Dorothea Lange’s “Migrant Mother”:
Photographs in the Farm Security Administration Collection
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/128_migm.html
“I did not ask her name or her history. She told me her age, that she was thirty-two. She said that they had been living on frozen vegetables from the surrounding fields, and birds that the children killed. She had just sold the tires from her car to buy food. There she sat in that lean- to tent with her children huddled around her, and seemed to know that my pictures might help her, and so she helped me. There was a sort of equality about it.” ~Dorothea Lange
This website contains thumbnails of Dorothea Lange’s most memorable photos from the Great Depression Era, the Migrant Mother. For those unfamiliar with these images, the Migrant Mother reveals the harsh reality of poverty during this tragic period in American History. A female migrant worker sits inside of her lean-to surrounded by her children. To look into the eyes of the subject is an encounter with the privations of migrant life. In addition to the harrowing imagery, the website also provides visitors with a brief narrative about Lange and her work. Although the text is very general, the bibliography on the page can help students and teachers with further research on this subject.

FDR Cartoon Archive
http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/fdr/index.html
This archive catalogues tens of thousands of political cartoons from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency. The events surrounding his presidency were pivotal in the evolution of American culture, society and history. For this reason, these cartoons are exceptionally valuable as windows into our history. Within the archive, the cartoons are divided into various sections according to thematic and chronologic criteria. Each section is organized differently, some simply listing the cartoons, others providing historical context and analysis and others providing short explanations with the cartoons. Although this site has not been recently updated, it is fully functional and contains no bad links. This is a great resource for discussing F.D.R. himself, his presidency, the New Deal or general 1930’s and early 1940’s U.S. History.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library
http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu
“The Franklin D. Roosevelt Library is the first of the presidential libraries. It was conceived and built under President Roosevelt's direction during 1939-40 on 16 acres of land in Hyde Park, New York, donated by the President and his mother, Sara Delano Roosevelt. The library resulted from the President's decision that a separate facility was needed to house the vast quantity of historical papers, books, and memorabilia he had accumulated during a lifetime of public service and private collecting.”
For scholars and students studying the New Deal and Great Depression, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Presidential Library is a treasure trove of primary sources. As one can see from the excerpt, FDR was largely responsible for establishing this institution. Since its inception, it has grown in scope and accessibility. Today, researchers can access material from the library on-line. Speeches concerning the bank closures, primary sources covering the FDR administration’s attempts to end the Dust Bowl crisis, and many other sources about crucial events are available to the public. Also, students and academics desiring to place faces with events have access to a number of images and videos from the time period. When using the internet site, browsers do not have to hassle with a problematic website. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Marist College, and IBM work together to maintain a user friendly website to provide information quickly to visitors.

H102 Lecture 18: The Crash and the Great Depression
http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/lectures/lecture18.html
“In 1929, Yale University economist Irving Fisher stated confidently: "The nation is marching along a permanently high plateau of prosperity." Five days later, the bottom dropped out of the stock market and ushered in the Great Depression, the worst economic downturn in American history. Although Americans often believe that the Crash was the starting point of the Great Depression, many historians point out that it wasn't the sole cause. This lecture examines the roots of the Crash and the effect of the Great Depression on the American public.”
This is actually lecture 18 of 30 located on the American History 102: Civil War to the Present website. This is actually part of a survey course taught at the University of Wisconsin by Professor Stanley K. Schultz. This lecture focuses on the role of the stock market crash in the Great Depression. Dr. Schultz examines the factors intricately involved in creating an economic situation ripe for disaster. Having led his audience to the stock market crash of 1929, the author continues his study by examining the economic and social effects of this momentous event. In his presentation, Schultz incorporates visual aids and quotations to enliven the narrative and bring the point home. His style is very entertaining and open to a wide audience. Overall, this is a good site to visit for an introduction to Black Thursday and the advent of the Great Depression.

H102 Lecture 19: The Great Depression and the New Deal
http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/lectures/lecture19.html
“The stock market crash of 1929 was an indication of serious, underlying problems in the United States economy, but it was not the sole cause of the Great Depression. The Crash merely made the cracks in America's superficial prosperity much more obvious. And, since the causes of the economic crises were complex, the solution to the economic problems facing the United States would be complicated as well. This lecture examines the first few years of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration, the New Deal, and the federal government's attempt to lift America out of the Depression.”
This is lecture 19 of 30 in Dr. Stanley K. Schultz’s American History 102: Civil War to the Present course at the University of Wisconsin. Lesson 19 explores the problems of the Great Depression and how Americans adjusted to the crisis. One reaction was the ousting of President Herbert Hoover from power, and the rise of the Democrats within the federal government. Accompanied by very helpful maps, images, charts, and quotes, this lesson adequately narrates this period in history. While it does list the various agencies created during Roosevelt’s First Hundred Days, it does not quite place them into the overall context of the New Deal in terms of their effectiveness or influence on American society. Nonetheless, this is a great site for general information on this subject.

