Harry S. Truman Library & Museum
Harry S. Truman And Korea
Engage the class in researching oral histories and historical revision, in order to gain a greater understanding and appreciation for the sacrifices made by Americans in the Korean War. The inquiry process is scheduled to take one week....
Curated OER
Examining the Reasons for the Creation of the State of Israel
Students explore the connection between World War II and Jewish immigration to Israel after the War. In this World History lesson, students discuss the details of what it might have been like to live through the Holocaust. After the...
Curated OER
Telegram from Senator Joseph McCarthy to President Harry S. Truman
Young scholars research the McCarthy hearings to determine the following: time frame of hearings, how they were broadcast, how the press reacted, and how the American people reacted in light of the Korean Conflict and the Cold War.
Curated OER
WWII and the Atomic Bomb
Students examine three points about the use of the atomic bomb by the US during World War II. They take a position on each point and defend it orally.
Curated OER
History Matters: "Word Has Just Been Received:"truman Speaks on Railway Strike
Read the text and listen to President Truman's speech concerning his plans to address the railway strike that was affecting the post-World War II economy. (12 min.19 sec.)
Library of Congress
Loc: African American Odyssey: The Civil Rights Era
This two-part feature on African American history offers an in-depth look at the events of the 1960's civil rights movement. Discusses voting rights, laws, military segregation, freedom rides, sit-ins and the NAACP. Includes historic...
Digital History
Digital History: The Second Red Scare
Senator Joseph McCarthy did not create the national obsession with communist subversion. It had arisen in the late 1930s, years before McCarthy had come to public notice. Angry that they had been barred from the corridors of power for 20...
US National Archives
Our Documents: Desegregation of the Armed Forces(1948)
Read a brief overview of the history behind this executive order that integrated the segregated military and then read a copy of the complete original text.
PBS
Pbs American Experience: Race for the Superbomb
This site explores the Cold War race to develop the hydrogen bomb, a weapon that would change the world. Content details all the people who were involved in the race for the H-Bomb, as well as notable events during this time period....
US Army Center
U.s. Army Center of Military History: Peace Becomes Cold War, 1945 1950
A discussion of historical events that led to the Cold War from the perspective of the U.S. Army. Particular emphasis is placed on military leadership and policy.
Other
Hiroshima & Nagasaki 60 Years Later
Detailed background information and a collection of resources are provided to help one understand the history of the bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki. Material consists of original texts, eyewitness accounts, photographs, videos, and...
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: Truman: Foreign Affairs
This site gives a great overview of the early Cold War under President Truman. Describes relations with the Soviet Union, the atomic bomb, actions in western Europe, and the Korean War. A great piece that gives the reader a fantastic...
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Gilder Lehrman Institute: History Now: Anti Communism in the 1950s
[Free Registration/Login Required] An essay tracing the anti-Communist hysteria beginning in earnest at the end of World War II that resulted in Truman's federal Loyalty Security program and ending with McCarthyism in the 1950s.
University of Virginia
Miller Center at Uva: u.s. Presidents: Presidential Recording Program
Great resource for those interested in the history of the American presidency. Presented here are the digital sound files and summaries of taped recordings from six U.S. Presidents including the controversial Nixon tapes.
Harry S. Truman Library and Museum
Harry Truman & the Potsdam Conference: Student Activity
This activity allows learners to see President Truman's perspective at the Potsdam Conference in 1945. Features include overview and firsthand accounts of conference, questions, vocabulary, and photos.
University of Virginia
Miller Center at Uva: Presidential Speeches: Radio Report to the American People on Postdam Conference
Read the speech President Harry Truman gave to the American public upon his return from the Potsdam Conference in August, 1945, following the surrender of Germany.
University of Virginia
Miller Center at Uva: u.s. Presidents: Harry S. Truman
Track the presidency of Harry S. Truman (1884-1972 CE) as the 33rd President of the United States. AmericanPresident.org takes us through his early life as a Midwest farmer to his death.
Digital History
Digital History: Simple Justice
Follow the civil rights quest for integrated schools from the beginning in 1849 through the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. the Topeka Board of Education and the struggle that ensued for decades following in the most reluctant...
ibiblio
Ibiblio: Truman's Report to the Nation on the Potsdam Conference
This ibiblio.org site ontains the actual report issued by President Truman about the Potsdam Conference.
US National Archives
Nara: Leaders in Crisis: Pres. Harry Truman: First Meeting With Joseph Stalin
Read a portion of President Truman's diary where he reflected on his first meeting with Soviet Marshall Joseph Stalin just before the conference at Potsdam. In addition, there are photographs of Truman with Stalin and the desk Truman...
University of Pennsylvania
The American 50s: Mc Carran Act or Internal Security Act of 1950
Although brief, this article explains the McCarran Act and how it intertwined with the House Un-American Activities Committee in its anti-Communist hysteria.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: A Biography of America: The Fifties 1945 1960
World War II ends with the legacy of its final moment: the atomic bomb. After reading comprehensive background material, interactive feature lets you decide if President Truman was correct in his decision to drop atomic bombs on...
US National Archives
Docsteach: A Call to Action: Responses to Civil Rights Violations
For this activity, students will be introduced to the civil right activities of Harry T. Moore, former schoolteacher and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) official in Florida in the 1940s, and analyze the...
A&E Television
History.com: American Presidents: Harry S. Truman
This easy-to-navigate site has Harry Truman's biography, events occurring during his presidency, an image gallery, and several video clips.