Dole Archives - era - Gallery
From Robert Dole's archives - Documents and Files related to the Equal Right Amendment
Jimmy Carter - A Crisis of Confidence Speech - American Rhetoric
An often overlooked and maligned speech that was very well received by the public. Events following this speech chipped away at Carter's reputation and consequently the memory of this speech as well
he symptoms of this crisis of the American spirit are all around us. For the first time in the history of our country a majority of our people believe that the next five years will be worse than the past five years.
“We’ve got to stop crying and start sweating, stop talking and start walking, stop cursing and start praying. The strength we need will not come from the White House, but from every house in America.”
Electronic Briefing Book: The Secret CIA History of the Iran Coup
This extremely important document is one of the last major pieces of the puzzle explaining American and British roles in the August 1953 coup against Iranian Premier Mohammad Mossadeq. Written in March 1954 by Donald Wilber, one of the operation's chief planners, the 200-page document is essentially an after-action report, apparently based in part on agency cable traffic and Wilber's interviews with agents who had been on the ground in Iran as the operation lurched to its conclusion. This is from the National Security Archive at George Washington University
The President's News Conference May 8, 1970
Any discussion about fair and unfair questioning of the president needs to have reference to this press conference. Nixon got hammered with one question after another just a few days after the killings at Kent State
White House Tapes
Between 1940 and 1973, six American presidents from both political parties--FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, JFK, LBJ, and Nixon--secretly recorded on tape just under 5,000 hours of their meetings and telephone conversations. The Miller Center's Presidential Recordings Program is a unique effort aimed at making these remarkable historical sources accessible
Howard Hunt (Part 1) Watergate Hearings Testimony - YouTube
George H.W. Bush diary entries August 1974
The personal side of history is visible here as a future vice president and president records his impressions of Nixon at the point of his resignation. Teachers should include these comments and quotes in DBQ to show that there are real people living real lives and having real feelings in the past
Wamsutta speech - Frank James, Wampanoag speech at the 350th anniversary of the landing of the pilgrims
Invited to speak in 1970 at an anniversary celebration of the arrival of English settlers, Frank James, a Wampanoag, submitted a draft speech to the event's organizers and it was rejected. They wanted a speech consistent with the myth of America's founding. The protest of his speech has become the National Day of Mourning, celebrated by Natives in Plymouth every year since. This story of this speech is a vivid illustration of the struggle over the meaning of the past
(1972) Gary Declaration, National Black Political Convention •
The National Black Convention is not found in the taught narrative canon of the Civil Rights movement, this is its declaration. Students could read it alongside a research activity that has them digging into the statistics mentioned in this statement. Conditions of the black community in 1973 were dire - have they changed?
Reaction to the DEC Spam of 1978
The first mass marketing message sent over the internet was an announcement of a computer company (DEC) releasing a new line of computers. This is a copy of that message and several examples of the complaints regarding it. The primitive internet was called the ARPNET and included universities, government agencies and some coporations
Point Counterpoint from January 1 1978 - YouTube
3:30 minute video that will show students what opinions were like in the late 1970s. Not only does this show opinions of despair, but also the optimism that would be drawn into what would be called the "Reagan revolution" just two years later.
1969 New York Daily News Report of the Stonewall Riots
The H\headline alone should show how much has changed since 1969 This Newspaper report from the Daily News describes the events commonly acknowledged as "ground zerO" of the gay rights movement
Ford State of Union 1975
"Now, I want to speak very bluntly. I've got bad news, and I don't expect much, if any, applause. " What would students think about a president saying this to the American people? Teachers should find out by using this quote as a quick "do now" lesson intro.
Executive orders signed by President Gerald R. Ford
List of all executive orders signed by President Ford while in office with links to the text of each
The Living Room Candidate - Commercials - 1976 Election Carter vs. Ford
The site includes a searchable database of television commercials and features commentary, historical background, election results, and navigation organized by year, type of ad, and issue
The Trial of Patty (Patricia) Hearst (1976)
Comprehensive collection of articles, artifacts and documents from the "Famous Trials" site at the University of Missouri - Kansas City
"Original Godspell Cast on The Today Show" - YouTube
A slice of the seventies counter-culture crossover into popular culture. The original cast of the Broadway musical Godspell appear on a minstream morning program. If we take just this example to understand the 70s is it accurate? Does this mean we overstate the flappers of the 20s?
