the Internet Public Library

Twentieth Century Culture Reference

Resources in this category are:

A Working Hip-Hop Chronology

http://www.ai.mit.edu/~isbell/HFh/hiphop/rap_history.html

Timeline on the evolution of hip hop in American. Begins with the first recordings of African American musical styles in the U.S. in the 1920s, continuing through the development of rock and roll, R&B and soul music. Describes in detail the roots of the music from Jamaican reggae "toasts" to Afrika Bambaata, Grandmaster Flash and Boogie Down Productions.

Author: Charles Isbell (isbell@ai.mit.edu)

Subjects:

Arts & Humanities--Fine Arts--Music

Arts & Humanities--History--United States--Twentieth Century Culture

Entertainment & Leisure--Music--Genres--Rock/Popular

Keywords: hip hop; urban; rap; African-American; black

America in the 1930s

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~1930s/home_1.html

"The 1930s in America were a time of unparalleled contradiction and complexity. Encapsulated loosely on one end by Black Tuesday of the Great Depression and on the other end by the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the years between 1929 and 1941 were characterized by what Terry Cooney calls 'Balancing Acts,' a dance between big government and various regional movements, with the depths of the Depression and the height of the Modern Age thrown in for good measure. Despite its cultural richness, the 1930s remain nearly invisible in contemporary discussions of America's artistic, cultural, political, economic, and social development. This site is an attempt to shed light on that decade and emphasize its importance in American thought and culture. We have elected to view the 1930s through the lenses of its films, radio programs, literature, journalism, museums, exhibitions, architecture, art, and other forms of cultural expression. "

Author: American Studies, University of Virginia (asgrp@virginia.edu)

Subjects:

Arts & Humanities--History--United States--Twentieth Century Culture

Keywords: 1930s; Great Depression; American History; United States History

The Cult Controversy

http://wp4.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/cult/cultmain.htm

"This special report brings together 50 years of [Washington] Post photographs and news clips about some of the religious and other movements whose techniques have drawn criticism. It includes an annotated chronology tracing trends among these groups, along with analysis and opinion about methods used by many of these groups."

Author: The Washington Post Company (webnews@washpost.com)

Subjects:

Arts & Humanities--Religion and Theology

Social Sciences--Psychology

Arts & Humanities--History--United States--Twentieth Century Culture

Keywords: cults; sects

Harlem Renaissance

http://www.fatherryan.org/harlemrenaissance/

This site portrays the "Harlem Renaissance as a cultural movement that allowed African-Americans to show their creative abilities to the world." It includes visual, theater, music and performing arts displays. Contains links to other Harlem Renaissance sites.

Author: Maame Kanbi, Kim Ferriman, Rebecca Jacobs (hcompsci@fatherryan.org)

Subjects:

Arts & Humanities--History--United States--Twentieth Century Culture

Social Sciences--Ethnic, Cultural, Immigration, and Racial Issues--African/African-American

Arts & Humanities--Fine Arts--Drama & Performance

Keywords: visual arts; theater; theatre

History and Politics Out Loud

http://www.hpol.org/

This is "a collection of invaluable audio materials some available for the first time on this website capturing significant political and historical events and personalities of the twentieth century. The materials range from formal addresses delivered in public settings to private telephone conversations conducted from the innermost recesses of the White House." Contains audio from: Johnson, Nixon, Churchill, the 3 Kennedys, Clinton, Khrushchev and FDR, among others.

Author: National Endowment for the Arts, Jerry Goldman (j-goldman@nwu.edu)

Subjects:

Reference--Quotations

Arts & Humanities--History--United States--Twentieth Century Culture

Law, Government & Political Science--Political Science--Politics

Keywords: Spoken Word; Speeches; Nixon Tapes

Image Archive on the American Eugenics Movement

http://vector.cshl.org/eugenics/

This site is a collaborative effort of several archives to make available the records of the American Eugenics Movement. "Virtual exhibits (using the Flash Player plugin) introduce the key events, persons, and social conditions that contributed to the development of eugenics." The archives is searchable.

Author: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Subjects:

Arts & Humanities--History--United States--Twentieth Century Culture

Sciences & Technology--Biological Sciences--Genetics

Social Sciences--Sociology

The Literature & Culture of the American 1950s

http://dept.english.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/home.html

This searchable site features an extensive, roughly alphabetical list of links and readings on the American 1950s, and links to Cold War sites.

Author: Alan Filreis (afilreis@english.upenn.edu )

Subjects:

Arts & Humanities--History--United States--Twentieth Century Culture

Arts & Humanities--Literature--Literature by Time Period

Keywords: Cold War; 1950s; American Literature; American Studies

The 1920's: The Roaring Twenties

http://www.louisville.edu/~kprayb01/1920s.html

An extensive collection of information about the 1920's in the U.S., including a timeline of events, information on business leaders, sports, the arts, science and the humanities, news and politics.

Author: Kevin Rayburn (kprayb01@homer.louisville.edu)

Subjects:

Arts & Humanities--History--United States--Twentieth Century Culture

The Psychedelic '60's

http://www.lib.virginia.edu/exhibits/sixties/index.html

Produced by the University of Virignia Library, this resour ce offers a wealth of historical information on 1960's America. Site focuses on "literary tradition and social change" with narratives and images of the Vietnam War, Beat poets, rock music, civil rights movement, Woodstock and more.

Author: The Universtiy of Virginia

Subjects:

Arts & Humanities--History--United States--Twentieth Century Culture

Top Economic Events of the Twentieth Century

http://www.dismal.com/top25/introduction.asp

A look at 25 events that have most influenced the current U.S. economic environment and its mood of confident prosperity. Each event is the subject of an article by a contributing economist reflecting on the economic shape of modern times. Some the top events include: the Interstate Highway System, the Birth Control Pill, and the Federal Reserve Act.

Author: Dismal Sciences, Inc

Subjects:

Business & Economics--Economics

Arts & Humanities--History--United States--Twentieth Century Culture

Keywords: Economy; U.S. Economy; Macroeconomics

20th Century American History

http://www.liberty.edu/resources/library/public/as/history/american/20th.htm

This website breaks down the 20th century by decade and provides links to accounts of important events, people and cultural phenomena from that decade. Particular attention is paid to the role of the United States' Presidents for the each time period.

Author: Liberty University Library (mcobb@liberty.edu)

Subjects:

Arts & Humanities--History--United States--Twentieth Century Culture

Keywords: decades; presidents

U.S. Society, Values and Politics

http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/socval.htm

Contains bibliographies and links to legislation and sources on American Literature, Women's Rights and Resources, Disability, Federal Elections, and journal articles in Russian, Arabic, Spanish, French and Portuguese. Searchable archives and links to Federal legislation on line.

Author: U.S. State Department Office of International Information Programs (IIP) (contact@usia.gov)

Subjects:

Arts & Humanities--History--United States--Twentieth Century Culture

Arts & Humanities--Literature

Social Sciences

Keywords: Disabilities; Race; Women's Issues

West of Laramie

http://www.comm.wayne.edu/auto100/detroit/00.html

Here you can read "a brief history of the first 100 years of the automobile in the U.S." There are 20 chapters that include information on Ford, GM, Chrysler, Foreign Automakers, the UAW, auto photos, and more.

Author: Richard A. Wright (rwright@cms.cc.wayne.edu)

Subjects:

Arts & Humanities--History--United States--Twentieth Century Culture

Sciences & Technology--Transportation--Automobiles

Keywords: Cars; American History

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