How did ordinary people experience the Great Depression?
Using over 600 oral histories from Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama, Bindas explains how common people viewed their experience of this extraordinary time, from their views of FDR and government agencies, to consumerism and their lack of employment. Bindas concludes by looking at the manner in which they shared their experiences as ‘story’ in order to better convey the depth of the depravity that was their experience. Popular music in the Great Depression. During the Depression decade two great popular musical forms dominated the American mind – Swing and Country/Western. While seemingly different on the surface, the forces that encouraged their popularity were the same — technology, modernism, and capital. This presentation looks at the rise and development of these two popular styles of music during the era as a way of defining the American experience. The Federal Music Project and American Music. In order to combat the problem of unemployment during the Great Depression, FDR created t
