These digital resources from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum bring the excitement and energy of the 1960 campaign and election into your classroom.
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Innovative lesson plans and online exhibits feature archival materials to fit your classroom needs. In addition to seeing resources by topic, Massachusetts educators can view lessons plans and other resources by state standards.
Telegram dated December 14, 1961 from Roy Wilkins to the President, urging him to issue executive order banning racial discrimination in federally assisted housing. Date: December 14, 1961 Creator
"Someone has to work within the system to change it" was how Whitney Young often explained his own position and the National Urban League’s role in the struggle for equality. Founded in 1910, the Urban League worked to improve the lives of African Americans, particularly those moving from the rural south to northern cities.
Telegram dated August 1, 1962 from Whitney Young to the President protesting the jailing of Martin Luther King Jr. and 200 other civil rights demonstrators in Albany, Georgia. Date: August 1, 1962
Letter dated December 14, 1962 from Whitney Young to the President, thanking him "for the gift of one of the pens used in the issuance of the recent Executive Order barring discrimination in federally
A. Philip Randolph was revered by many younger civil rights activists, who regarded him as the spiritual father of the movement. "If he had been born in another period, maybe of another color," said John Lewis, "he probably would have been president."
Once called "the Socrates of the civil rights movement," Bayard Rustin did not head an organization. He was known as "an intellectual engineer behind the scenes," and the success of the March on Washington was largely due to his planning.
"It seemed as if every time he spoke, he said something I wanted or needed to hear," said Rosa Parks of Martin Luther King Jr. Mrs. Parks’ arrest, after refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus, had sparked the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955.
James Farmer co-founded the Congress of Racial Equality in 1942. The organization aimed at "erasing the color line through methods of direct nonviolent action."
John Lewis was committed body and soul to nonviolent action. In 1960, he participated in the first mass lunch counter sit-ins in Nashville. As a Freedom Rider, he was badly beaten by a white mob in Montgomery. In 1963, at age 23, he became chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. SNCC ("Snick") had been formed three years earlier at a conference convened by Ella Baker, executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
Telegram dated June 20, 1963 from A. Philip Randolph to President Kennedy, commending him for proposed civil rights legislation and asking that a Fair Employment Practices Commission be included. Date
Letter dated October 4, 1962 from Bayard Rustin to President Kennedy appealing for his assistance in the case of an elderly conscientious objector who had refused to pay taxes after the dropping of
Leaflet appealing for people to participate in the March on Washington. [Courtesy of The Bayard Rustin Fund] Creator: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, Massachusetts. Papers of
Telegram dated August 20, 1963 from John Lewis to President Kennedy requesting investigation of a shooting in Americus, Georgia. Date: August 20, 1963 Creator: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and
Bring your students to the Library for guided, interactive programs that enrich classroom studies in American history, civics and language arts, and explore the events and issues of the early 1960s.
Speeches, documents, photographs and an activity guide your exploration of the space program in the Kennedy administration.
Bibliographies of excellent books about American history for elementary and middle school students. Check out the guidelines for selecting high quality books.
What is it like to meet the press? See how Press Secretary Pierre Salinger helped JFK, and find out what happened at actual press conferences.
Detailed information on selecting source material, citing sources, and links to web resources with specific formats.
Immerse yourself in the dynamic history of the Kennedy Administration.
The Education Department at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum created these teaching resources for History Makers, a professional development program for third- and fifth- grade
Glossary for Biography of JFK Answer Key for Biography of JFK Answer Key for Biography of JBK Glossary - Biography of John. Kennedy ambassador – A government official who represents his or her home
Explore special programs for families.