The U.S. House of Representatives Remembers September 11

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“Due to the Circumstances of Today”: The U.S. House of Representatives Remembers September 11, 2001 brings together a series of interviews conducted by the Office of the House Historian to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. A project of the U.S. House of Representatives Oral History Program, it features the recollections of former Representatives, House officials and employees, and select eyewitnesses to the event.

The great strength of the website is its extensive collection of video and audio sources. Sources are divided into four sections that explore the events of September 11, American reaction and response, efforts to improve security and safety, and the lingering impact of the attacks. Such materials, extensive as they are, would make for an excellent set of sources for a research project.

The site also features a seven and a half minute long video narrative that draws on clips from oral history resources, as well as a dozen images and artifacts. Finally, the site offers a link to a series of historical highlights on the website of the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Each highlight is accompanied by a brief synopsis and a “teaching tip.”

September 11, 2001: Attack on America

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This site is an extensive collection of some 2,000 primary texts related to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. It features documents in the fields of law, history, economics, politics, diplomacy, and government, and includes press releases, briefings, legislation, executive orders, proclamations, and public laws.

The documents (with factual errors corrected in annotations) have been collected from sources such as the White House, Departments of State, Defense, Transportation, and Justice, the European Union, NATO, and the OAS. Users can browse the long list, arranged chronologically, or can pull up documents via a variety of drop-down menus. They may also search the collection by keyword, or jump directly to a particular date from September 2001 through April 2002.

Comprehensive and well-organized, this is a valuable site for those researching the political and legal aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

Famous Trials

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This exceptional legal history site presents balanced treatments of over 50 prominent court trials. Trials include: Salem witchcraft (1692); Burr conspiracy (1807); Amistad (1839–1840); Dakota conflict (1862); Lincoln conspiracy (1865); Johnson impeachment (1868); and Susan B. Anthony (1873). 20th-century trials include: Bill Haywood (1907); Sacco and Vanzetti (1921); Scopes (1925); Scottsboro Boys (1931–1937); Rosenbergs (1951); Lenny Bruce (1964); "Mississippi Burning" (1967); Chicago Seven (1969–70); My Lai courts martial (1970); LAPD officers (1992); O. J. Simpson (1995); Clinton impeachment (1999); and Moussaoui's 9/11 trial (2006).

Each trial website includes a chronology, maps, and court documents, including transcripts of testimony, media coverage, depositions, and government documents. Most cases also contain images, links to related websites, and a bibliography. Biographies center on five "trial heroes," including trial lawyer Clarence Darrow. "Exploring Constitutional Law" offers 83 important constitutional topics for class discussion.