Dwight D. Eisenhower Library and Museum

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A national repository for the preservation of historical papers, audiovisual materials, and artifacts related to Dwight Eisenhower, this site presents materials relating to his life and accomplishments. This collection indexes more than 675,000 feet of motion picture film, most of which document the years Eisenhower spent as president, but does not present the film. The site indexes more than 100 audio files that cover the years 1953 to 1958. In addition, the site includes full-text transcripts of Eisenhower's presidential speeches (nearly 400 pages of speeches in PDF format), and more than 75 photographs. The site includes six paintings made by Eisenhower. For educators, the site includes three lesson plans, including World War II Spy Kit: The Great Nazi Intelligence Coup, where students analyze primary sources and play a historical "what-if" game about the United States' preparations for the D-Day invasion. The site provides access to a limited number of primary or secondary sources.

Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States

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This website is dedicated to the 30th president of the United States, Calvin Coolidge, presenting material on his political ideas and his life through three main sections. "The Homestead" includes a 1,000-word introductory essay with six photographs. The richest section, on the history of Coolidge, includes a chronology of his life. An archive of speeches from his time as governor of Massachusetts to his time as President is also available. They consist of 28 early speeches, 20 during his tenure as governor, 11 from him as vice-president, and 31 presidential addresses. Twenty-one essays (800 to 1400 words) include "Coolidge the Victim?" by Hendrik Booraem V and "The Day Harding Died" by Frank Greene. Also available is a compilation of Coolidge quotes arranged alphabetically from "advancement" to "xenophobia." Visitors may access 20 papers presented at a 1998 conference on Coolidge and reprinted in The New England Journal of History. The papers average 1,000 words and include topics such as Coolidge's relationship with the Northampton Irish and his presidential legacy.

Under "Ask the President," visitors could ask Jim Cooke, an actor who has played Coolidge in a one-man play since 1985, questions about the President's life. Today, the archives remain available.

Thomas Jefferson Papers

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This focused site presents page images and some transcriptions of Jefferson's catalogs of books (1783 and 1789), farm book, garden book, draft of the Declaration of Independence, and some architectural documents. Visitors can browse the page images and search (where transcriptions are available) all the works. Summary descriptions are also available for each document or document type. The catalogs are Jefferson's working lists of books in his personal library. The manuscript copy of Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence is not complete. The Farm Book contains Jefferson's records about his farm holdings and activities on his farms, spanning from 1774 to 1824. The Garden Book contains Jefferson's records about his gardens at Monticello and Shadwell spanning from 1766 to 1824. The architectural documents section offers more than 600 architectural drawings, sketches, and notes relating to buildings designed by Jefferson, such as Monticello and the Virginia Capitol, organized into 26 subjects.

Visitors can choose to view documents in the primary window as transcriptions (if available), as a large image, or as a small image. The search feature allows keyword search of available transcriptions. Though limited in scope, this site is useful for those interested in specific Jefferson documents.

National Security Action Memoranda of John F. Kennedy

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This site provides access to 272 facsimiles of National Security Action (NSA) memoranda written by President John F. Kennedy or by McGeorge Bundy, his NSA advisor. The memoranda are 50-200 words each and cover subjects such as the training of Cuban nationals, the distribution of U.S. forces in Vietnam, Berlin, civil defense, and a "Review of the Iranian Situation." The documents are indexed by NSA numbers from February 1961 to November 1963. More documents will be added as they are declassified. The index provides a one to five-word description of the subject of each memo. There is a 100-word introduction to the collection, but no contextual material or annotations. The site cannot be searched by subject. Teachers and students in search of primary source material about foreign policy in the Kennedy Administration will find this site useful.

Theodore Roosevelt: His Life and Times on Film

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Although he was not the first president to be filmed for motion pictures, Theodore Roosevelt was the first to have his life chronicled through extensive use of the then-new medium. This site, part of the Library of Congress American Memory Collection, offers 104 films depicting events in Roosevelt's life, from the Spanish-American War in 1898 to his death in 1919. The Theodore Roosevelt Association Collection provided 87 of the films and the remainder came from the Library of Congress Paper Print Collection of the Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recording Sound Division.

The films include scenes of Roosevelt with world figures, politicians, monarchs, friends, and family members. The films are not accompanied by lengthy explanatory text; they include only a brief, 10–15 word caption describing their contents.

