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;

The Virginia Plan
National Archives: Our Documents

Description: The Virginia Plan was written primarily by James Madison and presented by Edmund Randolph to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. It outlined what would become as the plan of government outlined in the Constitution. Madison describes a central government consisting of three separate branches with a system of checks and balances in place to prevent abuse. Madison also provides guidelines for electing the legislature based on population.

Teaching Tips:

"Do Now" Suggestion

Ask students to describe the government prescribed by the Virginia Plan. Ask for any connections they derive between the plan and the way our government works today.

Suggestions for Using this Resource as Part of a Lesson

Have students read the Virginia Plan and create a visual representation or graphic organizer that summarizes its content.
Compare the Virginia Plan to the Articles of Confederation. Discuss whether or not the Virginia Plan resolves the issues of the Articles of Confederation.