H102 Lecture 20: Dr. New Deal or Dr. Win-the-War?
http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/lectures/lecture20.html
“Franklin Delano Roosevelt's First New Deal was followed by what historians characterize as the Second New Deal (1935-1937). Like the First New Deal, the Second New Deal had its Hundred Days, known as the Second Hundred Days. This lecture examines the reform measures of the Second New Deal, economic backsliding in the Recession of 1937, and the reaction of isolationist Americans to growing hostilities in Europe and Asia.”
In lecture 20 of 30 in American History 102: Civil War to the Present course at the University of Wisconsin, Dr. Stanley K. Schultz examines Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Second New Deal, its opponent, the Roosevelt Recession, and America on the eve of World War II. During this lesson, Schultz also delves into the Wagner Act, Neutrality Acts, and other major legislation enacted between 1935 and 1941. Although this lesson does not include as many quotations, images, charts and graphs as his previous on-line lessons, it still manages to do a wonderful job at introducing the reader to the New Deal, Great Depression, and Roosevelt Administration.

Herblock’s History: Political Cartoons from the Crash to the Millennium
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/herblock/
“From the stock market crash in 1929 through the new millennium beginning in the year 2000, editorial cartoonist Herb Block has chronicled the nation’s political history, caricaturing twelve American presidents from Herbert Hoover to Bill Clinton.”
An excellent way to help students understand differing viewpoints on complex political issues and historical events is to use political cartoons. They help illustrate (literally) ideas that can otherwise be confusing and fail to interest students. Through poignant humor and wit, political cartoons can help provoke discussion and debate among students and add a valuable learning opportunity to the classroom. Over the past 70 years, cartoonist Herb Block has been at the forefront of this field. He has been awarded four Pulitzer prizes, and now has an entire exhibit dedicated to his cartoons in the Library of Congress. This website features many of these cartoons. They are organized both chronologically and thematically. A wide range of topics is treated and this collection could supplement most major topics in 20th century American history. BR

History of the Civilian Conservation Corps
http://www.cccalumni.org/museum.html
“The Museum illustrates a brief history of the CCC and how the enrollees lived in the CCC camps.”
The National Association of Civilian Conservation Corps Alumni (NACCCA) hosts this informative website as an extension to their museum dedicated to the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Naturally, one can find information pertaining to the museum, its collection, and contact information to visit the archives. While this pertains primarily to scholars, teachers, and tourists, the History of the Civilian Conservation Corps website also has a nice history of the CCC. Students researching the history of this organization are urged to visit this web page. In the text, the author provides information, a narrative, and plenty of statistical information. The content ranges from the political context of the New Deal, Roosevelt’s interests in the success of this organization, CCC activities throughout the nation, and the causes for the fall of the CCC. Although the narrative makes reference to the environmental and social impact of the CCC, this information does not explore these topics fully.

A History Teacher’s Bag of Tricks
http://marchand.ucdavis.edu/index.shtml
“This website brings you a collection of assignments Marchand used in his university classroom. These "Documentary Source Problems" encouraged students to become historians and use their own analytical skills to determine what happened in history. The assignments provide students with a collection of primary sources from which they can deduce the events of the past.”
Roland Marchand was a teacher at the University of California-Davis. This website includes lesson plans of Marchand’s as well as numerous other resources. The lesson plans skillfully incorporate primary documents into the classroom. The lesson plans deal with a good variety of topics and are provided for university, high school and middle school levels. The Slide Archive provides thousands and thousands of categorized images that would greatly enhance any lesson. The images cover the full range of U.S. History, culture and life. This site offers high quality information that is well organized and ready for classroom use. (BR)

The New Deal Network
http://www.newdeal.feri.org
“NDN seeks to make the most of the interactive, communications and publication capacities of the Internet. Its designers intend to bring many different institutions and individuals into the ongoing construction of the site and to stimulate students and historians throughout the United States to discover and document the human and material legacy of the New Deal”
The New Deal Network offers visitors ample resources on American politics, culture, and economy during the 1930s and 1940s. The material includes photographs, primary documents (letters, newspaper articles, speeches, etc.), and political cartoons. In addition to general information, visitors can also access lesson plans and classroom projects. There are also bibliographic lists and site links for additional information. The information contained on the New Deal Network is very reliable and well referenced. The only drawback to the site is its load time. When accessing extensive documents lists or simply browsing, New Deal Network occasionally requires an extended load time. However, the quality of the resources contained on the site makes the wait worthwhile!

