Internet Resources

American Memory: Library of Congress ~ "American Memory provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. It is a digital record of American history and creativity. These materials, from the collections of the Library of Congress and other institutions, chronicle historical events, people, places, and ideas that continue to shape America, serving the public as a resource for education and lifelong learning.

America from the Great Depression to World War II ~ "The images in the Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Collection are among the most famous documentary photographs ever produced. Created by a group of U.S. government photographers, the images show Americans in every part of the nation. In the early years, the project emphasized rural life and the negative impact of the Great Depression, farm mechanization, and the Dust Bowl. In later years, the photographers turned their attention to the mobilization effort for World War II."

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Ansel Adams's Photographs of Japanese-American Internment at Manzanar ~ "In 1943, Ansel Adams (1902-1984), America's best-known photographer, documented the Manzanar War Relocation Center in California and the Japanese Americans interned there during World War II. In "Suffering under a Great Injustice": Ansel Adams's Photographs of Japanese-American Internment at Manzanar, the Prints and Photographs Division at the Library of Congress presents for the first time side-by-side digital scans of both Adams's 242 original negatives and his 209 photographic prints."

Avalon Project at Yale Law School ~ A collection of documents relating to American World War II and related peacetime foreign relations. Includes documents such as those arising from the Yalta (Crimea) and the Berlin (Potsdam) Conferences, United Nations materials, the Inter-American system, the North Atlantic Treaty, and other areas of interest to the U.S. (atomic energy, Palestine, arms reduction). From the Lillian Goldman Law Library in Memory of Sol Goldman at Yale Law School.

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Books Go to War: The Armed Services Editions of WWII ~ " 'This is the virtual catalog of an exhibition held ... at the University of Virginia' of Armed Services Editions (ASEs), small and inexpensive paperback books printed by various publishers to be distributed to the U.S. armed services during World War II. The site includes an illustrated history of the ASE project, the impact of ASEs on paperback book publishing, and comments about collecting ASEs."

Churchill and the Great Republic ~ "This exhibition examines the life and career of Winston Spencer Churchill and emphasizes his lifelong links with the United States--the nation he called "the great Republic." The exhibition comes nearly forty years after the death of Winston Churchill and sixty years after the D-Day allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France during World War II. It commemorates both of these events."

D-Day ~ "This companion site to a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) American Experience program tells the story of the D-Day invasion of France on June 6, 1944, during World War II. It features a timeline, a map of the Allied Forces routes, personal stories from soldiers, a list of the contents of the paratroopers' packs, newspaper articles, profiles, and related information."

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Densho: The Japanese-American Legacy Project ~ With the goal of documenting oral histories of Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II, the site features essays on the causes of the incarceration along with selected oral history videos. Includes lesson plans, a glossary, a timeline, a bilingual (English and Japanese) exhibition, oral history archives (free registration required), and related links. From Densho, an organization whose Japanese name means "to pass on to the next generation."

Japanese-American Relocation Digital Archives ~ "Documenting the experience of Japanese Americans in World War II internment camps," this searchable site provides access to tens of thousands of images and pages of electronic transcriptions. Includes photographs, manuscripts, paintings, drawings, letters, oral histories, and documents. Also features an overview essay about Japanese American relocation. From the California Digital Library.

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Jewish Virtual Library ~ Extensive information, maps, biographies, and images documenting the Holocaust.

The Holocaust: A Learning Site for Students ~ a detailed outline of topics related to the Holocaust including ghettos and camps.

Holocaust Encyclopedia (from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum) ~ An extensive resource of Holocaust topics

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The Holocaust History Project  “…a free archive of documents, photographs, recordings, and essays regarding the Holocaust, including direct refutation of Holocaust-denial.”

Holocaust/Shoah ~ A collection of original documents, letters, and photos document the Holocaust.  Scroll down and click on “SURVIVORS & RESCUERS” or “THE THIRD REICH.”

Holocaust Survivors ~ Stories from Holocaust survivors; includes a photo gallery.

Holocaust Timeline ~ Scroll down or click on each year to see a detailed list of events from 1933 through 1945 as well as a few post-war events.

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On the Homefront: America during WWI and WWII ~ WWII posters and documents highlighting the American homefront during WWI and WWII.

National World War II Memorial ~ Official site for the Washington, D.C., memorial that "honors all military veterans of the war, the citizens on the home front, the nation at large, and the high moral purpose and idealism that motivated the nation's call to arms." Features information about the design and construction of the memorial, a bibliography, a teacher's guide, and a searchable directory of World War II veterans.

