How the LAPD Guarded California’s Borders in the 1930s
Working well outside their jurisdiction, the officers patrolled their state's borders against white migrants.
One Parallel for the Coronavirus Crisis? The Great Depression
“The idea that the federal government would be providing emergency relief and emergency work was extraordinary,” one sociologist said. “And people liked it.”
How Reading Got Farm Women Through the Depression
They worked over sixty hours a week but were also insatiable readers.
How People in the Depression Managed to Laugh
American popular culture flourished in the 1930s, despite the Great Depression. One thing that helped: artists being included in the New Deal.
Does Disunity Hurt the Left?
Does disunity harm a political party? An account of the organizing by unemployed workers in the 1930s may offer some clues.
What Kind of Work is “Masculine”?
What's the fate of "masculinity" in a world where it’s hard for many men to achieve personal success? It's a question we asked in the 1930s, too.
A Precedent for Today’s Political Violence
Illegal violence has always been a political tool, often serving the interests of the powerful. A historian looks at the case of 1930s Birmingham, Alabama.
Why is the U.S. Losing Public Housing?
In much of the U.S., public housing is disappearing as governments fail to maintain the buildings or actively demolish them.
Why Do We Have “Free Trade” For Televisions, But Not For Corn?
While the U.S. opens industries to market competition at home and abroad, we give our agricultural producers a lot of protection, including big subsidies.
When Corporations Co-opt Crafts
Procter & Gamble made its industrially produced soap the basis for a revival of an ancient craft, leading to a huge fad for soap carving.