Digital History: World War II & Bataan Death March

Medals, newspaper clippings, video, letters, and the story of an American flag created by Clarance Bramley, a survivor of the Bataan Death March—all this and more can be found in an online exhibit, “Remembering World War II: Pearl Harbor and Beyond.”

The online collection features items and stories selected from a collection of World War II materials housed at the Lee Library at Brigham Young University.

Related Resources

• Wikipedia > Bataan Death March
  
• National WWII Monument
  
• American Experience > FDR

Essay Rubric: ylc '08

Each application is to include a 250-500 word essay on: “What is leadership to you?” Please give examples from your personal life and/or from American History.

Identify the leadership traits of this person that made them stand out to you. The best essay will receive an award at the conference. You can view the Google Doc with the 2008 Essay Rubric here.

Type or print your thoughts on the topic. Essays may be submitted as a file attachment or Google Doc link via email to debbie(dot)kash(at)cox(dot)net.

Or you can mail a copy of your essay to:

Debbie Kash
1667 Reflection Street
San Marcos, CA 92078

Here are some good sites to help you write your YLC essay. These sites will provide you with some tips, tricks and ideas to get those creative juices flowing!

Essay Links

• Essay Tips
• Ten Essential Essay Tips
• Yahoo! Answers Community > Essay Writing
• Get Google Docs
  

Happy Birthday Ben!

The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary: This year marks the 300th anniversary, or tercentenary, of Benjamin Franklin's birth. In honor of the founding father, printer, inventor, and irrepressible raconteur, the U.S. Congress established a commission to educate we publick about Franklin's well-lived life.

This beautifully crafted online exhibit is one result. Follow Franklin from his disobedient Boston beginnings, to his role in shaping the U.S. Constitution and his tenure as an elder statesman.

Along the way, dip into sections that detail what Franklin thought of self-improvement, how he created a colonial media empire, and the ultimate stance he took on slavery. Finally, don't miss the "Et Cetera" page, which includes such tidbits as what the great man predicted for the future and how he nearly became a swimming coach. (via Yahoo! Weekly Picks/ U.S. History)

Pearl Harbor Survivor Color Guard

Pearl Harbor Survivor Color Guard
Originally uploaded by MOWW YLC.

View photographs from the MOWW's 50th Anniversary "Massing of the Colors" ceremony held at Balboa Park, San Diego.

Women of Protest

via Yahoo! Weekly Picks:

"The National Women's Party, a group dedicated to women's suffrage, formed in 1913 and spent years organizing, demonstrating, and getting its members thrown in jail.

Now The Library of Congress delves into an overview of the party; offers a timeline of its life; and profiles its visionaries, benefactors, and propagandists.

But most importantly, it offers image after image of women willing to go into the streets for their right to vote. Here are a few worth viewing...

• Mrs. Mary A. Nolan -- one of the oldest members on the picket lines.
• Miss Julia Emory of Baltimore, MD -- this daughter of a state senator led protests, suffered police brutality, and was jailed multiple times.
• Matilda Young -- who was just 19 years old when she served her first prison term."

WWII Red Cross Scrapbook

American Red Cross World War II Scrapbook: "You may have known that the Red Cross served the troops during World War II by handing out donuts and coffee, setting up evacuation tents, and hosting dances. But did you think of their talented operatives as playing an accordion or manning a cinemobile?

This touching exhibit commemorates the war experiences of the Red Cross' recreation staff through the memorabilia of several of its workers. With a format that literally asks you to turn each page (drag the corner), the scrapbook shares images of badges, maps, newspaper clippings, and personal snapshots -- including a sweet photograph of a young woman and two very pleased-looking men at a St. Patrick's Day dance.

More than seven million Red Cross volunteers served in more than 50 countries. Take a nostalgic peek at what just a few accomplished. " (via Yahoo Weekly Picks)

U.S. History Resource

HistoryCentral: Here you will find extensive information on American and World History.

WWI Veteran Celebrates Memorial Day

WWI Veteran Celebrates Memorial Day: "Memorial Day parade organizers were considering using actors to represent veterans of World War I when they learned about 103-year-old Lloyd Brown — one of the last living veterans of the war." (via Yahoo! News)

Survivor 1628

Could you survive colonial life in 1628 New England?

Use modern technology to learn more about life during America's colonial period. The companion site to the PBS series Colonial House contains several interactive history activities including a colonial life quiz, video diaries, myth conceptions quiz.

Stories of the American Experience

This creative group of high school students from Bismark, North Dakota overcame the challenge of making personal and meaningful connections with historical events. They conducted interviews with World War II veterans in their own community, and then transformed their stories into powerful and emotional documentaries. View the documentary by clicking here.

Requires the Quicktime plug-in, which you can download for free by clicking here.

Living Room Candidate

"Once considered an indignity or gimmick, campaign ads have become integral to the success of a presidential candidate. The messages --delivered in 30-second snippets--have transformed elections and been transformed in the process.

Updated for 2004, this well-designed and compelling site offers more than 250 presidential campaign TV commercials dating from 1952. Comparing Eisenhower's 1952 cute "I Like Ike" cartoon to the attack ads seen in the past few campaigns demonstrates how much the run for the White House has changed. This site is an engaging resource for anyone interested in the evolution of political theater."

http://livingroomcandidate.movingimage.us/

Declare Yourself!

Learn more about the history of the Declaration of Independence and register to vote on the Declare Yourself website.

A Capitol Fourth: A National Celebration

From the grounds of the U.S. Capitol, A CAPITOL FOURTH kicks off a brilliant evening of musical entertainment topped by a dazzling display of fireworks over the Washington monument. America's premier holiday event stars Nashville superstars Vince Gill and Amy Grant, along with other stellar guest artists, in performance with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of premier pops conductor Erich Kunzel. The program includes traditional favorites '1812 Overture' with live cannons and John Philip Sousa's 'Stars and Stripes Forever.'

The official PBS website for the annual concert contains many interactive features including a History Of The Fourth, and free patriotic themed screensavers.

The American Heritage Virtual Archive Project

A collaboration between the University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, Duke University, and the University of Virginia is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Project is creating a shared database of resources describing and providing access to collections documenting American history and culture.

Register to Vote!

Rock the Vote is a is a non-profit, non-partisan organization, founded in 1990 which engages youth in the political process by incorporating the entertainment community and youth culture into its activities. From actors to musicians, comedians to athletes, Rock the Vote harnesses cutting-edge trends and pop culture to make political participation cool.

Rock the Vote mobilizes young people to create positive social and political change in their lives and communities. The goal of Rock the Vote’s media campaigns and street team activities is to increase youth voter turnout. Rock the Vote coordinates voter registration drives, get-out-the-vote events, and voter education efforts, all with the intention of ensuring that young people take advantage of their right to vote.

Fast Facts

Registration Deadline:

*15 days before the election.

To register you in California must:

*be a resident of California
*be at least 18 years of age at the time of the next election
*not be imprisoned or on parole for the conviction of a felony
*not currently be judged mentally incompetent by a court of law

If you meet these criteria, you can download a California Voter Registration Application and Rock the Vote in 2004!