If you were born in the 1920’s, as my parents were, you vividly remember Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941, the 
day which brought the United States into World War II. My generation, the Baby Boomers, remembers John Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963. I can still tell you where I was, and what I was doing when I heard the news. I think it was the first time that tv connected this country with its minute by minute coverage of the aftermath, including the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald live on tv, and the funeral of JFK in Washington, D. C. My children who were born in 1979 and 1982, remember the horrendous September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. It’s quite shocking to realize it has already been 10 years, and there are many people who have been born since then, and will view that day as history, not comprehending how it felt to live through those times.
Some people view history as dry, boring facts. If that describes you, then you are in for a surprise. Online there are many websites you can visit that make history come alive in a way that textbooks cannot . Go to the Library of Congress American Memory Website, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html, and you will find a fascinating treasure trove of American History. The home page is not impressive, but once you click on one of the many subjects offered you are in for a treat. Not only articles, but films and photographs will take you right into the events of the past.
Another great place to go is “America’s Attic”, the Smithsonian website, http://www.si.edu/, and you will find a lot of great pictures, articles, and interactive exhibits. Want to see Julia Child’s Kitchen? It’s there for you to view http://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibition.cfm?key=38&exkey=59 and learn about. Through the Smithsonian website you can visit exhibits from all 19 museums.
Interested in Colonial America and it’s history? The Colonial Williamsburg website, http://www.history.org/history/index.cfm, has pictures, articles, teacher information and even Colonial recipes you can try! Check this out: http://www.history.org/Almanack/life/food/index.cfm. Recipes are adapted for 21st century cooking.
What about the Civil War? Among the many sites on the web, the Civil War Home Page www.civil-war.net/, has pictures, articles, an index to all subjects covered, recommended books and so forth. Another good website is Civil War, http://www.civilwar.com/, with good links to information about battles, people and life during the civil war.
And of course, if you are old enough, you will remember, or possibly been told, by your parents of life during the Great Depression. PBS has some wonderful programming about this on their program “The American Experience” and its companion website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/ where you can find links to programs about different aspects of the depression simply by searching Great Depression.
There are a multitude of resources available online and through our library’s website that will help make history come alive. I’ve just mentioned a couple of them. Go online and search and enjoy learning about where our country came from, and where it’s going. I wish you a fascinating journey in your online travels!
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