US History-Living History Project: Korean War
This leaflet from North Korea aims to discourage the South Korean army: “Children are crying over their dead mother as a soldier tries not to hear their cries.” Library of Congress.
Subject Reference Sources
Subject Database resources related to the Korean War. *
All GBS Library databases and e-books are accessible from home with your GBS Username & Password. See Home Access box at the bottom of the page for more details.
- Korean War Portal (US History in Context)
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Well organized collection of primary and secondary sources. Highly recommended. - Korean War Reference Library (e-book)
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A very comprehensive resource. Covers the Korean War by exploring the major topics and events related to the period.
*Search by E-Table of Contents, E-book Index, or keyword.* - "Korean War" --Dictionary of American History
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Well-organized, informative, and brief overview of the Korean War. - Issues & Controversies in American History--MacArthur Dismissal
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Was Truman justified in firing MacArthur for publicly disagreeing with U.S. policy? Or was MacArthur simply expressing his opinion on the best wartime strategy, as any commander had a right to do? - Issues & Controversies in American History--Public Response to the Firing of General MacArthur
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- Issues & Controversies in American History--Korean War
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Should the U.S. be involved in the occupation of Korea following World War II and in helping defend South Korea against North Korea during the Korean War? Or are U.S. actions in Korea unjustified?
Magazine and Newspaper Databases
Use the ProQuest Historical Newspapers Complete and World New Digest for newspaper articles from the Korean War era. Search ProQuest Magazines, Newspapers & Journals for more recently published magazine articles on your topic.
All GBS Library databases and e-books are accessible from home with your GBS Username & Password. See Home Access box at the bottom of the page for more details.
- 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. - World News Digest (1940 to Present) This link opens in a new window
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U.S. and World News from 1940 to the present. - Gale U.S. History This link opens in a new window
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An excellent place to begin research. Includes reference sources, Magazine & Journal articles & primary sources. - ProQuest News, Magazines, and Journals This link opens in a new window
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Includes all ProQuest databases. Thousands of resources.
The Korean War: Fire & Ice
Korean War Overview
Database Type Key
: Contains primary sources.
: Great resource for beginning research.
: Contains news and/or other current events resources.
: Contains articles from academic and professional journals.
: Requires username & password from home.
: Text-to-Speech function.
: Contains audio.
Web Resources
- Guided Readings--Post-War America, 1946-1960 (Digital History-University of Houston)
Examines the origins of the Cold War; the implementation of the Containment policy; the Korean War; and fear of Communist subversion at home. It also traces the beginnings of the Civil Rights movement; the emergence of youth culture; and postwar cultural critics, including the Beats - Remembering the Korean War (U.S. Army Center for Military History)
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Includes official histories, images, military history studies, commemoration brochures and more. - Still Present Pasts: Korean Americans and the Forgotten War
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Online companion to a multi-media exhibit. Includes documentary film and archival photographs, and oral histories that explore memories and legacies of the Korean War.
Korean War from Korean Perspectives
- The Impact of Division on Korea and the Major Powers-- Ilpyong Kim, University of Connecticut
"The armistice agreement of the Korean War...has had enormous impact on the Korean peninsula as well as on the great power relations between the United States, the People’s Republic of China, and the former Soviet Union. However, the rise of nationalism and unification movement of two Koreas challenged the underlying issues of U. S. -Korea relations.... " - Perspectives on Korean War (Korea Times)
Opinion piece describing the differing perspectives of North & South Korea reflecting on the war 60 years after it began. - An Abductee’s Daughter Speaks Out About an Unhealed Korean Wound (New York Times)
"Since 2000, [Lee Mi-Il] has campaigned to generate more interest in the fate of tens of thousands of South Koreans believed to have been forcibly taken to North Korea during the Korean War six decades ago." - South Korea Commission Probes Civilian Massacres by US in Korean War (2008)"South Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission is concluding the US military indiscriminately killed large groups of South Korean civilians during the Korean War in the early 1950s. The Commission has more than 200 cases on its docket, based on hundreds of citizens’ petitions recounting US bombing and strafing runs on South Korean refugee gatherings in 1950 and ’51. We speak with Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press reporter Charles Hanley, co-author of The Bridge at No Gun Ri: A Hidden Nightmare from the Korean War. "
- Truth Commission: South Korea 2005The Commission was tasked to investigate incidents regarding human rights abuses, violence, and massacres occurring since the period of Japanese rule to the present time, specifically during the nation's authoritarian regimes. The mandate covered approximately one century and started with the beginning of Japanese rule over Korea and ended with the fall of the authoritarian regimes in South Korea. The Commission was tasked to screen petitions received by individuals, investigate and decide cases, and recommend measures to help establish truth and reconciliation.
**Accessed via the Internet Archive. May take a few moments to load**
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