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American History/20th Century

Includes collections related to 20th-century American history, in particular World War I, World War II, and the Cold War as well as immigration, diplomatic relations, and national and international policy. Collections span public policy papers, diaries, correspondence, and literary manuscripts.

  • Examples of papers in our collections include the Adlai E. Stevenson Papers, Allen Dulles Papers, John Foster Dulles Papers, American Civil Liberties Unions Records, Bernard Baruch Papers, Council on Foreign Relations Records, David E. Lilienthal Papers and more.

    To search these collections please use the Finding Aid's website.

Research Tools for Printed Material (Books, Maps, Prints, etc.)

Additional Research Guides

  • John Foster Dulles Collections at the Mudd Manuscript Library

    John Foster Dulles (1888-1959) was the fifty-third Secretary of State of the United States and served during Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidency. Dulles had a long and distinguished public career during which he made a significant impact upon the formulation of United States foreign policies. He was especially involved with efforts to establish world peace after World War I, the role of the United States in world governance, and Cold War relations between the United States and the Soviet Union.

    The collections that comprise the Mudd Library's holdings on John Foster Dulles document his career and influence on formation of U.S. foreign policy. Most significantly, Mudd's collections detail Dulles's tenure as Secretary of State (1953-1959), but also his participation at conferences and on committees including the Hague Conference of 1907, the American Commission to Negotiate Peace (1918-1919), the United Nations General Assembly, and Japanese Peace Treaty negotiations. His career at Sullivan and Cromwell, term as Interim U.S. Senator from New York, and work on the Commission to Study the Basis of  Just and Durable Peace of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America are also documented.

  • American Jurisprudence Collections at the Mudd Manuscript Library

    Twenty-five collections comprise the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library's holdings in American jurisprudence. These collections document important issues spanning the 20th century, especially civil liberties and civil rights, but also the history of the Supreme Court. Significant collections include the papers of Justice John Marshall Harlan, Judge Harold R. Medina, Edward S. Corwin, Alpheus T. Mason, the ACLU Records, and a lengthy transcript of an oral history interview with Justice William O. Douglas.

  • History of the Cold War: Selected Resources at the Mudd Manuscript Library

    The Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library holds papers for architects of the Cold War strategy and those who fought the battles. Significant collections include the papers of James Baker, George Ball, Allen Dulles, John Foster Dulles, James Forrestal, George Kennan, George McGovern and Adlai Stevenson and the records of the Council on Foreign Relations.