Featured Primary Sources
Postwar Politics and the Origins of the Cold War
Nothing can enrich and enliven our understanding of the nation’s past, or dispel apathy about it, more powerfully than primary sources. The primary sources below open up a variety of viewpoints and have been chosen by master teachers specifically for use in the classroom. Affiliate School members can print a packet that includes an image of the document, photograph, or other resource, a transcript where applicable, and text to place the document in historical context. Additionally, you may want to search the Gilder Lehrman Collection itself for other resources to enrich your lessons.
John Kennedy compares US and Soviet military power, 1953
Creator: John F. Kennedy Curriculum Subjects: Grade Levels:
Physicists predict a nuclear arms race, 1945
Creator: Association of Manhattan District Scientists Curriculum Subjects: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, World History Grade Levels: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+
President Truman’s Farewell Address, 1953
Creator: Harry S. Truman Curriculum Subjects: Government and Civics, World History Grade Levels: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9Primary Sources from Other Sub-Eras
JFK on the containment of Communism, 1952
Creator: John F. Kennedy Curriculum Subjects: Economics, World History Grade Levels: 13+
John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, 1961
Creator: John F. Kennedy Curriculum Subjects: Economics, Geography, Government and Civics, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, World History Grade Levels:
The Cold War in the classroom, 1952
Creator: Federal Civil Defense Administration Curriculum Subjects: Government and Civics, World History Grade Levels: