September 11, 2001, Documentary Project

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Child's drawing
Drawing submitted by a Knoxville, Tenn., third-grader.
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Overview

The September 11, 2001, Documentary Project captures the heartfelt reactions, eyewitness accounts, and diverse opinions of Americans and others in the months that followed the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93. Patriotism and unity mixed with sadness, anger, and insecurity are common themes expressed in this online presentation of almost 200 audio and video interviews, 45 graphic items, and 21 written narratives.

The day after the attacks, the American Folklife Center called upon the nation’s folklorists and ethnographers to collect, record, and document America’s reaction. A sampling of the material collected through this effort was used to create the September 11, 2001, Documentary Project. This collection captures the voices of a diverse ethnic, socioeconomic, and political cross-section of America during trying times and serves as a historical and cultural resource for future generations.

More than 60 years ago, the American Folklife Center mounted a similar effort to document national sentiment in 1941 following the attack on Pearl Harbor. This effort is featured in the American Memory presentation: After the Day of Infamy: "Man-on-the-Street" Interviews Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor.

Gallery

Featured drawings from the project.