UNL LIBRARIES INTERNET RESOURCES CATALOG RECORD
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TITLE:
American Life Histories Manuscripts from the Federal Writer's Project, 1936-1940

AUTHORS:
Library of Congress. Manuscript Division

OTHER TITLES:
Manuscripts from the Federal Writer's Project, 1936-1940

SUBJECT CATEGORIES:
Social Sciences -- History -- American

SUBJECT KEYWORDS:
Folklore -- United States
Folklore Project
United States. Works Progress Administration. Life Histories Collection
Oral history
United States -- History -- 20th Century -- Personal narratives
United States -- History -- 20th Century -- Personal narratives
American history
1930s
Dust bowl era
Great depression

SITE INCLUDES:
These life histories were compiled and transcribed by the staff of the Folklore Project of the Federal Writers' Project for the U.S. Works Progress (later Work Projects) Administration (WPA) from 1936-1940. The Library of Congress collection includes 2,900 documents representing the work of over 300 writers from 24 states. Typically 2,000-15,000 words in length, the documents consist of drafts and revisions, varying in form from narrative to dialogue to report to case history. The histories describe the informant's family education, income, occupation, political views, religion and mores, medical needs, diet and miscellaneous observations. Pseudonyms are often substituted for individuals and places named in the narrative texts.