Happy Halloween! Prepare for your in-class essay tonight. You can download the assignment here.  fdressay.doc

Overview: Howard Zinn approaches the study of history from a distinctive point of view. This is clearly evident in his chapter on the Great Depression and the New Deal. He’s not out to provide you with a heroic narrative of Roosevelt’s successes. He’s trying to get you to see this particular part of our history [...]

FDR and the New Deal Guiding Questions: How did Hoover address the problems of the Great Depression between 1929 and 1932? Why did his approach fail? What did FDR do differently? How does his approach to the banking crisis reflect his focus on RELIEF, RECOVERY, and REFORM? How does FDR use the RADIO to help [...]

Check the schedule for upcoming due dates: Tuesday–Zinn, “Self Help in Hard Times + Response paragraph Overview: FDR’s First Hundred Days was essentially his rough draft. He tried any number of ideas to address the persistent problems facing the nation. Of course, his actions are going to invite both praise and criticism. Three of his [...]

The Big Picture: How did the role of government change during the New Deal? How revolutionary was F.D.R.? To what extent is the government responsible for helping the people? Our Goals for Class: Econ. 101—review the four main econ. concepts: Supply & Demand; Say’s Law, the Business Cycle, the Stock Market Question: If you believed [...]

Overview: One of the industries that continue to thrive during the Great Depression was the film industry. Americans didn’t stop going to the movies just because they were out of work. The first sound film, The Jazz Singer, appeared in 1927. By the late 1930s, Americans were watching such beloved classics as The Wizard of [...]

Overview: Our goal tomorrow is to do two things: arrive at a sophisticated and nuanced answer to the question: What caused the Great Depression? assess President Herbert Hoover’s response by placing his actions within a proper historical contex To get ready for class: read the handout on “What Caused the Great Depression?” We’re not going [...]

Wow! You all put together a great newspaper! Homework for Thursday is to READ the work of your classmates and come to class prepared to discuss the 1920s. Take a look at the guiding questions on the newspaper homepage. We’re looking for trends, patterns, and developments during this decade. You can find the newspaper here. [...]

Whew, you did it. We’re through the first unit! Take a breather from history this weekend and catch up with your candidates. All of them had to report on their fundraising this week so there should be plenty of information out there on who’s up and who’s down.  Specific Directions:  Find and READ at least [...]

Overview: In the aftermath of World War I, the U.S. experienced an upsurge in public concern over communism, anarchism and other political radicals. This first “Red Scare” was a response to the social, economic, and political challenges which accompanied the transition from war to peace. The Sacco and Vanzetti Trial came to symbolize this period [...]