Special presentations on this site include: a film chronology offering a timeline with 150–200 word outlines of each period in Roosevelt's life covered in film; a text-based timeline from Roosevelt's birth in 1858 to his death in 1919; "T.R. on Film," a roughly 750-word scholarly essay; four sound recordings, with transcriptions, Roosevelt made for Edison company in 1912 in which he stated his progressive political views; and an image of "Theodore Roosevelt: The Picture Man," a 2,000-word article from a 1910 The Moving Picture World magazine.

See also the 250-word description of the collection, a 15-work selected bibliography on Theodore Roosevelt and motion pictures, and links to four related websites. A "Learn More About It" section includes 12 other Library of Congress special presentations and related collection sites for those who wish to learn more about Roosevelt and his times. This site is a good resource for learning about Theodore Roosevelt and the United States around the turn of the 20th century.

Presidential Elections

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This site documents the American presidential elections from 1860 to 1912. For each election, the site provides a detailed, 3,000-word overview that places the election within political and cultural context, and discusses the major issues relevant to the election. The producers have also included an essay on the practice of campaigning (4,500 words): how it has changed over the centuries, how those changes have resulted in an increased democratization of the political process, and how the press has shaped the process. In addition, the site exhibits about 90 political cartoons (from Harpweek, Vanity Fair, and Puck, among others) from elections, and provides biographies for each of the candidates. Also included for each election are "Events" sections that discuss major events before, during, and after each election period.

Teachers should be aware that some materials contain racial epithets. Notwithstanding the relatively few primary sources, this site is an excellent introduction to the 1860 to 1912 elections.

The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden

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An engaging exhibit geared especially to schoolchildren, this site provides images, texts, and activities to explore the history and operation of the American presidency. Organized into four sections, the exhibit displays more than 375 images of documents, paintings, photographs, buttons, posters, paraphernalia, and objects along with short texts (50–200 words in length) explaining their significance. The Foundations pertains to the prehistory of the presidency, how the Framers defined responsibilities of the office, and the basic work that the office requires. The Campaign Trail covers the election process. Life and Death in the White House looks at the domestic world of the president, life after leaving office, and assassinations. Communicating the Presidency deals with the press, the entertainment industry, and advertising.

Most impressive are the many suggested activities, lesson plans, and games designed for children of varying ages. A Teacher's Manual contains five lesson plans each for grades 4–6, 7–9, and 10–12. In addition, there are activities for younger children, including analyzing letters between children and five presidents and creating a new official seal. Provides a timeline, bibliography of 88 titles arranged according to age group and exhibit section, and annotated list of 46 links to other sites. Very useful for classroom history and civics courses.

Rediscovering George Washington

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This site introduces users to the life of George Washington. Reflecting current scholarship, the site contains an Introduction, which is essentially a 4,000 word summary of Washington's life and career. The Timeline is a chronology of the milestones in his life, with a few references to national events. The Multimedia Room includes 11 audio clips of scholars discussing Washington's importance in the second half of the 18th century. Also included are four sound files of Pat Sajak reading memorial letters written by Thomas Jefferson and Winston Churchill, among others, and five video clips of Charlton Heston reading some of Washington's more famous letters and speeches (his Farewell Speech, for example).

The site contains a modest collection of 150 Washington letters, and a transcription of Washington's Book of Etiquette, which Washington himself transcribed when he was 16 years old. The letters are divided into pre-revolutionary, revolutionary, pre-presidential, presidential, and post-presidential collections; and include personal letters from and to Washington and his wife, as well as documents like presidential pardons, indenture documents, and land surveys. Teachers will find useful the 10 Lesson Plans (for grades 9-12), which are very detailed and include bibliographies. Listen to the audio review: .

Presidents of the United States - POTUS

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A reference resource for basic information about the U.S. Presidents. Each president's page includes election results; cabinet members; a list of notable events during term of office; and historical documents, such as inauguration speeches, proclamations, and significant public addresses.

The site provides links to sites about important events and biographies of family and cabinet members. Audio files are available for presidents from Grover Cleveland to George W. Bush. Links to two to 10 internet biographies and one to 13 related sites are provided.

The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection

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On order of an Act of Congress signed into law in 1992, the National Archives has gathered federally-created material relating to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy—including declassified material from every relevant presidential commission, congressional investigation, and executive-branch agency—and placed it in a single collection, supplemented with materials donated by local governments, presidential libraries, institutions, and private individuals.

While original records are not available online, this site presents a searchable database and extensive finding aids and includes full texts of the reports issued by the Warren Commission, published in 1964, and the 1979 House Select Committee on Assassinations.

This is a well-designed site that will be of most value to scholars of the assassination who plan to conduct research at the Archives.