Voices of America
Oral Histories from the WPA Federal Writers Project
selected and edited by Mike Peterson

Teaching Guide (.pdf 1.6 MB)

The Federal Writer’s Project was established in 1935 during the Great Depression, as part of the Works Progress Administration. Writers, editors, researchers and artists were employed to create guides for each state and territory as well as many major cities as well as to compile local histories and folklore, including oral histories.
 
We've selected oral histories from this important series of documents, edited them for length and clarity, and combined them with period illustrations to help bring to life the authentic experiences of real Americans.
Selections include the experiences of a child in a one-room school, an African-American soldier in World War I, a female cowpuncher on the American range, an illegal immigrant from Poland and an itinerant peddler going from farm to farm on the Great Plains. Some selections are self-contained in one chapter, others are multi-chapter: You can mix-and-match for the length of serial you need, and even keep a few in reserve for future use!