Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: The Cold War Erupts

For Students 5th - 8th
World War II ended in 1945 and the Cold War began immediately. Read about the mistrust Western Europe and the United States felt towards the Soviet Union and Joseph Stalin. Learn how the Soviets expanded their realm of influence and...
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: The End of the Cold War

For Students 5th - 8th
Read about the surprising and swift collapse of the Soviet Union and its satellite countries beginning with Poland in 1989. Watch a map which shows the change from a single country, USSR, into many independent countries, and find out...
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Kennedy's Global Challenge

For Students 5th - 8th
The Cold War was still being waged during John Kennedy's administration. Read about the challenges he faced in Europe, Latin America, and, most ominously, in Cuba.
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Containment and the Marshall Plan

For Students 5th - 8th
Read about President Truman's two-pronged foreign policy for Europe. Find out about his containment policy and the Truman Doctrine, which was manifested in the Marshall Plan.
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: The Election of 1960

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about the campaign and election of 1960 in which the Democratic candidate, Senator John F. Kennedy, ran against the Repbulican candidate, Vice-President Richard M. Nixon. Find out about the issues, the famous debates, and Kennedy's...
Primary
Rutgers University

Rutgers Oral History Archive

For Students 9th - 10th
This archive records the personal experiences of the American men and women who served on the homefront and overseas during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Cold War. Also offers resources on the men and women who...
Lesson Plan
Other

Nearpod: The Vietnam War: Introduction to the Causes

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this lesson about the Vietnam War, learners will understand the motivations behind the United States joining the conflict in Vietnam. This lesson will also discuss the role of the Cold War and communism on US policy.
Primary
Other

Nfa: A Fight to the Finish; u.s. And Japan

For Students 9th - 10th
These scripts (the first of two drafts) describe the events in World War II in the Pacific Theater.
Handout
Digital History

Digital History: Into the Quagmire

For Students 9th - 10th
Vietnam is one of the longest wars fought, spanning multiple decades and U.S. presidencies. In this article, students will learn about France's defeat at and withdrawal after Dien Bien Phu, the Geneva Accords, and the policies of the...
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: The Korean War

For Students 5th - 8th
A quick overview of the Korean War, its causes, outcome, and its role in the Cold War.
Primary
American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise

Jewish Virtual Library: u.s. Rejects the Use of Force

For Students 9th - 10th
This site is provided for by the Jewish Virtual Library. In a speech to the American people on October 31, 1956, Eisenhower denounces Israel's attack on Egypt.
Unit Plan
Department of Defense

Do Dea: Ap Us History: Unit 9: Modern Times

For Students 9th - 10th
This extensive learning module examines the extent to which conservatism successfully challenged liberal dominance in American culture and politics, and redefined economic policies and political behaviors. It looks at how the end of the...
Website
Other

U.s. Centennial of Flight Commission: The Berlin Airlift

For Students 9th - 10th
This site gives readers an in-depth look at the Berlin Airlift. Examines the dates the operation took place, amounts of materials airlifted into Eastern Germany, Soviet reactions, and details of the operation. A very informative resource...
Article
A&E Television

History.com: What Caused the Korean War and Why Did the Us Get Involved?

For Students 9th - 10th
The Korean War (1950-1953) was the first military action of the Cold War. It was sparked by the June 25, 1950 invasion of South Korea by 75,000 members of the North Korean People's Army. The line they crossed, the 38th parallel, was...
Website
US Department of State

U.s. Department of State: The Yalta Conference, 1945

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides a concise summary of the decisions made by Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin at the Yalta Conference in 1945.
Primary
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Woodrow Wilson Center: Digital Archive: North Korean Military Adventurism

For Students 9th - 10th
This collection of documents provides a historical record of North Korea's brinkmanship and military-diplomatic campaigns since 1968, including the seizure of the USS Pueblo, attempted assassinations of President Park Chung Hee, and the...
Article
Other

Limited Test Ban Treaty: Analysis

For Students 9th - 10th
This essay describes the negotiations involved in passing the 1963 Limited Test Ban Treaty and its impact on U.S.-Soviet general disarmament.
Primary
Mount Holyoke College

Effect on u.s. u.s.s.r. Relations From Bay of Pigs

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a telegram from the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State. It provides a typical example demonstrating the cold war relations and tensions.
Article
Hartford Web Publishing

World History Archives: David Hoffman: The Russian Economy's Big Black Hole

For Students 9th - 10th
An article about one of Russia's steel mills that has, like many other industries in Russia, fallen on hard times in the new free-market economy.
Primary
Other

The "Evil Empire" Speech, 8 March 1983

For Students 9th - 10th
The full text of President Ronald Reagan's "Evil Empire" speech delivered in Orlando, Florida, which stated U.S. policy vis-a-vis the Soviet Union during its last years.
Handout
Other

The Origins of the Korean War: From the Soviet Archives

For Students 9th - 10th
Three conclusions brought on by newly unclassified documents from the Soviet archives. Offers new interpretations on the beginning of the Korean War, including Stalin's opposition to war.
Primary
Internet History Sourcebooks Project

Fordham University: Modern History Sourcebook: On American Intervention in Korea, 1950

For Students 9th - 10th
The Modern History Sourcebook offers a very interesting primary source that presents the Soviet position of the beginning of the Korean War. A great resource for comparing US/USSR claims about the origins of the Korean War.
Website
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum

Jfk Presidential Library and Museum: Alliance for Progress

For Students 9th - 10th
John F. Kennedy had lofty goals for improving U.S. relations with Latin America when he became president. Read about the aims of the Alliance for Progress and find out why it was a failure.
Website
University of Groningen

American History: Outlines: Containment

For Students 9th - 10th
Article outlines the U.S. policy to keep the spread of communism at bay and the Soviets in check.