Pluralism and Unity

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Presents a wide array of materials that explore "the struggle between these two visions" of pluralism and unity in early 20th-century American thought and life. Arranged into six major sections: The Idea of Pluralism; The Idea of Internationalism; Culture and Pluralism; Labor and Pluralism; Race and Pluralism; and Gender and Pluralism.

The site links to major sites on such topics as ethics, politics, culture, sociology, anthropology, religion, economics, imperialism, hegemony, world systems theory, the League of Nations, Jim Crow laws, eugenics, the Niagara Movement, NAACP, KKK, unions, strikes, modernism, the genteel tradition, localism, and ragtime.

Outlines the perspectives of important public figures including William James, Eugene Debs, Randolph Bourne, Daniel DeLeon, John Dewey, Jane Addams, Horace Kallen, Scott Nearing, Max Eastman, William Cowper Brann, Madison Grant, W. E. B. Du Bois, Mary White Ovington, Charles S. Peirce, Margaret Mead, Woodrow Wilson, John Reed, and Irving Berlin.

Although many of the site's direct links to texts by these figures are no longer operable, users can access sites containing important writings through the "Concepts" section of each of the six major parts. Also includes 12 audio components and dozens of photographs.

For its inclusion of links to many extremely useful sites from a variety of perspectives, this site will be valuable to those studying early 20th-century American ideas and debates and their resonance throughout later times.

Building an Archives

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A history of the Washington, DC building that houses the National Archives and Records Administration and information for educators and students to build their own archives. Includes a 1,000-word history of the Archives with more than 20 photographs and links to relevant documents.

The site also offers a description of the architecture and guidelines on "establishing and maintaining a school archives," including notes about technology, student involvement, and items to collect, as well as six titles for further reading.

Includes links to additional Archives sites on the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights, and to other primary documents arranged according to a variety of teaching activities.

Provides a practical guide to collecting archival documentation as well as a reasoned rationale: "Developing a school archives provides a valuable service-learning opportunity for students and creates a lasting research tool and legacy from which future students and the archival community can benefit."

The Alexis de Tocqueville Tour: Exploring Democracy in America

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Designed to accompany a nine-month C-SPAN "road trip" in 1997–98 that retraced Alexis de Tocqueville's travels in 19th-century America, this site contains information about Tocqueville, his travels, and his writings; the full text of Democracy in America; a map of Tocqueville's trip; and selections—organized by state—from the journal he kept while in America.

Also provides a short list of references to Tocqueville by modern-day Americans ranging from President Bill Clinton to Newt Gingrich; 26 present-day photographs of Tocqueville's hometown; a 13-title bibliography; access to "A Conversation on Democracy," a two-hour video special; a preview of the book and video Traveling Tocqueville's America; links to seven sites on France; and approximately 30 lesson plans.

A useful introduction to the man and his influence.

Women's History: The 1850 Worcester Convention

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To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the First National Women's Rights Convention, held in 1850 in Worcester, MA, this site provides an archive of documents relating to the convention, including eight speeches, 15 newspaper accounts, 14 letters, and selected items from the proceedings.

Also offers three speeches from the 1851 convention, as well as a host of other resources concerning the 19th-century woman's movement more generally. Diary entries, government reports, tracts for and against suffrage, poems from Godey's Lady's Book, and the full text of several books are included, such as The Lady's Guide to Perfect Gentility (1856).

On an ongoing basis, the site presents essays about and selections by formerly well-known advocates for women's rights who since have been forgotten; currently the works of Jane Grey Swisshelm and Caroline Wells Healy Dall are featured.

Also includes links to 24 related websites.

Comprehensive with regard to the 1850 convention, and useful for more general resources devoted to the mid-19th-century women's rights movement.

Thomas Jefferson on Politics and Government

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This site provides access to more than 2,700 quotations by Thomas Jefferson. Hosted by the University of Virginia, the site is designed and maintained by an individual admirer of Jefferson. The home page provides a 350-word description of the site, which is divided into six sections and 56 subsections of about 50 quotations each. For each quotation, from five to 100 words, the site provides a date, context, and citation information. Visitors may download a collection of 400 popular Jefferson quotations. Sections range from the "Fundamentals of Government" to the "Prospects of Self-Government." Subsections cover topics such as inalienable rights, foreign relations, and the duties of citizens.

