Welcome to our online exhibit commemorating the events of September 11, 2001. This exhibit aims to provide an informative overview of the 9/11 attacks through the lens of the primary sources available to Coastal Carolina Community College Library patrons. Before we dive in, let's clarify the role of primary sources.
A primary source is an original, firsthand, or direct piece of evidence or information that comes directly from the time or event being studied. It is not a secondary interpretation or analysis, but rather an immediate and unmediated record of the subject, providing direct insight into the historical, cultural, or scientific context it represents. Examples of primary sources include original documents, eyewitness accounts, photographs, artifacts, and raw data.
Learn more about the different types of sources on our Types of Sources LibGuide.
Let's start by understanding what happened on September 11, 2001. We'll go through the sequence of events to give you a clear picture.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, the United States experienced a series of unprecedented and coordinated terrorist attacks. Four commercial airliners were hijacked by 19 terrorists associated with the extremist group Al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden. These hijackers deliberately targeted iconic landmarks, intending to instill fear and inflict maximum damage (Eisendrath, 2021).
At 8:45 AM and 9:03 AM respectively, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, struck the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing unimaginable devastation. As the world watched in horror, the Twin Towers collapsed within hours, claiming thousands of innocent lives and leaving an entire nation in shock (Carlisle, 2007).
A third plane, American Airlines Flight 77, crashed into the Pentagon at 9:43 AM, the symbol of American military power in Washington, D.C. The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, destined for another high-profile target, was heroically thwarted by passengers who fought back against the hijackers, leading to its crash in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:10 AM (Carlisle, 2007).