Bruce Davidson - Subway Photos
Much like Jacob Riis's "How the Other Half Lives", Bruce Davidson's "Subway" exposes environments most people are unfamiliar with. This series of photographs taken of the NYC subway of the 1980s shows a world that few who live in New York would recognize.
Gerald R. Ford: Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress Reporting on the State of the Union.
What is going on in a country when the presidents says "I must say to you that the state of the Union is not good"?
I must say to you that the state of the Union is not good
Now, I want to speak very bluntly. I've got bad news, and I don't expect much, if any, applause.
CIA Machinations in Chile in 1970 — Central Intelligence Agency
This article from the CIA itself shows the manner in which released documents involving American actions in Chile in 1973 are used to write history again. At first brush it was through the denial of any role, than a popular conception (perhaps) of a major role in which American actions overseas contradicted foundational principles of democracy at home. This article tries to find a path between the two
Sarasota Herald-Tribune - July 16, 1974 - onair suicide
Students can get a first-hand look at 70s malaise in one issue of a Florida newspaper in 1974. Right alongside the front page story of revelations of President Nixon's role in the break-in to Pentagon Papers figure, Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist's office, is the story of a local news reporter who committed suicide, live on the air. Some americans seeing such news on a daily basis grew more and more despondent about the future of their country. Give this to students and ask them to find a connection between the two front page stories - would they see it that way?
Archie meets the Meathead - YouTube
For a three minute reflection of the political divide of the early 1970s, show from the 10 to 13 minute mark of this All in the Family episode. Easy for a quick Do Now reflection or additional material for a discussion
1970s America from Docs Teach and the National Archives
The National Archives is the ground zero of primary source documents. be sure to check out the "activities" as well.
Nixon imposes wage-price freeze television address
How would students react to seeing the president of the United States telling them that he has ordered a freeze on all of prices and wages in the country? Completely ignored by US History teachers across the country - this example of government's relationship with the economy deserves as much a place as the New Deal. Start your lesson with this 3 minute clip of Nixon's announcement of August, 1971
What the 1977 NYC blackout looked like from the streets
The NYC Blackout of 1977 is ripe for an urban decay lesson that focuses on white flight, economic dislocation and the changing demographics of America in the 70s. Start with the "Ford Tells city to Drop Dead" headline and these pictures, then jump into the lesson
Soiling of Old Glory - Stanley Forman Photos Gallery
The 16th of the 17 pictures takes by Stanley Forman in Boston on the morning of April 5, 1976 would win the Pulitzer Prize. It can serve as a prompt or included in a DBQ addressing the nature of Civil Rights in the 1970s. Integration of northern schools is virtually ignored in high school history classes, this image confronts students with it in ways words cannot.
When Elvis met Nixon - HSI Historical Scene Investigations
The iconic photograph is one of the most requested items at the national archives and is the subject of a comple documentary film. This is a relatively brief but important exercise in historical thinking. Students look through four pieces of evidence (primary documents) to determine the credibility of each piece of evidence and how the evidence fits together. Finally, they come up with a plausible explanation of why the photograph was taken and how you came to that particular conclusion.
This is a lesson that has students "doing history", they not only have to come to a conclusion based on primary source evidence, they have to explain how they came to their conclusions.
Photos show the toxic wasteland N.J. was in early days of EPA | NJ.com
New Jersey students may benefit the most from these pictures because they will recognize the landmarks - but they will also notice how different they looked before the EPA
HSI: Historical Scene Investigation - When Elvis Met Nixon
In this lesson, students look through series of documents related to the iconic photo of Richard Nixon and Elvis Presley. They have to determine the type of evidence included within this file, the credibility of each piece of evidence and how the evidence fits together. Finally, they have to come up with a plausible explanation of why the photograph was taken and why that explanation is the most plausible.
Richard Nixon, "What Has Happened to America?", 1967 - published in Readers Digest
Written by Pat Buchanan but published in Readers Digest under Richard Nixon's name, this article captures the spirit of the Nixon presidency as well as a deep wellspring of emotion felt by many Americans at the time.
There can be no right to revolt in this society; no right to demonstrate outside the law, and, in Lincoln's words, "no grievance that is a fit object of redress by mob law." In a civilized nation no man can excuse his crime against the person or property of another by claiming that he, too, has been a victim of injustice. To tolerate that is to invite anarchy. . . .