Synopses & Reviews
The era of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal was a time of depression and despair, economic rebirth and renewal, and mobilization for a war spanning two oceans. Richard Polenberg's introduction to this new volume provides an engaging historical and biographical overview of the period. This is followed by over 45 topically arranged primary sources that provide readers with a rich context in which to understand FDR's multi-faceted role as President, reformer, policymaker, and Commander-in-Chief.
Review
The book is crisply written and provides coherent and up-to-date views on those subjects.
-The Historian, James R. McGovern
Synopsis
Polenberg (American history, Cornell U.) provides an introduction to Roosevelt's political career and legacy, but the majority of this volume consists of documents ranging from his campaign speeches, press conferences, and fireside chats, to Congressional speeches supporting New Deal legislation and transcripts of songs from the Mexican migration. Two sections use visual images (photographs by Dorothea Lange and propaganda posters) as documents (with brief explanations by Polenberg) to graphically highlight life during the Depression, and issues of racism, sexism, and war-time patriotism.
About the Author
Richard Polenberg is Professor of History at Cornell University.
Table of Contents
Preface *
Part I: Introduction: Franklin D. Roosevelt and American Liberalism *
Part II: The Document * FDR as President * The New Deal * Eleanor Roosevelt and American Women * Documenting the Depression: The Photographs of Dorothea Lange * Right . . .and Left . . .Face * Race, Ethnicity, and Reform * The Constitutional Revolution * Morale in Wartime: A Portfolio of Propaganda Posters * The "Good War"? * The Era of Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Chronology