American President: An Online Reference Resource

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Annotation

Information on all 43 of the nation's presidents is presented on this website. Each president is featured individually with an in-depth biographical essay, details about the first lady and members of the Cabinet, links to the President's speeches, and discussions with current scholars. The Presidency as an institution is treated thoroughly in the "President at Work" section with essays on general areas of presidential duty: domestic and economic policy; national security; legislative affairs; administration of the government and White House; and presidential politics.

Clicking on "Presidential Oral Histories" or "Presidential Recordings" under the "Academic Programs" tab reveals an additional wealth of information. Recordings are available for Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. After tapes were prohibited from the Oval Office following the Watergate scandal, the Miller Center began to conduct oral history projects, producing hours of interviews with Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton and their staff.

Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace Foundation [CA]

Description

The Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace Foundation serves three main functions. First, the Foundation aids in the operation of the presidential library for Richard Nixon. As such, the library offers an enormous amount of documents and information about the Nixon presidency, including all primary sources relevant to the administration. For research access and information, visit http://www.nixonlibrary.gov/, the official website of the Nixon Library. Secondly, the site serves as a historic house museum, and gives visitors a view of Richard Nixon aside from his presidency. Finally, the Foundation helps to raise interest and scholarship in the Nixon presidency by hosting events at the Nixon Library throughout the year.

The site offers an events calendar, a very short virtual tour of the museum, links to the the Nixon presidential library, an event planner, and limited information about current exhibits.

History and Politics Out Loud

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Audio materials on this website were designed to capture "significant political and historical events and personalities of the 20th century."

Materials include 107 items, including speeches, addresses, and private telephone conversations from 19 speakers. Most material comes from three U.S. presidents—Richard M. Nixon (34 items); Lyndon Baines Johnson (30 items); and John F. Kennedy (19 items).

Additional material highlights international figures such as Secretary of State George Marshall; British Prime Minister Winston Churchill; civil rights leaders Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis, and A. Philip Randolph; Supreme Court Justices William O. Douglas, Arthur J. Goldberg, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.; and Soviet Union Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev. This website provides an opportunity to experience the persuasive speaking powers of 20th-century world leaders.