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Since Yesterday
In this panorama, subtitled The 1930s in America, Frederick Lewis Allen combines an eye for the significant trivia of everyday existence with a facility for neatly dissecting the political monoliths of the era, whether discussing the varieties of bathtub gin or elucidating Keynesian economics.
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First published January 1, 1940
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About the author
Frederick Lewis Allen
46 books95 followersA graduate of Groton, Frederick Lewis Allen graduated from Harvard in 1912 and earned his master's from there in 1913. Allen was assistant and associate editor of Harper's Magazine for eighteen years, then the magazine's sixth editor in chief from 1941 until shortly before his death. He was also known for a series of contemporary histories that were published during a period of growing interest in the subject among the reading public.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
May 10, 2022
For he has seen that a tortured and bewildered people want to throw overboard the old and welcome something new; that they are sick of waiting, they want leadership, the thrill of bold decision. And not only in his words but in the challenge of the very accents of his voice he has promised them what they want. (Page 94)
Since Yesterday: The Nineteen-Thirties in America by Frederick Lewis Allen
That observation of FDR’s inaugural address in 1932 marked the change in the governments direction toward dealing with the economic distresses caused by the Great Depression. The tone of the New Deal would address the needs of the people instead of the needs of businesses which had marked Hoover’s meager attempts at relief. That despite all its inefficiencies, confusion and frequent upheavals it was welcomed by the bulk of the American people because of its essential friendliness and human decency. Roosevelt was rewarded for these efforts with an overwhelming reelection in 1936.
The changes brought about by the New Deal with its expansion of government was something that was happening worldwide. No longer were all the vital economic decisions being made by international conferences of bankers. The trend toward a concentration of authority in the government was taking place in Britain and France along with the United States.
The book does mention the difficulty the government had in solving the economics of the crisis. It was easier to hand out relief money than it was to cure the underlying problem. Businesses and the wealthy were reluctant to invest in new ventures. But they did not recognize that the New Deal and FDR’s efforts to treat these people as fellow citizens worthy of respect saved their country from becoming another Russia or Germany.
In 1937 began a recession which brought a halt to much of the progress resulting from the New Deal honeymoon. It was recognized that continued relief similar to the WPA projects that “employed” so many was neither a long-term solution nor what people wanted. However, to respond to the continued economic distress FDR again turned to deficit spending. In this case that approach was obscured by the threat of another world war, and the eventual spending as the United States became the “arsenal of democracy”.
This is an interesting and important book to include in any study of the 1930s, FDR, or the New Deal. It is not a critical historical analysis, but more of a social study. As the author stated in the introduction of his previous book on the 1920s Only Yesterday these events were recent enough that most people reading the book at the time it was published would remember them. Thus it becomes more like a reminiscence than a history.
The history covered by this book begins on September 3, 1929. This date marked the peak of the stock market prior to the Great Crash. On this date people were unaware of the horrors of the Great Depression that lied ahead: the bank failures, the massive unemployment, and the Great Plains becoming a Dust Bowl. This history covers the decade of the 1930s until September 3, 1939, which marked the day that Britain and France declared war on Germany. On that date people were unaware of the tragedy that would bring Dunkirk and D-Day, Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima, and Auschwitz and Katyn Forest.
May 26, 2024
REREAD
Since Yesterday, a history of the 30s, is a follow-up to the author's history of the 20s, Only Yesterday. And like its predecessor it is not outdated, even though it was published in 1940.
Since Yesterday, a history of the 30s, is a follow-up to the author's history of the 20s, Only Yesterday. And like its predecessor it is not outdated, even though it was published in 1940.
January 10, 2023
I had read Lewis' preceding book on the 1920s in America and it was very enjoyable, so I thought I would follow up with his history of the 1930s. I was rather disappointed.
For some reason, it just didn't hold my interest and it was probably because the author concentrated almost solely on the Great Depression which, of course, was the major event of that decade. But I had hoped that he would provide, as he did in his previous book, a more detailed look at other issues that marked that decade which he only touched upon.
It was rather a dry read and I was hoping to learn things of which I wasn't aware. I didn't.
For some reason, it just didn't hold my interest and it was probably because the author concentrated almost solely on the Great Depression which, of course, was the major event of that decade. But I had hoped that he would provide, as he did in his previous book, a more detailed look at other issues that marked that decade which he only touched upon.
It was rather a dry read and I was hoping to learn things of which I wasn't aware. I didn't.
