Collection consists of essays written on September 12, 2001, by nineteen students as an assignment in East Carolina University Professor Karin L. Zipf's "Women in American History Class," describing their reactions to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center buildings in New York, NY, and the Pentagon in Arlington, VA.
On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked planes and flew them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing the towers to collapse resulting in several thousand deaths. At the same time and in the same manner, the Pentagon in Arlington, VA, was attacked causing more deaths. In Pennsylvania a fourth hijacked plane was crashed into the ground killing all aboard before it could reach its intended target. The tragedies were of such magnitude and so unlike any previous terrorist attack on the U.S. mainland that many U.S. citizens were affected emotionally even if they did not know anyone hurt or killed in the attacks.
This collection consists of essays written on September 12, 2001, by nineteen East Carolina University (Greenville, N.C.) students in the "Women in American History" class (History 3140) taught by Dr. Karin L. Zipf. [Transcripts of the essays are also on an accompanying diskette.] This was an undergraduate course and the majority of the students were female. These essays expressed their emotions concerning the terrorists' attacks on September 11, 2001, and what they thought it might mean for the future of the United States of America. Besides expressing anxiety over the unknown fates of loved ones in the areas of the terrorists' attacks, several essays contained references to fear for the lives of loved ones stationed at the many military bases in North Carolina. All of the authors expressed emotions of disbelief, shock, fear and sadness, but also courage and strength.
Gift of Prof. Karin L. Zipf and 19 students in Hist #3140
Processed by M. Elmore, September 2003
Encoded by Apex Data Services
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.