Internet Resources
The following links are meant only as a starting point for exploring the interwar period and as research for your final essay. There are a wealth of very good primary materials to be found in some of these sites, and primary materials from the period are to be the core of your research essay.
The New
Deal Network
Undoubtedly the most comprehensive site of materials
for studying the period. A must starting point for any research.
Survey Graphic
An extensive selection of online articles from The Survey Graphic
from the 1930s, an important outlet for progressive thought
and which had a substantial
influence on public policy during the period..
Ad*Access
An extensive site of contemporary advertisements hosted by Duke University.
There are two collections in particular which are suitable for the time period
of the course; Beauty and Hygiene, and Radio.
History Matters:
Many Pasts
An excellent source of primary readings with a search
capabilities. With over 1,000 readings this is a great starting point for
any research.
Social
Security Online
An online history of the Social Security Administration, with relevant documents
and links. A good starting point for the thirties, FDR,
and the New Deal.
FDR
Fireside Chats
The transcripts of Roosevelt's fireside chats from 1933-1945.
American
Life Histories
From the American Memory Project at the Library of Congress, these are
manuscripts from The Federal Writers Project, 1936-1940.
Photographs
from the FSA
Also part of the American Memory Project, this site contains access to more than
160,000 black and white photographs produced by the Farm Security Administration
and the Office of War Information from 1935-1945.
Prosperity
and Thrift: The Coolidge Era and the Consumer Economy, 1921-1929
An excellent look at the consumer culture of the 1920s from the American Memory
Project at the Library of Congress.
Famous
Trials
A wide ranging collection of court transcripts, etc. exploring some of the more
famous trials in American history. There are some trials relevant for the
period of this course at this site.
Woody
Guthrie Archives
Music and lyrics of one of the greatest folk artists of the era.
Documents
of the Interwar Period
A wide ranging selection of primary documents. An
excellent source for a number of topics related to foreign policy and world
events.
The
Roaring Twenties Concert Extravaganza
Perhaps not much help with your essay, but if you want to put a sound to the
decade and hear what the popular songs of the day sounded like, visit the site.
Red
Scare (1918-1921)
An image archive of nearly 300 images.
The
U.S. Historical Data Browser
Searchable census data by decade. Useful and easy to use.
A must source for putting the period into context.
IPUMS-USA
A searchable database of census data from 1850 to 1990 from the University of
Minnesota. Useful but not as easy to use as the above.
Digital
Librarian
A librarian's choice of the best history sites on the web. While it is a
personal list, the links that are provided are generally very good.
Another good starting point to see what is available on the web.
Voice
of the Shuttle
Very extensive links to websites in a multitude of humanities-related
categories.
America
in the 1930s
An interesting look at the culture of the 1930 from the University of Virginia
which includes selections from the media, cartoons, and some excerpts from
notable 1930s movies (don't miss the The Thin Man selection).
On The Air
Listen to selections of classic 1930s radio programs. An interesting
source for the cultural side of the decade
Looking
Back at the Crash of '29
Read the New York Times' coverage of the 1929 stock market crash.
Becoming Modern: America in the 1920s
A good primary source collection organized by theme.
Letters from
the Boxcar Boys and Girls
A small but poignant collection of letter highlighting an important aspect of
the Great Depression experience.