great depress discussion

 This discussion is based on the primary source documents found in Chapters 10 and 11 of the  Constructing the American Past textbook (linked in the left hand menu), which explore the Great Depression and Second World War. The 1930s and 1940s were a difficult time in America, and these documents provide insight into the experiences of everyday Americans and how they viewed theses crises. Chapter 10 provides first-hand accounts in the form of letters to political leaders (Documents 1 and 11) as well as images, interviews, and memoirs that reveal the differing experiences of the working class, women, and African Americans. Through careful reading of these documents you begin to gain insight into how Americans viewed and sought to survive the Depression. Similarly, Chapter 11 exposes the contradictions in the United States’ war efforts. The documents reflect the lofty idealism of America’s conceptualization of the Second World War as “Good War” fought to preserve freedom and democracy and the limitations of that freedom for minorities on the home front. Indeed, Documents 1 and 2 present a much different picture of America than Documents 5, 6, 8, 9 and 11. In both chapters, the documents help to reveal how one’s race, class, and gender impacts their daily life, particularly during a time of crisis. As you make your posts, it is important that you refer to specific documents from Chapter 10 and 11 of  Constructing the American Past (citing document numbers and authors) to help support and explain your views. The most successful discussion posts engage with the perspectives provided by these historical authors as a foundation for critical analysis of the past.