Choo?") Best click, however, is the audio recording and the typed draft of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy" speech to a joint session of Congress on December 8, 1941.

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The War in Europe

Title Description
Bastogne: The Story in Pictures Using photographs and illustrations, the Center of Military History has created a annotated timeline gallery of the Battle of the Bulge, centered at Bastogne.  Black and white photos as well as colored artistry provide the pictorial story of the battle.
D-Day Museum: Memories of D-Day "Four years in the preparation, Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944, marked the beginning of the end of World War II and the eventual liberation of Europe." The D-Day Museum of Portsmouth, UK, has a large D-Day archive, including articles, veterans' memoirs, and audio clips. Best reasons to visit are the first person accounts sprinkled throughout the site. In addition to features about preparing for D-Day, and crossing the channel, the site has sections covering the five Normandy beaches where American and British troops landed.
D-Day Remembrance As part of the Library of Congress' American Folklife Center, the Veterans History Project has been compiling eyewitness accounts of conflicts ranging from World War I through the first Gulf War. Thecollection provides soldiers' stories  in RealAudio and RealVideo formats, along with photos albums, personal correspondence and other memorabilia.
Encyclopedia Britannica's Guide to Normandy 1944 Encyclopedia Britannica's multimedia guide is a terrific starting point for a school research project. Highlights include audio memories from D-Day veterans, interactive charts, and Learning Activities. Change the Course of History (the first of four Learning Activities) is a classroom role-playing game where students take on the role of a real German commander, Field Marshall Gerd von Rundstedt. What might have happened if he had somehow learned how and when the Allies were to invade France?
Experiencing War: Stories from the Veterans History Project As a partner with filmmaker Ken Burns and PBS on The War, the Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress, offers this special Web site to enhance the viewing experience of this epic yet intimate look at those who sacrificed so much to serve their country during World War II.
G.I. Artist Sketchpad In the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the declaration of war, thousands of Americans enlisted in the U.S. armed forces. Among them was twenty-year-old Bronx resident Ben Hurwitz. Like many of the men and women who entered military service, Hurwitz (who changed his name to Brown after the war) kept a record of his experiences. But his "journal" was a sketchpad, and, during his two years in North Africa and Italy, Corporal Hurwitz drew and painted at every opportunity. Hurwitz's pictures are accompanied by the artist's commentary transcribed by historian Joshua Brown in November 1996. Sketches used with permission of Eleanor A. Brown.
Losses in the Second World War Map A graphic representation of the human losses incurred during World War II.
Maps of WW II: Eastern Front-1941 A collection of black and white maps focusing on different events during the German attack on Russia in 1941.
Maps of WW II: Normandy-1944 A collection of black and white maps focusing on different events during the Allied invasion of Normandy, 1944.
PBS: American Experience: D-Day Notable clicks at this PBS site include the World War II European timeline, and the Special Features. "Did You Know?" answers the popular question: What does the "D" in D-Day stand for? The short answer is that it probably stands for "Day," but you'll need to read the article to get the whole story. "Hot Off the Presses" is a look at newspaper reports of the time. For teachers, there are seven classroom activities, covering four subject areas: geography, economics, history and civics.
U.S. Army: D-Day Don't miss the eight-minute video (on the front page) featuring the recollections of five D-Day veterans, and D-Day film footage. If you have trouble understanding the voices, there is a transcript that pops up in a separate window. Other great clicks are Photos from the Front, and General Eisenhower's message to the troops just prior to the invasion (in audio, as well as a transcript.) "Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon a great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months."
World War II Diary of Robert T. Webber This site contains the diary of a WW II medic that was searched for, discovered, transcribed, and commented on by his son after the father’s death.  Excellent look at the war through the eyes of an enlisted man who participated in it.
World War II: The Early Years Using photographs, the Center of Military History has created a annotated timeline gallery of American forces at war, 1942-1943, in the Pacific; North Africa; and Iceland.  Black and white photos provide the pictorial story of the battles.

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The War in the Pacific

Title Description
Dutch East Indies This site contains the history and memories of a woman who lost her family during World War II.
Maps of WW II: Pacific Theater – 1944-1945 A collection of black and white maps focusing on the invasions that lead to the eventual defeat of Japan in World War II.
Maps of WW II: Pacific Theater-1941-1942 A collection of black and white – as well as color - maps focusing on the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the events that followed.
Oral Histories - U.S. Navy Nurse in the Pacific Theater during World War II From the site: Recollections of CAPT Ann Bernatitus, NC, USN, (Ret.), recounting her, service in the Philippines including Bataan, evacuation from Corregidor on USS Spearfish (SS-190); and service on USS Relief (AH-1) during the Okinawa campaign and the return of American prisoners of war from Japanese-occupied China.
Rutgers Oral History Archives: Pacific Theater The Rutgers Oral History Archives houses a collection of interviews on the personal experiences of former graduates in the Pacific Theater of World War II.
Surrender of Japan The Museum of World War II presents text, pictures, and audio on the Japanese surrender to the Allied forces, 1945.
The Perilous Fight The Second World War was the first war to be recorded extensively on color film, mostly by Americans. For years, much of that color footage remained unknown and unseen – until now. The Perilous Fight: America’s World War II in Color brings America’s wartime experience, on the battlefield and at home, vividly and intimately to life by combining original color film footage with compelling passages from diaries and letters written by people who were part of an unforgettable period of history. A PBS Web site.

