Useful Search Terms
You may find it useful to search library and/or archival catalogs using some of the following subject search terms (you can also narrow results by adding a geographic location, e.g. Antinuclear movement--Washington (State) OR Antinuclear movement--Washington (State)--Bellingham):
- Antinuclear movement
- Cold War
- Communism
- Nuclear warfare
- Peace movements
- United States--Foreign Relations
- United States--Relations--Soviet Union
- Soviet Union--Relations--United States
- Vietnam War, 1961-1974
- Washington (State).--Legislature.--Joint Legislative Fact-Finding Committee on Un-American Activities.
For resources about social protest and/or civil rights movements during the Cold War period, the following search terms may be useful:
- Black power
- Civil rights movements
- College students
- College students--Political activity
- Conscientious Objectors
- Feminism
- Gay college students
- New Left
- Protest Movements
- Race relations
- Radicalism
- Student movements
- Student protesters
- Women's rights
Ask a reference librarian or archivist if you need assistance.
Introduction
This guide suggests useful resources for studying the history and impact of the Cold War, with an emphasis on primary and secondary sources available through Western Libraries and the Libraries' Archives & Special Collections holdings. Please contact Archives & Special Collections' staff or the Hacherl Research & Writing Studio if you have questions and/or need assistance finding more information.
Searching Western Libraries' Catalog
Consult with your instructors about recommended readings and ask us if you need help finding a specific title or type of resource. Some of the following may be useful for background information & context (or for suggestions of primary source materials of local and regional interest):
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Albert F. Canwell: An Oral History byCall Number: Western Library Wilson 4C - Northwest Collection F895.22.C36 A3 1997Publication Date: 1977
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American Decades by Call Number: Western Library Reference E169.12.A419American Decades documents and analyzes periods of contemporary American social history, providing historical context in politics, & social, cultural, & lifestyle.
Check the 1950's, '60's & 70's as well for additional material. -
American Decades Primary Sources by Call Number: Western Library Reference E169.1 .A471977Also available online. Check the 1950's, '60's & 70's. -
Cold War by Call Number: Western Library Reference D842.H48 2006Good for background information, this work assembles 100 primary documents on this pivotal era in world history, supplemented with background information on the origins and significance of the document, including the historical context in which it was created. Other features include a glossary, chronology, bibliography, and subject index. -
Northwest PassageAlternative newspaper published in Bellingham and later, Seattle, Washington, circa 1969-1986. Additional copies available at the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies.
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The Tree of liberty: a documentary history of rebellion and political crime in AmericaCall Number: Available at Western Library Wilson 4W - Books KF9390.A7 T74 1986Contains primary source material. "A legal, historical, social, and psychological inquiry into rebellions and political crimes, their causes, suppression, and punishment in the United States."
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U. S. Army Counterinsurgency and Contingency Operations Doctrine 1942-1976 by Call Number: Available at Western Library Haggard 2 - Government Information D 114.2:D 65/3Employing a range of primary and secondary sources, the author explains how the Army in the 1950s and 1960s developed a dual strategy that combined military measures with political and socioeconomic reforms. -
Un-American activities in the State of Washington: the work of the Canwell Committee byCall Number: Available at Western Library Wilson 4C - Northwest Collection HX91.W3 C6 1967
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Western Student Newspapers [Online Digital Collection]Student newspaper and a rich source of information re: campus history.
Databases
Western Libraries provides access to a wide variety of article and research databases (a WWU log-in is required). Follow this link to the Libraries' online guide to Databases A-Z and/or ask staff at the Libraries' Research Desk for assistance.
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America: History & LifeAn index of over 1,800 journals from 1895 to the present on the history and life of the United States and Canada. Includes citations and links to books and media reviews. WWU login required.
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Databases for HistoryLinks to: America: History and Life, American Decades, New York Times online, and dozens other databases & resources.
Archives & Special Collections
University Archives and Records Management, Goltz-Murray Building, 360-650-3124
Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Goltz-Murray Building, 360-650-7534
Archives & Special Collections
OUR MISSION
Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections provides for responsible stewardship of and access to unique and archival resources in support of teaching, learning and research at Western Washington University and beyond. The Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Special Collections, and University Archives and Records Management work together to document the culture and history of Western, the local community and Pacific Northwest region, and to promote public and scholarly access to holdings.
Related Library Guides
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Library Guides - HistoryTopic Guides created by Western Libraries' staff