Picturing the Century: The Great Depression and the New Deal
http://www.archives.gov/exhibit_hall/picturing_the_century/galleries/greatdep.html#
“The prosperity of the 1920s ended with an economic catastrophe of unequaled length and severity - the Great Depression. By 1933 industrial production had fallen to one-third its pre-Depression levels, thousands of banks were closed, and almost 13 million Americans were jobless.”
Although not extensive in its collection, this website contains pictures from the New Deal era. The subject matter covers most of the major demographic groups affected by the nation’s economic demise. Pictures reveal children in beet fields, Navajo artists, railway hobos, and a number of other people. Again, the collection on this website is not substantial, but does offer a glimpse into the Great Depression.

Teaching with Documents: The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/teaching_with_documents.html#great_depression
These National Archives and Records Administration lesson plans are of excellent quality. Each uses one or more primary documents to explore a topic in American History. Along with the document, there are worksheets and teaching activities provided. (BR)
The lessons plan titles are as follows:
 · FDR's First Inaugural Address: Declaring "War" on the Great Depression
 · FDR's Fireside Chat on the Purposes and Foundations of the Recovery Program
 · The Don Henry Story
 · Constitutional Issues: Separation of Powers
· A Date Which Will Live in Infamy
 · Powers of Persuasion--Poster Art of World War II
 · Documents Related to Churchill and FDR
 · Message Drafted by General Eisenhower in Case the D-Day Invasion Failed
     and Photographs Taken on D-Day
 · D-Day Message from General Eisenhower to General Marshall
 · Documents and Photographs Related to Japanese Relocation During World War II
 · Memorandum Regarding the Enlistment of Navajo Indians

Voices from the Dust Bowl:
The Charles L. Todd and Robert Sonkin Migrant Worker Collection
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/afctshtml/tshome.html
“Voices from the Dust Bowl: The Charles L. Todd and Robert Sonkin Migrant Worker Collection is an online presentation of a multi-format ethnographic field collection documenting the everyday life of residents of Farm Security Administration (FSA) migrant work camps in central California in 1940 and 1941.”
John Steinbeck’s famous novel The Grapes of Wrath tells the story of a dramatic scene in American history. During the 1930’s, many migrant worker families fled to California seeking refuge from the Dust Bowl of the Great Plains. Caused by one of the greatest agricultural disasters of the 20th century, this migration of families looking for a new start in the West creates the backdrop for a dramatic scene. The contents of this Library of Congress site help give personality and flavor to this important historical event. The site contains audio recordings of folk songs and interviews of migrant workers as well as photographs. These audio recordings and songs, for which the lyrical texts are provided, would be a great supplement to a lesson plan on the Dust Bowl and California migration. (BR)

Voice of the Shuttle
http://vos.ucsb.edu/browse.asp?id=2713
A professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara together with a team of graduate students maintains this portal site. They must have been keeping themselves busy because their sites content is enormous! Although including many subjects, the most extensive is the list of History websites. On the right hand side of the page is a list of topics including U.S. and Native American history. Clicking on these links will direct you to lists of websites. The links are all organized into subcategories such as “US-Indian Treaties and Related Documents,” “Revolutionary America (to 1791)” and “U.S. Civil War.” There are 38 such subcategories. Each link has a brief annotation or explanation of the site. Furthermore, the resources on the page all seem to be updated and without bad links. This is a well-organized portal site with a wide range of subjects to choose from. It well deserves the awards and distinctions it has received.

The White House—Biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/fr32.html
“Assuming the Presidency at the depth of the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt helped the American people regain faith in themselves. He brought hope as he promised prompt, vigorous action, and asserted in his Inaugural Address, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
Found on the White House website, this biography offers a brief overview of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The material is not extensive, but it touches on the highlights of his presidency and provides links to the presidential library. Anyone desiring a starting point to use on-line resources for research on this subject should start here.