Today in History: Political Debates

Here we go again
Today in History–October 21–the Library of Congress features political debates, highlighting the final round of the Kennedy-Nixon presidential debate which was televised on this day in 1960. Learn more about these “Great Debates“, the Lincoln-Douglas debates, and the role of radio in presidential debates and addresses of the 1920s and 1930s by visiting the Today in History section then click the links below to access more related primary sources.

Political Cartoons and Public Debates primary source set & teacher’s guide

The Path to the Presidency: Presidential Debates Teaching with the Library of Congress blog September 11, 2012

Historical newspaper coverage: president election debate

Presidential debates 1960 to present American Presidency project

Presidential debates legislation

The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) website archive from September 8, 2000 to May 3, 2017

Primary Source Learning: Presidential Elections

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

1920 election campaign speeches audio with transcripts

Kennedy Nixon debates historical 1960 newspaper coverage

The Great Debates of Nixon and Kennedy from America’s Library

Gerald Ford presidential debate images