Web Resources

Featured | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | General

Featured Resources

The New Deal Network
http://newdeal.feri.org/
FERI, Institute for Learning Technologies, NEH, IBM

The New Deal Network. Launched in October, 1996 by the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, and now based at the Institute for Learning Technologies at Columbia University. Contains over 20,000 items, all related to the New Deal and its legacy. Contains highly searchable images, articles, online resources, a document archive, a cultural timeline of the New Deal, and classroom exercises, as well as topic-oriented displays.

Presidential Elections, 1920-1948
http://www.columbia.edu/~ab65/3649/election.html
Charles Forcey, Columbia University

A straightforward interactive map showing the presidential elections between 1920 and 1948. This map is useful as a reference tool and also for viewing electoral change over the period of the course. Requires the shockwave plug in from Macromedia.

The 1920s

The 1920s
http://homer.louisville.edu/~kprayb01/1920s-6subjects-page.html
University of Louisville

A comprehensive site from the University of Louisville focusing on the 1920s. Created, written, and posted by Kevin Rayburn (not clear if he is a historian or librarian) sometime in 1997. Site is broken into three categories: a timeline, "A Remarkable Decade" (two essays), and, the most valuable, People & Trends, which contains links on the arts, science and the humanities, sports, politics and news, business and industry, and society and fads. Almost entirely text and photo driven; some links and sound.

The Nation's Forum
http://memory.loc.gov/ammemm/nfhome.html
American Memory, Library of Congress

A page containing links to sound recordings from World War I and the 1920 election. Developed by American Memory at the Library of Congress in October, 1998. Has recordings of campaign speeches for both parties from 1919 and 1920, and also recordings of speeches covering a wide range of American issues from the late 1910s, including communism, civil rights, internationalism, the labor movement, the League of Nations, and domestic and foreign economic policy, all made by American social and political leaders. The 59 total clips are meant to be a sampling of the wider collection of sound recordings available at the Library of Congress, and are aimed at students.

Celebrate the Century: 1915-1929 http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1999/century/episodes/02/
CNN

This page is CNN's recently posted cultural, social, and political look back at the time period 1915-1929, a companion to the televised "Celebrate the Century" series. The site examines political and cultural events abroad (Russian Revolution, WWI, publication of _Ulysses_) and at home (Margaret Sanger, rise of Babe Ruth, growth of consumer culture, release of _Birth of a Nation_), displaying photographs and biographies of influential people, all accessible through an interactive timeline. Mostly text and photos, no multi-media content. Aimed at the general public. A similar website for the time periods 1930-1939 and 1940-1945 will be posted the next two Sundays.

Red Scare: An Image Database
http://newman.baruch.cuny.edu/digital/redscare/
Newman Library-- Baruch College

An image database posted by Leo Robert Klein, a Web Coordinator at Baruch College, on the Red Scare. Covers from 1918-1921, and contains a mixture of photographs and cartoons, from a variety of publications. Meant for a general audience.

The Versailles Treaty http://ac.acusd.edu/History/text/versaillestreaty/vercontents.html
University of San Diego

This site contains a full text version of the Treaty of Versailles, as well as information regarding Wilson's battle for the League of Nations. Posted by Steve Schoenherr of the History Department at the University of San Diego. Contains a topically broken down version of the treaty, plus maps, charts, photos, cartoons, and a links database. Meant as a resource for college level researchers.

1920s Flapper Culture and Style
http://www.pandorasbox.com/flapper.html
Louise Brooks Society

A site devoted to the Jazz Age and the styles and fashions of the 1920s. Sponsored by the Louise Brooks Society, which celebrates the life of the former film star. Tells the story of the flapper life of the 1920s, containing some primary documents (articles about flappers), as well as poems, bios, and a links database. Mostly text, with some graphics; some of the included links lead to sites with audio. Aimed at a general audience.

Emma Goldman Papers
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Goldman/
Berkeley Digital Library SunSite (UC-Berkeley and Sun Microsystems)

A site devoted to the study of Emma Goldman and 1920s radicalism/anti-radicalism. Started in 1998 by the UC-Berkeley Digital Library. Looks at 1920s radicalism through Goldman's activities, with a focus on her papers. Mostly text, featuring primary pieces, but includes some photos of Goldman and her contemporaries as well as large movie files.

