Letters of the Century

Letters of the Century: America 1900-1999 contains over 400 personal glimpses into life in the United States in the 20th century. Some authors are famous people such as Jimmy Carter, Martin Luther King Jr, Elvis, Groucho Marx, Jacqueline Kennedy, Orville Wright, Georgia O'Keefe, O.J. Simpson, Robert Frost, John Steinbeck, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Magic Johnson, and Harry Houdini. Other writers are regular people discussing topics such as war, civil rights, health benefits, drug abuse, daily struggles, and the internet.

Social studies teachers could use these first-hand accounts to make history personal and alive. In a Language Arts class, letters could be read as essays or for author background information. Since the editors (Lisa Grunwald and Stephen J. Adler) have included letters from historical figures in science, art, and other areas, select letters could be used in virtually any classroom.