The site may be searched by subject and search terms are highlighted within search results. There are links to 27 archives of Jefferson material, while 11 other links lead to sites about ideas that Jefferson is associated with, such as liberty and human rights. An annotated bibliography includes eight books about Jefferson. This site will be useful for anyone interested in what Jefferson had to say on topics related to government.

Drafting the Documents of Independence

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Eight documents and prints relating to the Declaration of Independence are presented, including a June 1826 letter from Thomas Jefferson to Roger C. Weightman. Other documents include a fragment of the "earliest known draft of the Declaration of Independence"; Thomas Jefferson's "'original Rough draught'" of the Declaration with later changes made by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and others; a portion of George Washington's copy of the "'Dunlap Broadside'" of the Declaration, read to his troops in New York on July 9, 1776; and a print showing Washington's troops reacting to the reading by destroying a statue of King George III.

The site also offers a 500-word background essay and a chronology of events from June 7, 1776, to January 18, 1777. The website is well-organized to present evidence of the Declaration's development and effect.

Say it Plain: A Century of Great African American Speeches

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This small website assembles transcripts and audio recordings of 12 important speeches by prominent African Americans of the late 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. These include: Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey, Mary McLeod Bethune, Dick Gregory, Fannie Lou Hamer, Stokely Carmichael, Martin Luther King, Jr., Shirley Chisholm, Barbara Jordan, Jesse Jackson, Clarence Thomas, and Barack Obama.

Topics include Washington's speech to the 1895 Atlanta Cotton States and International Exposition, Bethune's 1939 speech "What Does Democracy Mean to Me?," a 1966 speech by Carmichael at U.C. Berkeley, and King's 1968 "I've Been to the Mountaintop" sermon delivered in Memphis just before his assassination. The speech by Marcus Garvey is his only known recording. Each speech is accompanied by a brief introduction. The site provides 40 links to related websites.

Adams Family Papers

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This website offers images and transcription for 1,198 letters in the correspondence between John and Abigail Adams, 51 files from the Diary of John Adams, and 108 files from the Autobiography of John Adams. The correspondence and the diary span the late 18th to early 19th centuries. The correspondence includes such diverse topics as the Continental Congress, European diplomacy, family matters, and the Revolutionary War. In addition to the daily diary entries, The Diary contains financial accounts, copies of letters, drafts of essays, and notes on books and legal cases. John Adam's autobiography is a retrospective narrative of his life up to 1780.

The user can search, browse each collection, or browse all documents by date. Additionally, the site offers a lesson plan based on the correspondence between John and Abigail Adams targeted to the middle school level. Six links are provided to related websites. The website is useful for researching or teaching John and Abigail Adams, particularly those interested in their family life.

Dolley Madison Project

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This attractive and easy to navigate website focuses on the life and legacy of First Lady Dolley Payne Todd Madison, wife of James Madison. There are two main sections. "Resources" includes four short background essays on different periods of Dolley Madison's life; a timeline and chronology of her life; a short essay explaining the controversy over Dolley Madison's first name; an alphabetical listing of her correspondents with biographical sketches; and a link to the National First Ladies' Library page on Dolley Madison with a bibliography and lesson plans. "Exhibit" offers four presentations focused on Dolley Madison's life: early years, years in Washington, years at Montpelier during her husband's retirement, and widowhood. Each has a background essay, selected letters, an image gallery (41 images total), and a timeline. There is also a link to the Dolley Madison Digital Edition, a fee-based archive containing "the first-ever complete edition of all her known correspondence." Additionally, there is a section on the use of Dolley Madison's name and image in popular culture with a collection of 27 images. A useful information resource for those interested in Dolley Madison or teaching about her life.

New Jersey Public Records and Archives

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For historians researching New Jersey, this site's main interest will be its "state archives." "Catalog" provides access to nearly 200 pre-established searches on the archive's manuscript series, genealogical holdings, business and corporate records, cultural resources, and maps. Topics include military conflicts, society and economics, transportation, public works agencies, and photographic collections, as well as state, county, municipal, and federal government records. The other major feature consists of eight image collections with themes that include New Jersey Civil War soldiers, Spanish-American War Infantry Officers, Spanish-American War Naval Officers, Gettysburg Monuments, and views of the Morris Canal. The archives site also includes a searchable index of New Jersey Supreme Court cases, a transcription of New Jersey's 1776 constitution, and a table summarizing the holdings of the state archives. This site is a useful aid for researching the history and culture of New Jersey.