The Past Is A Blast
Keeping The Flame Of The Past Alive
Start Reliving Yesterday Today

	Population: 123,188,000 in 48 states
	Life Expectancy: Male, 58.1; Female, 61.6
	Average salary: $1,368
	Unemployment rises to 25%
	Huey Long proposes a guaranteed annual income of $2,500
	Car Sales: 2,787,400
	Food Prices: Milk, 14 cents a qt.; Bread, 9 cents a loaf; Round Steak, 42 cents a pound

 

	Because of the depression by the 1930s money was scarce, and people did what they could to put some happiness back in their lives.  Movies, parlor games and board games were popular and people also gathered around radios to listen to the Yankees.
	The younger generation danced to the big bands.
	And of course, Franklin Roosevelt influenced Americans with his Fireside Chats.
	Mystery novels continued to be popular as people escaped into books, reading writers like Agatha Christie, Dashielle Hammett, and Raymond Chandler.

Historic Events For The Decade

 

	During this decade of the Great Depression the American dream had become a nightmare. Where America was once the land of opportunity it was now the land of desperation. The America of hope and optimism had become the land of despair. The American people were questioning everything in their lives - democracy, capitalism, individualism. For many the best hope for a better life was out west in California. Many  farmers packed their families into cars, along with their few possessions they could tie to the back, and looked for work in the agricultural fields or cities of the West. The independent land owners were gone forever.
	During 1929 and 1932 the income of the average American family was reduced by 40%, from $2,300 to $1,500. Survival became the keyword. While institutions, attitudes, and lifestyles changed in this decade, democracy prevailed.
	The democracies of Germany and Italy fell to dictatorships, but the United States and its constitution survived.
	Economics dominated politics in the 1930's. The 1930s began with shanty towns called Hoovervilles, named after a president who felt that relief should be left to the private sector. It ended with federal programs funded by the national government and commissions set up to regulate Wall Street, the banking industry, and other business enterprises.
	The Social Security Act of 1935 set up a program to ensure an income for the elderly.
	The Wagner Act of 1935 gave workers the legal right to unionize.
	John L. Lewis founded the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) and conditions for blue-collar workers improved.
	Joseph P. Kennedy, was appointed Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commissions.
	The beginning of the next decade saw the United States move from a laissez-faire economy that oversaw its own conduct, to an economy that was regulated by the federal government. This debate over which course of action is best is still going on today.
	The Presidents of the 1930s were Herbert Hoover and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

People and Personalities Of The Decade

 

	Mary McLeod Bethune, a very influential African American woman educator and friend of Eleanor Roosevelt who, as a board member of the National Youth Administration, was able to extend benefits to African Americans.
	Richard E. Byrd was a famous explorer of the Antarctic and Arctic . During his 1933-35 expedition to Antarctica he conducted many scientific search projects.
	Mildred Babe Didrikson was considered by many to be the finest woman athlete of all time. She also won medals or distinction in baseball, basketball, track and field, and golf.
	Amelia Earhart  was an aviation pioneer and the first woman and second person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
	The American psychiatrist, Karl Menninger's  book The Human Mind had a great effect on public attitudes toward mental illness.
	Jesse Owens an African American athlete who won four gold medals in track-and-field at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
	Frances Perkins the first woman cabinet member who advocated the 8 hour day, stricter factory safety laws, and laws for the protection of women and children in the labor force.
	Will Rogers was not only a homespun philosopher, who began his career as an Oklahoma cowboy, but also was well loved as a radio commentator, film actor, and author.
	Walter Winchell was a gossip columnist and radio commentator. His controversial stands and scoops on celebrities made him one of the most famous twentieth-century American journalists.

The Art and Architecture Of The Decade

 

	Like everything else in the 30's, art was also dominated by the Great Depression. It was supported by government programs such as the Public Works of Art Project and later the Federal Art Project. The artists employed by these projects, which numbered over 5,000 at one period of time, used themes based on American culture and history. Gutzon Borglum, who was a sculptor, was able to complete his Mount Rushmore Memorial with funds supplied by the WPA.
	Many other of the "starving artists" were able to survive the hard times by painting murals on the lobby walls of government buildings. Some of which, became artists of note, such as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning.
	The 30s saw the beginning of the American regionalist style with Grant Wood's famous work, "American Gothic". Other artists who adopted this style include John Steuart Curry, Thomas Hart Benton, Georgia O'Keeffe with her southwestern themes, and Edward Hopper with his realistic scenes from city life.
	The Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and Rockefeller Center were completed in the early 30's. In 1937 the Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece of home design, "Falling Water", was built.
	In 1932, the word "mobile" was coined to describe the kinetic sculpture created by Alexander Calder.
	In 1935, Andrew Mellon gave his $25 million dollar art collection to the American people and contributed $10 million to the construction of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Education Issues For The Decade

 

	The 1930's weren't the best of times for public education. Since money was in short supply, parents were unable to provide their children with the necessary clothes, supplies, and textbooks (which were not furnished in some states) to attend school.
	Taxes, especially in rural areas, went unpaid. With this loss of revenue, school boards were forced to try other strategies to keep their districts operating. There were shortened school terms, teachers' salaries were cut. When one new teacher was paid $40 a month for a five month school year she was very glad for the job.  A rural county in Arkansas was forced to charge tuition one year so they could keep schools open, and some children were forced to drop out for that year. Bartering was also done, one farmer bartered wood to fuel the classrooms' potbellied stoves for his four children's tuition.
	The famous Dick and Jane books that taught millions of children to read were first published in 1931. These primers introduced the students to reading with only one new word per page and a limited vocabulary per book. All who learned to read with these books still recall the "Look. See Dick. See Dick run."

