Defining Documents in American History: The 1950s (1950-1959)

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This volume, Defining Documents in American History: The 1950s (1950-1959), offers in-depth analysis of a broad range of historical documents and historic events that shaped such pivotal themes as the Cold War, anti-Communism, civil rights, science, and society in the 1950s in American history. This text closely studies more than forty primary source documents and delivers a thorough examination of these movements in the U.S. from 1950 to 1959. The material is organized under four broad categories:

• The Cold War
• Anti-Communism
• Civil Rights
• Science and Society

Historical documents provide a compelling view of this and other important aspects of American history. Designed for high school and college students, the aim of the series is to advance historical document studies as an important activity in learning about history.

Essay Format
The 1950s contains 41 primary source documents—many in their entirety. Each document is supported by a critical essay, written by historians and teachers, that includes a Summary Overview, Defining Moment, Author Biography, Document Analysis, and Essential Themes. Readers will appreciate the diversity of the collected texts, including journals, letters, speeches, political and religious sermons, laws, government reports, and trial notes, among other genres. An important feature of each essay is a close reading of the primary source that develops evidence of broader themes, such as the author’s rhetorical purpose, social or class position, point of view, and other relevant issues. In addition, essays are organized by section themes, listed above, highlighting major issues of the period, many of which extend across eras and continue to shape life as we know it around the world. Each section begins with a brief introduction that defines questions and problems underlying the subjects in the historical documents. Each essay also includes a Bibliography and Additional Reading section for further research.

Appendixes

• Chronological List arranges all documents by year.
• Web Resources is an annotated list of websites that offer valuable supplemental resources.
• Bibliography lists helpful articles and books for further study.

Contributors
Salem Press would like to extend its appreciation to all involved in the development and production of this work. The essays have been written and signed by scholars of history, humanities, and other disciplines related to the essays’ topics. Without these expert contributions, a project of this nature would not be possible. A full list of contributor’s names and affiliations appears in the front matter of this volume.

View a Full List of Defining Document Titles