March 20, 2016
On occasion, I come across a book -- in this case a sequel -- that is so well written, so full of universal truths, so contemporary, that I just have to sit and wonder, "What on Earth will I ever find that can match this?"
Since Yesterday is an account of America in the 1930s, written only a year after the end of that decade. It is remarkable to see how Frederick Lewis Allen is able to make sense of a time that is so recent to him; indeed, a careful reader will find some very subjective assessments that show how all of us are prisoners of our own time. For example, his high praise of swing music: I like it, too, but I hardly think it takes great musical sophistication or proves a superior education to appreciate it. Still, this is a remarkably balanced and intelligent book. It's a shame that it is left out of the mainstream of American non-fiction, because an understanding of the Rubicon we crossed in the '30s is essential to understanding who we are and how we got here.
Since Yesterday is an account of America in the 1930s, written only a year after the end of that decade. It is remarkable to see how Frederick Lewis Allen is able to make sense of a time that is so recent to him; indeed, a careful reader will find some very subjective assessments that show how all of us are prisoners of our own time. For example, his high praise of swing music: I like it, too, but I hardly think it takes great musical sophistication or proves a superior education to appreciate it. Still, this is a remarkably balanced and intelligent book. It's a shame that it is left out of the mainstream of American non-fiction, because an understanding of the Rubicon we crossed in the '30s is essential to understanding who we are and how we got here.
February 13, 2023
This book is a WOW!
This is an excellent overview of the history of the 1930s in the US. Covering social, political, and economic history — it is thorough and accessible. It’s an easy reading book that was fast to go through. Allen first published Since Yesterday in 1939, so right at the end of the Great Depression and just as World War 2 began in Europe. Allen was an amazing historian with a knack for accessibly explaining very complex situations. I have long been interested in the history of the Depression era, and in my days teaching history, it was among my favorite eras to teach. Even so, Allen brought up several new ideas I had never considered before. This book had been on my to-read list for decades. Finally I have read it, and it has been a wow. Definitely worth the read.
This is an excellent overview of the history of the 1930s in the US. Covering social, political, and economic history — it is thorough and accessible. It’s an easy reading book that was fast to go through. Allen first published Since Yesterday in 1939, so right at the end of the Great Depression and just as World War 2 began in Europe. Allen was an amazing historian with a knack for accessibly explaining very complex situations. I have long been interested in the history of the Depression era, and in my days teaching history, it was among my favorite eras to teach. Even so, Allen brought up several new ideas I had never considered before. This book had been on my to-read list for decades. Finally I have read it, and it has been a wow. Definitely worth the read.
October 23, 2011
On Oct 14, 2011, Joe Nocera had an artice in the NYT (The 1930s Sure Sound Familiar) that discussed some similarities between the Great Depression of the thirties and our current Great Recession. His source was Frederick Allen's book Since Yesterday, published in 1939. I decided to read the book myself to find out for myself. Here are some passages that struck me:
"What is certain is that at a time of such widespread suffering no democratic government could seem to be aiding the financiers and seem to be similtaneously disregarding the plight of its humbler citizens without losing the confidence of the public." p.54
"Cannon were being unlimbered not only to the right of Roosevelt, but to the left of him too. That the forces of capital and management--bankers, investors, big businessmen, and their sympathizers--should have closed ranks against him was natural in view of his reform legislation, his monetary unorthodoxy, his huge spendings for relief, his intermittent hostility to big business, and his expansion of the area of government authority. But what if he could not hold the support of the have -nots, and found himself the leader of a centrist minority, raked by a cross fire from both sides?" p. 187
This observation lead to a discussion of Huey Long, and reading it, I found it remarkable that no similar populist of the left has risen to challenge President Obama's pro-banker stance. Indeed, Obama's total non-support of labor (witness his complete abscence from Wisconsin earlier this year, and his failure to support the pro-union legislation early in his term) stands in marked contrast to Roosevelt's steadfast support of labor.
Another interesting contrast is the government position on climatological factors. The dust storms during the Great Depression, being understood to result from bad management of the mid-western soil, lead to positive government action:
"Already at many points the government was at work restoring a deforested and degrassed and eroded countryside. In the CCC camps, young ment were not only getting healthy employment, but were renewing and protecting the forest cover by planting trees, building firebreaks, removing inflammable underbrush, and building check dams in gullies. The experts of the Soil Conservation Service were showing farmers how to fight erosion by terracing , contour plowing, rotation of crops, strip cropping, and gully planting." p. 211
Imagine, the American government not only acknowledging the reality of climatological, damage, but actually acting to do something about it!