The Fads and Fashions Of The Decade

 

	Since spendable income was limited, people had to look to inexpensive hobbies and things to do. President Roosevelt helped make stamp collecting a popular hobby.
	Also very popular were parlor games and board games became the rage.
	Gambling also increased as people sought any means to add to their income. Between 1930 and 1939 horse racing became legal in 15 more states bringing the total to 21.
	Spectator sports interest also grew. In baseball, stars like Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio drew fans into the stadium. Those who couldn't attend the games listened to the play-by-play on their radios.
	The 1932 Winter Olympics, held at Lake Placid, New York, renewed interest in winter sports. The Civilian Conservation Corps, a New Deal work project for youths, built ski runs and jumps on public land as well as recreational facilities in the national parks.
	Since Paris fashions became too expensive for all but the very rich,  American designers came into their own.
	Hollywood movie stars such as Bette Davis and Greta Garbo set fashion trends in dresses designed by Adrian and Muriel King and hats designed by Lily Dache.
	Since clothes had to last a long time styles did not change every season. The flapper attire of the 1920's was replaced by the simple print dress with a waist line and longer hem length.
	The use of the zipper became prevalent for the first time because it was less costly than the buttons and closures previously used.
	Another innovation of the 30's was different hem lengths for different times of the day. The mid calf length was for day wear and the longer length for evening clothes. Men's pants were wide and high waisted. Vest sweaters became an alternative to the traditional matching vest of the three piece suit, and hats were mandatory for the well dressed male.

Literature For The Decade

 

	Several of America's most distinguished writers produced works of fiction during the thirties. Among them are:  F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, John Dos Passos, and Thornton Wilder.
	Many of the novels of this period explored what was happening in the country during the Great Depression. John Steinbeck's, The Grapes of Wrath; James T. Farrell wrote a trilogy of novels about an Irish-American named Studs Lonigan;  Richard Wright's, Native Son;  and Erskine Caldwell's,  Tobacco Road.  The recent Modern Library list of the top 100 novels, in English, of the 20th century cited all of these works.
	Other notable works in other forms of literature include: the poet Carl Sandburg's poem "The People, Yes" in 1936. Ogden Nash wrote light verse for the New Yorker magazine. Dr. Seuss published his rhyming books for youngsters learning to read. In 1937 Wallace Stevens' collection of poetry, The Man With the Blue Guitar was published . In 1930, Dale Carnegie, penned the book whose title How to Win Friends and Influence People was to become a part of the language.

The Music Of The Decade

 

	Duke Ellington song, "It Don't Mean a Thing (if it Ain't Got That Swing)".  sums up the "in" music of the thirties. Some popular songs, such as "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime" spoke to the hardships of the time. However, most young people flocked to hear and dance to the big bands of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, and Tommy Dorsey.
	Also during this time Broadway produced some of the most famous and lasting American musicals. Such as: George and Ira Gershwin's, Strike Up the Band, Girl Crazy, and Of Thee I Sing. Cole Porter's Anything Goes, Jubilee, and Red Hot and Blue. Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer, and Richard Rodgers composed melodies still being played and sung today.
	The Federal Music Project (FMP) supported the musical arts and sponsored performances of both classical and popular compositions. It did, howver, emphasize American music and promoted the works of Aaron Copland, Roy Harris and Virgil Thomson.
	In 1936, the Department of the Interior hired Woody Guthrie and he travelled throughout the Northwest to perform his folk songs. It was during this tour he wrote twenty-six songs in twenty-six days. By 1938, he was making appearances in support of labor unions. He wrote  "I Ain't Got No Home", which was inspired by visits to migrant labor camps.
	In 1935, George Gershwin's American folk opera Porgy and Bess was first performed.
	In 1931 "The Star Spangled Banner" was designated as the national anthem by Congress.
	Kate Smith sang Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" in 1938, and made the song her own.  Also in 1938, a young Mary Martin mesmerized theatergoers with her rendition of "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" in Cole Porter's Leave It to Me.

The Decade In Radio

Radio reached its peak of popularity during this time. By 1939, 80%  of the population owned radio sets. Americans just loved to laugh at the antics of such comedians as: Jack Benny, Fred Allen, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Amos and Andy, and Fibber McGee and Molly. The daytime airwaves were dominated by the soap opera.

Our Gal Sunday began each episode with the question, "Can a girl from a little mining town in the west find happiness as the wife of a wealthy and titled Englishman?' And woman had their ears glued to the radio every day in hopes of learning the answer. In addition, the heroics of the Lone Ranger, the Green Hornet, the Shadow, and Jack Armstrong, all-American boy, not only thrilled listeners both young and old but sold countless boxes of cereal.