In the 1930s, what could the average American citizen learn about the Nazi persecution of Jewish individuals and other minorities from reading American newspapers? How did the U.S. press report on these atrocities? How did American domestic politics, social movements, and prejudices influence press coverage? The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has launched the History Unfolded project to facilitate exploration and conversation around these important questions.
The museum has invited researchers and students across the United States to collect and digitize U.S. newspaper articles to include in the museum’s growing online database. In Spring 2018, these archives will be incorporated into an exhibition about Americans and the Holocaust. Meanwhile, visitors to this website can learn how to participate in the project or browse through the articles currently in the database. There are a number of Teacher Resources here, including a detailed lesson plan and links to online newspaper databases that will help history instructors facilitate classroom research projects. [MMB]
You’ll also find useful tutorials on “How to Read Newspapers from the 1930’s and 1940’s” and “How to Use Microfilm.” While those of us of a certain (ahem) vintage may find it astonishing that these concepts need to be explained, the fact is that the newest generations among us haven’t had to get their information in these formats and their organization can be baffling for those uninitiated.
This review originally published in The Internet Scout.
