Life in the 1930's resources:
Click on one of the following links to experience what life was like during the 1930's from first hand accounts and historical documents.
Interview: Growing Up White in the South in the 1930s
The women in this interview grew up in the deep South of the 1930s. All three were members of
prominent southern families.
Interview: Growing Up Black in the 1930s
Interview of Mrs. Peacolia Barge who grew up just outside Birmingham, Alabama, in the 1930s.
"I Remember . . . " Reminiscences of the Great Depression
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, some Michiganians bartered and traded for food, clothes,
shelter and services. Sharing and "making do" became a way of life. People who lived during the
Depression have interesting stories to share about how they coped with hard times. The following
reminiscences were published in Michigan History Magazine, January-February, 1982
(Vol. 66, No. 1).
Federal Writer's
Project: Interview Excerpts
The Federal Writers' Project of the 1930s recorded more than 10,000 life stories of men and woman
from a variety of occupations and ethnic groups. This site is a sampling of these interviews.
This site
compares 1930s prices with prices today.
The Great Depression and the New Deal
Read about the Federal Works Progress Administration started by the federal government during the
Depression.
The Great Depression
Read a report written by a student on life during
the Great Depression.