US History: Living History Project (2024)
Reference, primary sources, news coverage, and web resources to help you contextualize the period of U.S. history you are researching.
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1950s
Overviews/Background
The Century: America's Time: Happy Daze (45:00) |
Continuity & Change (10:17) |
Dive Deeper
History in Context portals are well-organized collections of primary and secondary sources. Highly recommended.
- 1950s Portal (US History in Context)
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Well organized collection of primary and secondary sources. Highly recommended. - Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th- and 21st-Century America (1940s-1950s)
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GI Bill
- GI Bill of Rights Portal
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Well organized collection of primary and secondary sources. Highly recommended. - How the GI Bill Changed the Economy (Marketplace)
"the first GI Bill not only changed how Americans go to school, it transformed the economy in the process."
Youth Culture & Pop Culture
- 1950s Parents Had No Idea What Their Kids Wanted to Do at Parties
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Despite what adults of the era wanted, their kids had very different ideas about what it meant to have fun. Includes period video - Childhood in Postwar America
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Short essays & period photographs show how the suburbs and media shaped 1950s children and teens.
GBS Historical News Databases
All historical news resources require your GBS username (ID number) and GBS password for home access
- Chicago Tribune Historical (1849-1987) This link opens in a new window
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- ProQuest Historical Newspapers (Dates Vary) This link opens in a new window
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Includes historical coverage of New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Christian Science Monitor, and more.
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