Harlem: Mecca of the New Negro
http://etext.virginia.edu/harlem/index.html
University of Virginia Electronic Text Library

A hypertext version of the _Survey Graphic_ issue, March, 1925-- "Harlem-- The Mecca of the New Negro," which led to Alain Locke's _The New Negro_, and consolidated the writing of some of the leaders of the black cultural renaissance. This page came from University of Virginia's Electronic Text Library, and was posted and last updated November 3, 1996. Includes pieces on black culture by Alain Locke, Melville Herskovitz, Langston Hughes, James Johnson, Charles Johnson, W.A. Domingo, Countee Cullen, JA Rogers, DuBois, Schomburg, several others, as well as wonderful drawings by Winold Riess. Almost entirely text, although some graphics. Audience is college level researchers or the public.

Marcus Garvey Papers Project
http://www.isop.ucla.edu/mgpp/
International Studies and Overseas Program, University of California Los Angeles

A multi-media gallery about Marcus Garvey and the United Negro Improvement Association. Developed in 1995 by the Marcus Garvey and UNIA Papers Project at UCLA. Focuses solely on Garvey and black Diaspora questions from the 1920s. Contains photos, collection of letters, editorials, and transcribed speeches, as well as some rare sound recordings of Garvey speeches. Aimed at college and high level researchers.

Margaret Sanger Papers Project
http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sanger/
New York University Department of History

A site devoted to information about birth control pioneer Margaret Sanger. Located at NYU, this site contains histories of various birth control, feminist, and other organizations associated with Sanger, as well as a comprehensive series of links and bibliographies to all existent information on Sanger. Almost entirely text, much of it primary information. Aimed at college level researchers and above.

The Legacy of Sacco and Vanzetti http://www.crimelibrary.com/sacco/saccomain.htm
Darkhorse Multimedia

This page, posted in 1998 by Darkhorse Multimedia and author Russell Aiuto, tells the story of the Sacco and Vanzetti trial within the context of the growing anti-radicalism following World War I. Contains some photographs, drawings, and contemporary accounts of the famous trial and the aftermath, in addition to a linear narrative. Aimed at college students and the public.

The 1930s

Franklin D. Roosevelt Library
http://www.academic.marist.edu/fdr/
Marist College; IBM

This homepage for the FDR Presidential Library in Hyde Park. Developed by the library in collaboration with Marist College and IBM. Contains bios of FDR and Eleanor, as well as some online exhibits, including a database of over one thousand photos, divided into three primary categories: FDR and Eleanor, Great Depression and New Deal, and World War II. Aimed at the general public.

Surviving the Dustbowl
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/amex/dustbowl/
PBS; WGBH Educational Foundation

This site accompanies the documentary film "The American: Surviving the Dustbowl." Website produced by WGHB Educational Foundation, initially posted in 1998. Tells the story of life in the Dustbowl during the Great Depression, the federal government's reaction to the situation, all as told in the documentary film. Contains maps, a timeline, and RealAudio interview excerpts from the film. Contains a teacher's guide.

FSA/OWI Photos: America From the Great Depression Through World War II http://rs6.loc.gov/fsowhome.html
American Memory-- Library of Congress

This collection of over 56,000 photographs from the Farm Security Administration-- Office of War Information Collection covers the time period 1935-1946. It's an American Memory site, posted in 1998. Contains photos of rural effects of the Great Depression, mobilization for the war effort, and hundreds of domestic locales. 55,000 of the photographs are black/white; the remaining 1500 or so in color. Aimed at a public audience.

The New Deal Network
http://newdeal.feri.org/
FERI, Institute for Learning Technologies, NEH, IBM

The Farmer-Labor Cartoon Collection, 1935-1948
http://www.clioinc.com/cartoon/
Clio Inc., Visualizing History

An archive of 500 political cartoons from Minnesota's vibrant left wing press. This searchable collection provides a window into one of the nation's most radical local political cultures during the 1930s and well into the 1940s. It was first posted in January 1998. It is intended for scholarly and college teaching use.

