20th Century History Resources
General Resources
American Memory Collections of the Library of Congress Contains millions of searchable primary source items: documents, photographs, prints, sound recordings, films, and maps. Search the entire collection, search by collection, or choose the other browse options (topic, time period, format, or place).
Internet Public Library Many primary resources available.
20th Century Documents from the Avalon Project at Yale Law School
The Grandparent/Elder Project began as a project done by 9th graders as part of the 20th century history course at The Urban School of San Francisco. Lesson plans were created with assistance from Library of Congress American Memory Fellows' Institute.
Museum of the City of San Francisco provides access to many primary source documents, newspapers, photographs, etc. on the history of San Francisco. Search by Subject, Year or Person (Biography) available.
Presidents of the United States, created by the Internet Public Library, includes biographies, timelines, notable events, election results, cabinet members, full-text of historical documents, media resources, and other links.
Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibits, contains over 60 exhibits in the arts, sciences, and the humanities. The site provides access to archived exhibits. Exhibits include Red, Hot & Blue (American Musical), We Shall Overcome (photographs of the Civil Rights Movement), Produce for Victory (posters on the American home Front, 1941-1945), the Jazz Age.
Historical Maps of the World from the Perry-Castañeda Map Collection of the University of Texas
- WWI Archive Document archive with links to photographs of The Great War
- The First World War.com site provides access to documents, sound recordings, newspaper articles, maps, and images.
- The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century, a companion PBS Website to the video series.
- Trenches on the Web
- Links to multiple "Great War" World War I sites with information about battles, soldiers, participants, etc. Links gathered by TeacherNet of AOL.
- Anzac World War I, Australian forces
- Map: Ethno-Linguistic Map of Europe before 1914
- Complete collection of World War II History links
- World War II Documents Archive from Avalon Project of Yale University.
- Exhibit Hall from the National Archives includes exhibits on World War II posters, the relationship between FDR and Churchill, the Atomic bomb, New Deal Arts, and more.
- Atomic Bomb Debate archives and records about whether or not to drop the bomb on Japan from the Truman Presidential Library.
- Anzac World War II, 1939-1945 and Australian forces
- Poster Art from World War II: Powers of Persuasion. "Guns, tanks, and bombs were the principal weapons of World War II, but there were other, more subtle, forms of warfare as well. Words, posters, and films waged a constant battle for the hearts and minds of the American citizenry just as surely as military weapons engaged the enemy."
- Smithsonian Exhibit: Produce for Victory: Posters on the American Home Front includes a summary, resources, and lesson plans.
World War resource page
- Last Expressions: Art from Auschwitz
The Block Museum at Northwestern University features the art created by prisoners at Auschwitz-Birkenau during their incarceration during the Holocaust. Art is browsable by media, artist, or location. Biographies of the artists explain how they came to create the artwork. Site includes a virtual tour. - Telling Their Stories, the oral history arhive project of The Urban School of San Francisco, contaings video and transcripts of interviews with holocaust surivors and liberators.
- Simon Wiesenthal Center center contains information about the holocaust. Includes a multi-media learning center, a Museum of Tolerance, teacher and other resources.
- Holocaust Museum located in Washington, D.C.
- Cybrary of the Holocaust Includes Section of stories by witnesses, both survivors and liberators. Images, photographs, discussions, history and education also found at this site.
- Children of Survivors of the Holocaust
- Holocaust History Project Includes essays, documents, and reproductions of official reports. One unique item is a report on the Chemistry of Auschwitz.
- Nuremberg War Crimes Trials documents from the Avalon Project at the Yale Law School.
- Archives of the Japanese American Internment from the National Archives of the United States.
- Telling Their Stories, the oral history arhive project of The Urban School of San Francisco, contaings video and transcripts of interviews with Japanese American Internees.
- (c.) 1943 Newsreel narrated by Milton Eisenhower, director of the War Relocation Authority, explaining why the Japanese American residents were to be relocated to the camps. [from the Prelinger Collection of the Internet Archive].
- America's Concentration Camps part of a project on Civil Rights in the U.S. from the Japanese American National Museum
- Manzanar: America's Concentration Camp
- Arizona War Relocation Authority Camps
- Other Camps of the Japanese American Internment
- Links to articles, exhibits and other things connected with Japanese American Internment
- Fort Missoula, Montana, one of the internment camps
- A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution Smithsonian site investigates the balance between human rights and need for national security. Site explores Japanese-AmericanImmigration, Removal, Internment, Loyalty, Service and Justice. Site includes multimedia and activities.
Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal
- Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum. 10,000+ digitized documents. Special sections on Special relationship between FDR and Churchill, German Diplomatic files, Vatican connection, and more
- POTUS resource about Franklin Delano Roosevelt from The Internet Public Library. Includes facts about Presidency, biography, documents, speeches, cabinet members, and more.
- The New Deal Network Data, documents, images depicting 1930s era.
- The Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill home of Eleanor Roosevelt now maintained in a public park and center for information about her.
- New Deal for the Arts an extensive exhibit from the National Archives
- Harry S. Truman Library and Museum includes chronologies, documents, photographs, Korean War official documents, and more.
- POTUS resource about Harry S. Truman. Includes facts about Presidency, biography, documents, speeches, cabinet and more.
- Archive of documents from the decision to drop the atomic bomb from Project Whistlestop.
China
- China: 50 Years of Communism New York Timesweb special includes timeline, slide shows, news articles, history. Requires sign-in and password to New York Times
Important People of the 20th century
- Winston Churchill Home Page history of Churchill and his continuing influence.
- Marian Anderson: A Life in Song. Exhibit of life of African-American opera singer. Includes Audio and Video excerpts.
- Emma Goldman "...a major figure in the history of American radicalism and feminism. An influential and well-known anarchist of her day, Goldman was an early advocate of free speech, birth control, women's equality and independence, union organization, and the eight-hour work day."
- Search for other American by using the American National Biography database. Restricted to use by Urban School students and factuly. Login required.
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Created by Carolyn Karis 2 September 1998
Last update 4 January 2007.