Digital History
Digital History: Slavery's Evolution
From the 1740s until 1860 there were great changes in the slavery system, slave culture, and where slaves lived. Read about these changes and the beginnings of anti-slavery ideas.
Digital History
Digital History: The American Revolution and Slavery
Read about the plans for using slaves in both the British and Continental armies during the Revolutionary War. See why some of the plans were scuttled and how the end of the war affected blacks who fought and those who remained in the...
Digital History
Digital History: What Was Life Like Under Slavery?
A sobering look at the life of the plantation slave in the decades before the Civil War. Read about the malnutrition, severe treatment, and inadequate living conditions.
Digital History
Digital History: Slave Labor
Not all slaves worked in the fields. Read about the jobs of many skilled workers who were slaves in the South. Read also about the slaves who were field hands and find out about the harsh labor conditions they endured.
Digital History
Digital History: Slave Family Life
An extensive look at the family life of slaves and the attempts to maintain family ties under daunting circumstances. Read about slave marriages, the splitting up of families, and the ways the family kinship networks operated on the...
Digital History
Digital History: Slave Culture
Find out about the contributions African slaves and African American slaves made to not only their culture, but American culture in general. See what words have African roots, how African culture influenced food and music, and how there...
Digital History
Digital History: American Slavery in Comparative Perspective
A very interesting look at the similarities and differences between the treatment of slaves in Latin America and the Caribbean and the slaves in the American South. Read about why a crucial difference was the concept of race between the...
Digital History
Digital History: More Like the Tva? [Pdf]
Read the history of the Tennessee River Valley and the tension between private enterprise and government in the development of electricity and, surprisingly, fertilizer. Find out how the Tennessee Valley Authority was developed during...
Digital History
Digital History: Legacy of the New Deal
This is just a short article, but it includes big ideas. See the lasting legacy of the New Deal as the many of the programs begun at that time are still a large part of American government and life.
Digital History
Digital History: Hollywood During the Great Depression
One can trace the cynicism and despair at the beginning of the Great Depression to a more optimistic point of view by the end of the New Deal by looking at the movies produced by Hollywood. Read about the subject matter of the movies...
Digital History
Digital History: The Depression of 1937
Read about the "Roosevelt Recession" that resulted from the slashing of government spending because of rosy economic news in 1936. Find out how opposition to the New Deal kept it from being expanded to help the country out of recession...
Digital History
Digital History: The New Deal in Decline
The Supreme Court, in 1935 and 1936, found unconstitutional several programs that were the backbone of the New Deal. See how President Roosevelt tried to deal with these setbacks, and the results both for him personally and for the law.
Digital History
Digital History: Native Americans
Find out about how Native Americans fared during the passage of so much legislation during the New Deal. See which progams helped them, and read about the changes made in decades-old laws.
Digital History
Digital History: Wagner Act
Read about the growth of labor unions during the 1930s as the Great Depression continued, due to the passage of the Wagner Act. Find out about the strikes and the conflict between labor and management, as well as conflict within the...
Digital History
Digital History: Roosevelt's Critics
This article lays out criticism of President Roosevelt and his handling of the Great Depression and the New Deal. Read about three men who developed a great following by insisting that the New Deal did not go far enough and not enough...
Digital History
Digital History: The New Dealers
Franklin D. Roosevelt brought in many different thinkers to help find ideas to fix the Great Depression. Read about their ideas and the ways they instituted their ways of thinking.
Digital History
Digital History: President Hoover
President Herbert Hoover spent his life in public service, and was a very intelligent man, but he was not able to see the problems caused by the Great Depression. Read about his comments and presidential actions in dealing with this...
Digital History
Digital History: The Human Toll
The Great Depression took a terrible toll on individuals and families. Read about the massive unemployment, ways people tried to survive, and the subtle change in people's attitudes toward the role of government in helping its citizens.
Digital History
Digital History: Charles Ponzi
The stock market crash on October 29, 1929, was the culmination of fraudulent practices of many forms in the 1920s. Read about Charles Ponzi and his schemes to make money, stock swindles, and stock speculation.
Digital History
Digital History: America at War: World War I
A brief, but impactful look at the legacy of World War i in terms of politics, economy, and costs.
Digital History
Digital History: America at War: Road to War
Read about the convoluted European military alliances at the beginning of the 20th century, and see why those alliances were so affected by the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, resulting in World War I.
Digital History
Digital History: America at War: The Guns of August
Read about the course of World War I on both the eastern and western fronts. See how the upheaval in the world brought about attempts at revolution in several countries.
Digital History
Digital History: Postwar Labor Tensions
Read about the strength of labor unions just after World War I and see how the gains were eroded throughout the 1920s.
Digital History
Digital History:the Great Migration
The Great Migration for African Americans began during World War I as blacks left the segregated south to find jobs in the north. Read about how segregation followed them into their northern neighborhoods. See also how the Harlem...