American Life Histories

Back in the days before the Internet (yes, there was such a time), back before there were even computers, the major form of communication was the written and printed word. Books, magazines, newspapers all contributed to the spread of information. But in the 1930’s, with our country in the depths of The Great Depression, President Roosevelt took steps to not only overcome that depression, but also to help create some lasting monuments to how it was overcome. One of the monuments is today’s Family Site.

It is called American Life Histories: Manuscripts From the Federal Writer’s Project, 1936-1940. This is a collection of biographies of everyday ordinary people. For example, there is one about Benjamin Beekman, son of a pioneer banker in Jacksonville, Oregon. It may not mean much to someone in, say, Florida. But to the citizens of southern Oregon, the influence of and decisions made by this family are still felt today. That is what the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was trying to do. They tried to stimulate the economy into recovery by putting all kinds of people to work in their occupational field. Writers wrote, artists drew, playwrights wrote plays and photographers took pictures (like Ansel Adams). The depth of information located in this project is incredible, and can be visited over and over again.

This site is maintained by the Library of Congress, and by visiting here, one will be able to see what our tax dollars have purchased. One may not always agree with what Uncle Sam is doing, but seeing tangible results always help soften the impact of it. This was a good project to have, and an excellent site for young students to learn about what makes our country truly the land of the free and the home of the brave.

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/wpaintro/wpahome.html