Primary
Resources
Documents, online here and available through our partners, for teaching any American History class.
Find out more..
Primary Resources
About 20 Miles Outside of Boston: The Growth of Suburbia in the 20th Century
Materials from the William Henry Bates Papers, 1941-1973, Salem State College Archives, North Shore Political Archives 98-02, Folder: “Legislative Files-Judiciary-Civil Rights Act (1966) Box 3-4.
The following is a list of the materials taken from the papers of Representative William Henry Bates at Salem State College. Bates was Essex County’s Representative in the United States House of Representatives from 1950-1969. The letters below reflect Essex County residents’ opinions on the Fair Housing portion of proposed Civil Rights legislation. The Fair Housing provisions of various Civil Rights bills prohibited racial discrimination in the sale or rental of all homes. Many Essex County residents saw this provision as a violation of their property rights. Homeowners that lived in two- or three-family homes were particularly outraged. The letters below span from President Johnson’s first proposal of Fair Housing legislation in1966 until 1968 when the bill was finally passed. The tone of the letters becomes much more sympathetic after the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968.
Please note that the letters below were chosen from a wide group of letters available at Salem State College’s archives. The Academic Director chose this group of letters to give an overview of the full-range of emotions expressed by Essex County residents and reflect the overall tone of the entire collection. These letters are available on the Integration: Ole Miss, Little Rock and Boston Busing primary resources page.
Courtesty of NARAPhotos and News Release Relating to Haverhill-Merrimack Rte. 495
Documents relating to Amesbury Right of Way Dispute
This set of documents from NARA details the building of Rte. 495 in the northern portion of the county. Not everyone was pleased with the “improvements” that the new highway represented. After a protracted dispute with various government representatives over the taking of his land for the highway, property owner Clifford W. Titcomb took the drastic step of flying the American flag upside down alongside the flag of the Soviet Union. The “Documents relating to Amesbury Right of Way Dispute” includes letters to and from government officials and newspaper articles detailing the dispute.
NARA - Civil Defense Photos
The growth of suburbia following World War Two coincided with the beginning of the Cold War and concerns over nuclear war. Because of this coincidence, private ownership of suburban homes was touted as part of the “American Way.” In addition, agencies such as the Office of Civilian Defense devised new ways for suburban Americans to protect themselves. These photos represent some of the innovative ways that suburbanites dealt with the post-war world.
Grandma's Pantry
Family Fallout Shelter
Our Dreams for the Future
Air Raid Shelter Models
Press Release for Northeastern Traffic Control Course
Prof. Gerald O’Connell Northeastern Traffic Control Course
Craig Systems Press Release
Heli-Cop Hut Advertisement
Heli-Cop Hut Photography
Mrs. Phillip J. Woodward
NARA – Records of National Resources Planning Board
“Highway Transportation Re-makes America.”
This document recounts the benefits of highways “as a basic human right.” It details the way that highway transportation has changed America arguing that it has lead to higher living standards and opportunities for commerce, education, and public health.
A Program for Limited Motorways for New England
This is a 1934 proposal to build highways through New England to expedite the movement of non-local traffic through the region. Included in the proposal is a statement about why this system of roads is necessary and a proposal to build a road to by-pass metropolitan Boston (Rte. 128).
A Highway System for New England
This is an updated proposal (1938) for New England’s highway system.
Limited Motorways’ or ‘Freeways
This article details some of the problems with modern highway travel and proposes “limited motorways” with extra safety precautions as a way to make traveling safer.
Historical Trend in Massachusetts Industries, 1837-1933
This report details the trends in industrial development and employment from 1837 to 1933. It includes demographic information about many Essex County towns including Beverly, Gloucester, Haverhill, Lawrence, and many others.
Northeast Regional Planning Commission: Preliminary Plan for New England
Photo of the highway plan for New England.
Courtesy of Boston Public Library
Rte. 128: Boston’s Road to Segregation
A joint report of the Massachusetts Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination prepared for the information and consideration of the Commission.
Industrial Development Along Rte. 128, ca. 1965
A map and list of industries along Rte. 128
Courtesy of the Newburyport Archival Center
“This is How I Keep my House: I am a Young Minister’s Wife.” Herbert, Elizabeth Sweeney. McCall’s, August 1951.
This article appeared in McCall’s Magazine. It details one Newburyport housewife’s daily activities and the ways that her job as housewife was eased by modern appliances.
Web Resources
Evolution of the Shopping Center
Photos and timeline by the History Department of the University of San Diego about the history of shopping centers in America. The site mentions the Northshore Shopping Center, but erroneously states that it was erected in Beverly, MA in the 1940s. Beverly was the original planned site for the center, but it was never built there.
Levittown: Documents of an Ideal Suburb
A cultural history of Levittown written by Peter Bacon Hales in the art history deparment at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Route 128/ABC - Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce
A website devoted to detailing the history of the highway we now know as 128. Chronicles its inception, growth, and slow development from the first whispers of a circumferential road around Boston in 1912 through to its current form today. Discusses the relationship between this project and Federal highway projects; mentions the involvement of governor Leverett Saltonstall, and ties the rapid growth of the 128 project in the post WWII years to suburbanization. Includes some historic photos.
Northgate Shopping Mall Opens on April 21, 1950
This article is part of a project to create an online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. Details the opening of the nation’s first regional shoppin center to be defined specifically as a “MALL”. Includes historic photos.
Tupperware!
This website is designed as an accompaniment to the PBS film Tupperware! and offers insights into topics in American history including the post-World War II economy, advances in plastics technology and manufacturing, direct selling and business history, women’s changing roled in society, women and work, consumer culture, and the Cold War. The site includes a teachers guide, digital video advertisements from the 1950s, additional primary sources, and resource links.
History Matters: The History Survey Course on the Web
This is a highly-respected resource for teachers and students in U.S. History survey courses; offers not only primary sources but source analysis and a rich set of links. Of particular interest for this topic is a web guide entitled “Making Sense of Advertisements” (http://historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/Ads/) by history professor and author Daniel Pope. This guide offers an overview of advertisements, questions to ask when interpreting ads as historical evidence, an annotated bibliography, and a guide to finding advertisements online.
