The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

The nation once again awakens to historyís continuing relevance with comparisons between the current economic crisis and the Great Depression. As we attempt to address the questions and concerns of our students, certainly our lesson plans on the Great Depression take on new relevanceóand offer new teaching opportunities.

Until recently, the Great Depression has been a difficult topic to teach and a difficult topic for students to understand. The challenging economic and political concepts often blurred their appreciation of the effect the Depression had on the generations of the 1930s. Sadly, the current economic climate may provide us a rare teachable moment. When our students examine the Great Depression through the words of elected officials, the work of Depression Era photographers, and through the concerns of regular citizens, especially children, the significance of the past to their own lives will become clearer.

What primary sources will be most effective in demonstrating the impact of the Great Depression? Franklin Delano Rooseveltís inaugural address is an excellent way to introduce the new presidentís vision for a nation in crisis. As teachers, we are not strangers to FDRís reassurance that we had ìnothing to fear, but fear itself.î Students may be familiar with these words too, but, having students examine the speech beyond that famous line proves far more valuable: students will search for evidence of FDRís vision for recovery. Asking students to find specific evidence of his plans for agriculture, for job creation, and for preventing foreclosures can be a starting point for a later evaluation of his New Deal policies. In addition, students can identify FDRís view of the root causes of the Depression. Students can also examine FDRís optimism, an optimism based on traditional American values and ideals.

Reading an inaugural allows students to understand both the visionary and analytical elements of a politicianís speech, but photographs can help students visualize the effects of government policies and the reality of the human condition in a crisis. There are few Depression Era photographs more famous than Dorothea Langeís Migrant Mother. This photograph can instantly put a human face on the Depression for students. Asking students to speculate on what Lange was thinking when taking the photo and what the motherís thoughts were as she was being photographed can spark interesting classroom discussion. However, if students are asked to examine other photographersí work, Langeís other photos taken during and after the Depression, and her background and purpose as a Relocation Administration photographer, these students become historians, actively assessing the role of a paid photographer. They will also have a better understanding of the importance of the visual documentation of history.

Speeches and photographs provide students with two very distinct perspectives ñ one from the history makers and one from historyís recorders. Rarely do students examine the past through the voices of those directly affected and those closest to their ages. Judiciously selecting childrenís letters from Dear Mrs. Roosevelt: Letters from Children of the Great Depression (edited by Robert Cohen) can provide our students the opportunity to discover the way young Americans experienced a very frightening time. In addition, supplementing visuals with an individualís voice can enrich the classroom experience. Students could be asked to find letters that provide textual support for their analysis of Depression Era photos. Using these letters allow students today to develop an empathy for a population of Americans whose hardships are usually only brought to them through statistics and data.

Studying the Great Depression through these three lensesóinaugural addresses, visual depictions, and letters written by ordinary young peopleócan assist modern-day students in understanding the past, making connections with the present, and recognizing the importance of their history classroom.