U.S. Historical Chronology

The Postwar Era

Last update: March 5, 2002

20th Century - Heroes and Villains - Grades 9-12 - This British site examines selected actions taken by Stalin, Churchill, Kennedy, Truman, and others and asks students to determine how history should ultimately judge both the motives and the outcomes of these actions. This is a site about thinking, not finding the single right answer. If you have a thoughtful group of social studies or history students, you can get lots of mileage out of this one.

The Marshall Plan - Grades 9-12 - This section from the Library of Congress' American Memory site provides an overview and details of the Marshall Plan for the economic reconstruction of Europe in the years immediately following World War II. It's text-heavy, but there's enough information here for a really good term paper or any student interested in learning about the people and policies which helped rebuild postwar Europe.

The American 1950s - Grades 6-12 - A look at American politics and society in the 1950s - from the University of Pennsylvania.

The Berlin Airlift - Grades 5-12 - This site chronicles the airlift that kept West Berlin alive during the period immediately after World War II. Though written from an American perspective, there is coverage of the broader European involvement in one of the first cold war crises.

Cold War Links - Grades 6-12 - A collection of resources relating to the Cold War and the 1950s.

Cold War - Grades 6-12 - This is the web site to accompany CNN's documentary series on the Cold War. In addition to specific references to the television programs, the site contains additional biographical and historical information on the period, including maps, photos, and other material. Useful for research or other study of the period.

Congressional Bunker Tour - Grades 6-12 - Your middle schoolers will love this tour of the 1960s - vintage bunker built under the Greenbrier Hotel to house members of Congress in the event of a nuclear attack. While it may seem humorous today, these photos illustrate the deadly seriousness of the Cold War. The site was created by Carnegie Mellon University.

Project Whistlestop - Grades 6-12 - A site for young people from the Truman Presidential Library, in cooperation with the University of Missouri and several Missouri school districts. There are lesson plans, teaching ideas, and lots of archival material about Truman's presidency.

Sputnik - Grades 6-12 - The New York Times assisted in the creation of this site, which chronicles the Russian launch of the first orbital satellite and the American reaction which followed. Pictures, documentation, and context.

Red Files - Grades 6-12 - From the PBS series of the same name. The site chronicles the cold war spying duel between the Russian KGB and the western intelligence services. Seductive design and captioning will attract the "spy freaks" in your class!

Truman Presidential Library - Grades 6-12 - The Truman Library site contains resources from the Truman administration, including photos, documents, and links to other resources dealing with the Truman presidency.

The Korean War - Grades 6 and up - Facts, images, links, etc.

Civil Rights Time Line - Grades 5 and up - Simple presentation of major events from 1954 to 1965. From the University of Western Michigan.

The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. - Grades 9-12 - From the collection at Stanford University.

Martin Luther King, Jr. - TeachersFirst's own collection of resources on the man who personified the civil rights movement of the 1960s. This page includes general King links as well as resources specific to Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday.

The Sixties - Grades 9-12 - This site, created by the Library of the University of Virginia, provides an introduction to the protest and hippie movements of the 1960s, paying particular emphasis on the literary elements of the era, as well as their roots in the beat generation of the 1950s. There are extensive bibliographic references for each of the dozen or so sub-topics covered by the site. This is a compact, comprehensive look at a turbulent decade.

Primary Documents from the Cuban Missile Crisis - Grades 9-12 -This collection from the Avalon Project at Yale University offers key documents from the crisis that almost started World War III. The pages include a search engine as well as links to specific sources. Excellent research resource.

Spacerace – Grades 6-12- The Space Race grew out of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, the most powerful nations after World War II. At the end of the Cold War, the United States and Russia agreed to build a space station and pursue other joint ventures in space. A contest that began in fear and enmity has become a partnership. At this site you get to participate in this race! From the National Air and Space Museum.

1968 - The Whole World was Watching - This is a fascinating oral history project, created by Rhode Island high school students and Brown University, which documents individual recollections of the turbulent events of 1968, from the war in Viet Nam to assassinations and political upheaval. Written texts as well as audio files make the information available using any browser. Great discussion starter; can also be used as a reference for more detailed study.

The flight of Apollo 11 - Grades 4 and up - Facts and pictures from NASA's archives.

Apollo 11 - Grades 4 and up - Brief narrative with clickable photos and audio files recounts the course of the mission. From The History Place.

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