Navajo Code Talkers ~ A Web site dedicated to the recognition of the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II, who "developed the most significant and successful military code of the time." Includes history of the Code Talkers, a photo gallery, background on the presentation of congressional medals for the Code Talkers, and a few related links. Provided by New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman, who sponsored the Honoring the Navajo Code Talkers Act of 2000.

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Nazi and East German Propaganda Archive ~ Documents, photos, and images of Nazi propaganda.

Nuremberg Trials Project: A Digital Document Collection ~ The Nuremberg Trials "were a series of 13 trials of accused World War II German war criminals held from 1945 to 1949 in Nuremberg, Germany." This site presents a searchable collection of documents from the Nuremberg Trials collection of Harvard Law School Library. Most Web site material relates "to the Medical Case, which was Case 1 of the NMT [Nuremberg Military Tribunals] trials." Also includes "Who Was Who in Nazi Germany" and related resources.

The Perilous Fight: America's World War II in Color ~ Companion to a PBS series that "brings America's wartime experience, on the battlefield and at home, vividly and intimately to life by combining original color film footage with compelling passages from diaries and letters written by people who were part of an unforgettable period of history." Includes photos, letters, videos, a World War II timeline, an episode guide, and a teacher's guide.

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Remember.org ~ An extensive searchable site.  Use the IMAGES, WITNESSES, and LINKS tabs at the top for information.

Remembering Pearl Harbor ~ Maps, timelines, survivor stories, and more from National Geographic.

Smithsonian Images ~ Over 2.5 million images in all subject areas. "Smithsonian Images is administered and maintained by Smithsonian Photographic Services, the main photographic office for the National Museum of American History Bering Center, National Museum of Natural History, and National Air and Space Museum."

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They Drew Fire: Combat Artists of World War II ~ Devoted to the combat artists of World War II, who "depicted the war as they experienced it." Features a gallery of works; profiles of artists (Howard Brodie, Manuel Bromberg, William Draper, Richard M. Gibney, Robert Greenhalgh, and Ed Reep); and information on the Army and Navy art programs, the Marine Corps combat correspondent program, Life and Yank magazines, and Abbott Laboratories. Online companion to PBS documentary of same title.

Timeline: 1939-1945 ~ Click on a section of the timeline to view images and information. From the WW2 People's War Project of the BBC (British Broadcasting Company).

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The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum ~ Type in your topic in the Search Box in the upper right corner.

Volunteering for Victory: the American Red Cross in World War II ~ "An exhibition of American Red Cross activities during World War II. Features World War II posters, scrapbooks from overseas and the home front, memories of some of the volunteers, and related articles."

WW2 People's War: An Archive of World War Two Memories ~ This site "aims to capture and preserve for future generations the story of the British people during World War Two." Hosted by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the site allows users to submit and read personal and family stories about British military and Home Front experiences during World War II. Searchable, and browsable by date, location, type of story, military unit, location in Britain, or key event (such as the Holocaust). Includes a glossary.

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War Posters ~ In the "Search by Category" menu, select World War II to display thumbnail images of World War II posters. From the University of Washington Libraries.

Women Come to the Front: Journalists, Photographers, and Broadcasters during WWII ~ This exhibit focuses on eight women who chronicled American life during the war, both at home and overseas: Therese Bonney, Toni Frissell, Marvin Breckinridge Patterson, Clare Boothe Luce, Janet Flanner, Esther Bubley, Dorothea Lange, and May Craig. Features biographical sketches and samples of their work as well as a brief history of women in journalism. Includes a list of women correspondents that worked during World War II. From the Library of Congress.

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World War II Military Situation Maps ~ This site "contains maps showing troop positions beginning on June 6, 1944 to July 26, 1945. Starting with the D-Day Invasion, the maps give daily details on the military campaigns in Western Europe. ... Some of the sheets are accompanied by a declassified 'G-3 Report' giving detailed information on troop positions." Also includes an interactive essay about the Battle of the Bulge. From the American Memory project at the Library of Congress.

World War II Posters Collection ~ Images of "over 300 [World War II] posters issued by U.S. Federal agencies from the onset of war through 1945." Searchable, and browsable by date, title, and topic (including war bonds, victory gardens, recruitment, and rationing; use "Advanced searching options"). From the Government and Geographic Information and Data Services Department of Northwestern University Library.