America in the 1930s
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~1930s/home_1.html
University of Virginia American Studies Program

Originally created for the American Studies Department at the University of Virginia, this site looks at the 1930s through various exhibits. Posted in June, 1998. Focuses on the culture of the 1930s, radio, film, and print media, looking at the influence of political and economic factors on American life during the decade. Primary text and photo driven, with slide shows, and some audio files. Shockwave is optional-- lots of graphics. Aimed at college students and cultural historians.

The Hoover Dam
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA98/haven/hoover/front2.html
University of Virginia American Studies Program

A web project from the 1930s Project at the University of Virginia about the cultural significance of the Hoover Dam. Sponsored by the University of Virginia, the site covers the building of the dam and the effect the dam had on the economic development of the West. Contains secondary analysis, as well as FDR's Dedication Speech, a slide show, maps, and a bibliography.

The Lindbergh Case
http://www.lindberghtrial.com/
Hunterton County Democrat

This site, posted by the Hunterton County Democrat, tells the story of the Lindbergh kidnapping case and the trial of Bruno Hauptmann. A pretty straightforward narrative, it includes various primary artifacts ranging from cartoons and photographs to local press coverage to court documents. There is no multimedia content, and the site is directed at the general public.

Walker Evans Documentary Photography
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG97/fsa/welcome.html
University of Virginia American Studies Program

A page from the American Studies Department at the University of Virginia devoted to Walker Evans, a Farm Security Administration photographer who traveled the depressed rural South in the 1930s. The site covers Evans' realistic approach to his craft, examines photography as a research method and discusses the importance of the FSA, as well as showing samples of Evans' work and that of other FSA photographers.

American Life Histories
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/wpaintro/wpahome.html
American Memory-- Library of Congress

A collection of life histories written by the staff of the Folklore Project of the Federal Writers' Project for the WPA between 1936-1940. Site exists within the American Memory Collection at the Library of Congress, and went up in the Fall of 1998. The collection includes 2,900 documents representing the work of over 300 writers from 24 states; the online database contains many of these life histories, searchable by state. The site is almost entirely text, but there are some sound samples as well.

Building America: Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal http://cite.academic.marist.edu/ssp96/fdrhome.htm
Marist College Summer Scholars Program 1996

A New Deal site from Marist College, created by high school students at the Summer Scholar program in 1996. Almost entirely secondary analysis by high school students, but includes a couple of video personal histories (including an interview with Pete Seeger), as well as a look at the effect of the Depression and the New Deal on Dutchess County, in upstate New York. Aimed at high school students.

FDR Cartoon Database
http://www.wizvax.net/nisk_hs/fdr/index.html
Niskayuna High School

A collection of political cartoons from Franklin Roosevelt's presidency. The project is a cooperative venture of the AP Computer Math class and the AP United States History classes at Niskayuna High School (not clear where it is located), and went up in 1998. Site features solely political cartoons from FDR's presidency, but also contains some guidance for teachers. Originated from two high school AP classes, intended for other high school students and teachers, and the general public.

The 1940s

America and the Holocaust
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/amex/holocaust/
PBS; WGBH Educational Foundation

A companion website to the PBS documentary, "The American Experience: America and the Holocaust." Film and website tell the story of American reaction to the Holocaust within a narrative of the experience of young Jewish immigrant Kurt Klein desperately trying to get his family out of Germany, through the end of the war. Contains a detailed Holocaust timeline, a transcript of the film, and copies of Klein's correspondence as well as other primary documents. Intended for a high school audience.

Official Government Publications from World War II http://www.smu.edu/~sshort/ww2menu.htm
Government Information Resources Department (SMU)

A collection of US and Allied government publications from World War II. Posted by the Government Information Resources Department at Southern Methodist University. The documents are primarily propaganda poster art directed at civilians. Almost entirely graphics, jpeg files.

The World War II Sounds and Pictures Page http://earthstation1.simplenet.com/wwii.html
Earthstation1

An online collection of multi-media WWII sounds, photos, and videos. The site is sponsored by Earthstation1, a broad online archive of sound and video clips, and was initial posted in November, 1996, and is updated often. Most relevant in the WWII archive are some stunning news report audio files, propaganda posters, and weaponry links. The archive has sound, video, and photo components. Directed at the general public.

World War II-- The Homefront
http://library.advanced.org/15511/
ThinkQuest

A website produced by several high school students for ThinkQuest, a national educational website competition, which looks at the domestic experience during World War II. Contains a timeline of American involvement in the war, profiles of American families, and a museum of poster work, photographs, and other cultural artifacts. Text, photo, and graphic driven, no multi-media.

