America from the Great Depression to World War II: Black and White Photographs from the FSA and OWI, ca. 1935-1945
Critical Thinking

[Detail] Migrant agricultural worker

Historical Research Capabilities

Using photographs as a starting point for research can give the research topics a context and relevance that make them less abstract and more engaging to students. With an eye for detail, students can use photographs and their captions to formulate search words for research into the major issues of the Depression era. In addition to FSA/OWI Photographs, 1935-1945, research can begin with Voices from the Dust Bowl.

"Damned if we'll work for what they pay folks hereabouts." Crittenden County, Arkansas.

This photograph and its full caption can be a starting point for research into sharecropper contracts and the effects of surplus labor.

Parkin (vicinity), Arkansas . . . families of evicted sharecroppers from the Dibble plantation.

The story of this family's legal eviction due to union membership provides a starting point for research into the plight of farm union members.

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