Research: Unemployed movement projects

Movements demanding jobs and relief payments were active in many cities in the early years of the Great Depression. Many were led by the Communist Party, which created an organization called the Unemployed Councils You will read about that movement and explore the mostly hostile press coverage in online newspapers from the 1930s.  The assignment uses three sets of sources that can be accessed accessed below: (1) map and timeline of Unemployed Council demonstrations from Mapping American Social Movements project;  (2) primary sources (historic newspapers) from ProQuest; (3) recommended secondary sources (typically a book). You will write a 8-10 page paper about your subject using information from both the secondary and primary sources

Map and timeline of Unemployed Demonstrations.

From Mapping American Social Movements project: https://depts.washington.edu/moves/unemployed_map.shtml Links to an external site.

 Primary source research (newspapers):

 1) Begin by downloading this project database_hstaa353-excel.xlsx Download project database_hstaa353-excel.xlsx

 2) We are using ProQuest Historical Newspapers for newspaper searches. Below is the link to the pre-arranged databases of newspaper articles that you should use. It delivers articles from newspapers and magazines related to this topic. 

  • Press coverage in mainstream newspapers about Unemployed marches 1930-1933

https://www.proquest.com/search/2583955?accountid=14784 Links to an external site.

 

 

a) you should see a page like this. If not, you may need to click the Library's login button top right and enter your UW-net ID

proquest results1.png

 

b) scroll the titles of articles, clicking on those that seem most relevant. Some will be mistaken entries triggered by the search terms. Others will be too short to be useful. Download copies of all articles that might be useful or interesting. It is more efficient to download them than to read them in ProQuest. 

c) use "back to results" to return to the search results.

proquest results4.png

d) you can filter results using the menus on left side. Sorted by "oldest first" means the entries are in chronological order. "Relevance" is the other option. You can also open the Publication title menu and select articles from particular newspapers.

proquest results2.png

 

3) After downloading many articles, add at least 20 to your project database_hstaa353-excel.xlsx Download project database_hstaa353-excel.xlsx and write a short description of the event or issue described in each article. Feel free to add additional information in other columns. Your spreadsheet needs to include no less than 20 articles. You will submit the research database along with your paper.

4)  Please DO NOT save or delete the ProQuest search. Others will not be able to use it.

 

Secondary source research (books):

5) Obtain and read one or more books. 

 Organizing the unemployed : community and union activists in the industrial heartland Links to an external site.
by James J. Lorence   (print copy in Suzzallo and others can be requested)

The unemployed people's movement leftists, liberals, and labor in Georgia, 1929-1941 Links to an external site.

by James J. Lorence (e-book)

 Poor people's movements : why they succeed, how they fail (View details) (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
by Frances Fox Piven Richard A. Cloward  ( READ CHAPTER 2)

 

Instructions

6) Use both the book and your newspaper research in your paper

7) Turn in both the database and your paper