The New Deal Comes To Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico was hit hard by the Great Depression. New Deal relief programs were often democratic and locally controlled.
The Living Newspaper Speaks
Scripted from front-page news, the Federal Theatre Project’s Living Newspaper plays were part entertainment, part protest, and entirely educational.
Frances Perkins: Architect of the New Deal
She designed Social Security and public works programs that helped bring millions out of poverty. Her work has been largely forgotten.
Why There Is No “Countervailing Power” Against Monopolies
The New Deal revolutions in law and policy were so successful that the economist John Kenneth Galbraith took their accomplishment for granted.
The First New Deal Was Green, Too
An integral part of FDR's New Deal was the Civilian Conservation Corps, which focused on environmental conservation work.
The First Civil Rights Monument
The nation's first civil rights monument is a mural portraying the interracial audience at Marion Anderson's famed Freedom Concert of 1939 on the Washington Mall.
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.
The Invention of Retirement
Retirement as a mass phenomenon didn’t start as a way for older people to enjoy themselves.
Why Racism Is Terrible for Everyone’s Health
Heather Gilligan explores the impact of racism on the fight towards universal health care.