General Resources

American Cultural History: The Twentieth Century http://www.nhmccd.edu/contracts/lrc/kc/decades.html
Kingwood College Library

A web guide designed by Peggy Whitley at Kingwood College (Texas) that archives web and literature resources pertaining to American cultural history by decade, subdividing the links by: Art & Architecture, Books & Literature, Fashion & Fads, Events & People, Music/ Theater; Film, & Radio. Basically, a bibliographic essay, featuring a broad range of key personalities and cultural events from each decade. Some photographs and primary documents, but mostly secondary analysis and resources.

Famous American Trials
http://www.umkc.edu/famoustrials
University of Missouri- Kansas City Law School

This site contains links to exhibits about several of the most significant court trials in American history. Posted by Douglas Linder, a professor at the University of Missouri- Kansas City School of Law. Relevant exhibits include the Leopold and Loeb trial, the Scopes "Monkey" trial, and the Scottsboro Boys trial. Each exhibit contains some primary sources (ex. H.L. Mencken's reports from the Scopes trial, lawyer summations, courtroom documents), and some secondary analysis, as well as an effort to place each trial in a larger context. Mostly text, some photos and graphics. Aimed at college students.

Frederick Douglass Speech Archive
http://douglass.speech.nwu.edu/bychrono.htm
Northwestern University Archives of American Public Address

The Frederick Douglass Speech Archive at Northwestern University contains text copies of several speeches from the New Deal Era. Sponsored by the Archives of American Public Address at Northwestern, the Douglass archive went up in August, 1997, and was last updated in August, 1998. The relevant speeches come from the period 1915-1933, and include mostly political writing such as Wilson's "Fourteen Points," Eugene V. Debs speech, Jane Addams' "Why Women Should Vote," and FDR's "First Inaugural Address." There is no multi-media content, only text. The site aims to be a resource for college students and is a significant part of the Northwestern rhetorical history curriculum.

A Gateway to African American History, 1900-1940 http://charter.uchicago.edu/AAH/19001940.htm
University of Chicago

This site contains essays and other artifacts pertaining to African American life between 1900-1940. Site exists as past of a larger website on the African American experience posted by the North Kenwood/Oakland Charter School, sponsored by the University of Chicago. Has links to exhibits on black migration to Chicago, the Chicago race riot, the Harlem Renaissance, the Negro Baseball Leagues, the Scottsboro Boys, and several prominent figures from the African American community. Mostly secondary essays, some primary pieces, some photographs, and a set of movies of the Chicago riot. A resource for high school students.

Living The Legacy: The Women's Rights Movement
http://www.legacy98.org/
The National Women's History Project

A site celebrating 150 years of the women's rights movement. Started in 1998 by the National Women's History Project. Covers most significant events in the movements, beginning with the Seneca Falls Convention, examining the women's suffrage battle and the 19th amendment, and going through the development of modern feminism. Entirely text-driven, including sections on curriculum and student essays.

Women and Social Movements in the United States http://womhist.binghamton.edu
SUNY-Binghamton

This site from SUNY-Binghamton is an extensive collection of primary documents pertaining to women and social movements from 1830-1930. An outgrowth of Prof. Kathryn Sklar's undergraduate classes at Binghamton, the site went up September 1, 1998, and was updated May 3, 1999. Topics addressed include the relationship between the civil rights and women's movements, 1900-1915; women's labor at the beginning of the century; the women's suffrage movement; women's health movement; and activities and philosophies of certain women's organizations. Completely text-driven, mostly primary, although some student editorial writing included. Designed by and aimed at college students.

Words and Deeds in American History http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/mcchtml/corhome.html
American Memory, Library of Congress

From the Manuscript Division at the Library of Congress, this American Memory site provides over 90 primary documents as a sample of the LOC's collection. Erected in October, 1998, by American Memory. Relevant items include Woodrow Wilson's speech notes for his "Fourteen Points" address, several letters of intellectual (Freud, Mead) and cultural (Faulkner, Earhart, Hemingway) figures from the first half of the century. All primary texts, no multi-media content. Like other American Memory pages, meant to be a site for the general public.