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The American Homefront

Title Description
Dear Home: Letter from World War II This History Channel site provides digital collections of letters sent by U.S. servicemen and women during World War II.  Interesting primary resource for use in studying this era of history.
Densho Densho, a non-profit organization around since 1996, chronicles the incarceration (vs. internment) of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. The name comes from a Japanese word meaning "to leave a legacy," and that's precisely what this valuable collection of oral narratives, photographs, and government documents does. Learn about the causes of incarceration--a history of racism, economic motives and wartime hysteria. Use of Web technology is impressive, from the dozens of videotaped testimonies to handy pull-down menus and frames. Don't miss the useful timeline and glossary. Dedicated researchers can write to the company to obtain access to the entire database.
Dr. Seuss Went to War This site includes political cartoons from the noted childrens' writer Theodore Seuss Geisel(1904-1991) Students can follow the course of World War II through these series of cartoons that first appeared in the New York newspaper PM. Subject matter includes politics, battles, and life in the U.S. during the war.
Eleanor Roosevelt "Eleanor Roosevelt" brings to life one of the century's most influential women. This website includes a Roosevelt family tree, newspaper columns written by Mrs. Roosevelt, a clip from a TV appearance, a timeline that highlights events in her life & in the nation, & more. A teacher's guide suggests discussion topics & related activities.
Letter from Albert Einstein: Atomic Bomb This is the text of a letter from Albert Einstein to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt about the possible construction of nuclear bombs.
Little Orphan Annie: The War Years, 1939-1945 Text and sample Little Orphan Annie comic strips from the War years provides a look at the various means used on the home front to encourage the people during the war years.
Loose Lips Sink Ships Excerpts from a booklet provided by the US Army to recruits informing them of the need for secrecy during World War II.
National WWII Memorial The National World War II Memorial will be the first national memorial dedicated to all who served during World War II. The memorial, which will be established by the American Battle Monuments Commission, will honor all military veterans of the war, the citizens on the home front, the nation at large, and the high moral purpose and idealism that motivated the nation's call to arms. The Second World War will be the only 20th century event commemorated on the Mall‚s central axis.
Radio News from WW II Go from the beaches of Iwo Jima to Edward R. Murrow reporting on liberating the camp at Buchenwald; from the Munich Agreement to D-Day, radio reported the news.  This website provides audio radio news reports from the World War II era that can be played in the classroom.
Radio Resources for WW II era This site hosts an audio collection of short radio announcements and news.  Awesome.
Rationing in WW II This site provides an excellent explaination of the rationing system used by the US during WW II.  It includes numerous photos of the elements that made up a fairly effective rationing system.  4 gallons of gas a week?
The Larchmont Times in 1942 For Larchmont, 1942 was a year of transition from peacetime to wartime, in support of the nation's defense. After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States declared war on Germany, Japan and their allies, and Larchmont felt the impact.   Copies of articles from a review of 1942 cover topics from rationing to why save tin cans; from use of the telephone to draft announcements.  An excellent home front view of World War II.
The Race to Build the Atomic Bomb An interesting website dealing with the various aspects involved in the ‘race to build the atomic bomb’.
V-Mail The National Postal Museum website hosts a fascinating page about V-Mail with samples and copies. 

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Consumerism & Cold War

 

 
 

Korean War

Consumerism

The Cold War

 

Korean War

Title Description
“Police Action”: The Korean War, 1950-1953 This lesson from EdSite will introduce students to the Korean conflict by having them read the most important administration documents related to it. Specifically it will address four major issues: 1) Truman's decision to send troops to Korea; 2) The decision to cross the 38th Parallel into North Korea, at the risk of a wider war with China; 3) Truman's decision to fire MacArthur; and 4) the war's growing unpopularity in the United States.
Korea: 1950 Using photographs, the Center of Military History has created a annotated timeline gallery of Americans in the Army, during the Korean War.  Black and white photos provide the pictorial story of fighting in 1950.
Korea: 1951 Using photographs, the Center of Military History has created a annotated timeline gallery of Americans in the Army, during the Korean War.  Black and white photos provide the pictorial story of fighting in 1951.
Korea: 1952 Using photographs, the Center of Military History has created a annotated timeline gallery of Americans in the Army, during the Korean War.  Black and white photos provide the pictorial story of fighting in 1952
Korea: 1952-1953 A collection of approximately 250 pictures from the Korean War, focusing on US Military.
Korea: The Land of the Morning Calm Korea: The Land of the Morning Calm offers articles, pictures, and videos describing military service and involvement in Korea both past and present. Articles give students a framework for military service by U.S. soldiers in South Korea. Photographs and videos pertain mainly to current operations in Korea, notably the repatriation of U.S. soldiers whose remains were found in North Korea. Easy-to-read maps of North Korea, South Korea, and the DMZ are provided by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (source: Organization of American Historians)
Korea: The Unfinished War Korea: The Unfinished War examines the "forgotten war" that almost led to World War III. When communist troops of North Korea crossed the 38th parallel on June 25, 1950, the U.S. and later the U.N. joined forces with South Korea to stop the invasion. The Soviet Union and China supported North Korea in the three-year war, which claimed 54,246 American lives. This website offers a radio documentary, interviews with veterans and historians, and information about integrating the military. (Minnesota Public Radio and American RadioWorks, National Endowment for the Humanities).
Korean War 50th Anniversary Designed by the United States Army, this page provides a history of the Korean War, including biographies with pictures of key figures in the war, maps, a chronology, and a comprehensive glossary. The glossary is particularly helpful for those who are not familiar with military terms. Fact sheets detail particular aspects of the war, such as psychological warfare and minorities' involvement in the military. The main page provides links to an image gallery, a list of Medal of Honor recipients, and the schedule of events commemorating the war for the next several years (source: Organization of American Historians).
Korean War Maps An exceptional collection of Korean War maps, available on PDF.  The story of the war is told through these maps from the Korean War Project.
Korean War Photos A collection of photos, largely dealing with American forces, from the Korean War.