University of Washington
The Great Depression in Washington State: Hoovervilles and Homelessness
Information about the Hoovervilles in Seattle, Washington, and surrounding cities during the Great Depression. Find maps that show the locations of shack towns around the city, and follow hyperlinks that give a deeper look at...
Curated OER
History Matters: Unemployed Councils of the 1930s
This account by Communist activist Anna Taffler details her activities working with the Communist-led Unemployment Councils of the 1930s. These organizations worked in hundreds of local communities to demand jobs and better treatment...
Curated OER
History Matters: Donners Recall the Great Depression
This description of a family in Dubuque, Iowa was part of a 1935 WPA sponsored project devoted to documenting the experiences of people during the Depression. From the book, The Great Depression, by David Shannon.
Curated OER
History Matters: The Bum as Con Artist
History Matters reprints a 1929 newspaper article by journalist Tom Kromer, who contended that the beggar was a con man in the beginning of the Great Depression. It seems that Mr. Kromer became unemployed himself within the year, so...
PBS
The First Measured Century: Measurements and Myths of the Great Depression
This fascinating transcript from a PBS special about numbers in the 20th century focuses on people and how they were affected by the Great Depression in terms of employment, agriculture, and even marriage rates. Be sure to click on the...