A Guide to Primary Resources for U.S. History : Executive Order 9981 Truman Presidential Museum and Library: "Multimedia Digital Archives" On July 26, 1948, President Truman issued Executive Order 9981 establishing equality of treatment and opportunity in the Armed Services. This project website, produced for the 50th anniversary of the Executive Order, presents the historic document as well as interesting background materials organized in an interactive format. This resource enables students to explore an important outcome of African American military service in World War II. The students can read the order and jot down ideas about how people might have responded to Truman's words (for example, from the perspective of an African-American WWII veteran, an American general, a NAACP lawyer, a white farmer, and a Soviet leader). This could be the beginning of a discussion on how the ideologies of the Cold War played out in the daily lives of Americans. Students can write a reactionary historical journal entry from the perspective of a former WWII African-American soldier (perhaps a Tuskegee Airman) to Truman's order. The teacher can prompt students to think about the emotions of an African-American who fought for a country in which his place is marginalized in society, especially when he was supposedly fighting to promote democracy. In the context of the increasingly threatening Cold War, what might such a person question about his country? The teacher should be sure to return to this document when the class begins to discuss the roots of the Civil Rights Movement.

(a) explaining the origins of the Constitution, including the Articles of Confederation;

Articles of Confederation
National Archives: Our Documents

Description: The Articles of Confederation were adopted by congress on November 15, 1777. A basic issue that arose from the Articles was that the states had more power than the central government and Congress had to depend on the states to uphold the laws they passed. Another problem was that the Articles of Confederation could not be amended. These plus other issues led the Constitutional Convention of 1787 to draft a new government document, the Constitution.

Teaching Tips:

"Do Now" Suggestion

Have students write a “how-to” paragraph on how to build a building or another task that would seem familiar but not second nature. Have volunteers display their steps on an overhead or smart board. Allow for the audience to point out vital missing steps or steps that have confusing directions. Relate this experience to the task of creating a government for a new country and why the Articles of Confederation didn’t work out.

Suggestion for Using this Resource as Part of a Lesson

Number the paragraphs of the Articles of Confederation. Assign a group a paragraph to create a 1-2 sentence summary of its main idea. Then compile a list of the main ideas on a large sheet of paper. Discuss potential problems these ideas may lead to. Then, after studying the Constitutional Convention and the problems with the Articles, have the students examine their sections to discuss if and how the section could be changed for the better. Finally, while studying the Constitution, assign each group a section or article to analyze. Compile the main ideas and record on large paper. Hang the two posters next to each other and discuss how ideas changed or stayed the same.