"Although people still talked of "the emergency" or "the crisis"...this "emergency" had become semi-permanent. The economic system had been pulled out of its sinking spell of 1929-33 only to become a chronic invalid...Americans were getting used to the fact that nine or ten million of their fellow countryment were out of work." p. 217
The virulent right-wing rhetoric used against President Obama now of course has its roots in the slandering of President Roosevelt:
"...there was nothing humorous in the attitude of the gentlemen sitting in the big easy chairs at their wide-windowed clubs when they agreed vehemently that Roosevelt was not only a demagogue but a communist. 'Just another Stalin-only worse.' 'We might as well be living in Russia right now.'" p. 234
"Yet to the extent that it stopped factual inquiry and thought, the Roosevelt-hating was costly, not only to the recovery, but to the haters themselves. Because as a group (there were many exceptions) the well-to-do regarded the presence of Roosevelt in the White House as a sufficient explanation for all that was amiss and as a sufficient excuse for not taking a more active part in the new investment, they inevitably lost prestige among the less fortunate." p. 234
Overall, reading the book is alarming. The similarities between the Great Depression and the Great Recession are strong, but we do not have Roosevelt's strong guiding hand to lead us out of this current economic crisis.
"What is certain is that at a time of such widespread suffering no democratic government could seem to be aiding the financiers and seem to be similtaneously disregarding the plight of its humbler citizens without losing the confidence of the public." p.54
"Cannon were being unlimbered not only to the right of Roosevelt, but to the left of him too. That the forces of capital and management--bankers, investors, big businessmen, and their sympathizers--should have closed ranks against him was natural in view of his reform legislation, his monetary unorthodoxy, his huge spendings for relief, his intermittent hostility to big business, and his expansion of the area of government authority. But what if he could not hold the support of the have -nots, and found himself the leader of a centrist minority, raked by a cross fire from both sides?" p. 187
This observation lead to a discussion of Huey Long, and reading it, I found it remarkable that no similar populist of the left has risen to challenge President Obama's pro-banker stance. Indeed, Obama's total non-support of labor (witness his complete abscence from Wisconsin earlier this year, and his failure to support the pro-union legislation early in his term) stands in marked contrast to Roosevelt's steadfast support of labor.
Another interesting contrast is the government position on climatological factors. The dust storms during the Great Depression, being understood to result from bad management of the mid-western soil, lead to positive government action:
"Already at many points the government was at work restoring a deforested and degrassed and eroded countryside. In the CCC camps, young ment were not only getting healthy employment, but were renewing and protecting the forest cover by planting trees, building firebreaks, removing inflammable underbrush, and building check dams in gullies. The experts of the Soil Conservation Service were showing farmers how to fight erosion by terracing , contour plowing, rotation of crops, strip cropping, and gully planting." p. 211
Imagine, the American government not only acknowledging the reality of climatological, damage, but actually acting to do something about it!
"Although people still talked of "the emergency" or "the crisis"...this "emergency" had become semi-permanent. The economic system had been pulled out of its sinking spell of 1929-33 only to become a chronic invalid...Americans were getting used to the fact that nine or ten million of their fellow countryment were out of work." p. 217
The virulent right-wing rhetoric used against President Obama now of course has its roots in the slandering of President Roosevelt:
"...there was nothing humorous in the attitude of the gentlemen sitting in the big easy chairs at their wide-windowed clubs when they agreed vehemently that Roosevelt was not only a demagogue but a communist. 'Just another Stalin-only worse.' 'We might as well be living in Russia right now.'" p. 234
"Yet to the extent that it stopped factual inquiry and thought, the Roosevelt-hating was costly, not only to the recovery, but to the haters themselves. Because as a group (there were many exceptions) the well-to-do regarded the presence of Roosevelt in the White House as a sufficient explanation for all that was amiss and as a sufficient excuse for not taking a more active part in the new investment, they inevitably lost prestige among the less fortunate." p. 234
Overall, reading the book is alarming. The similarities between the Great Depression and the Great Recession are strong, but we do not have Roosevelt's strong guiding hand to lead us out of this current economic crisis.
May 15, 2021
What a treat this discovery was. I am doing a research project on the 30s and came across this book, written by someone who lived through that decade, just after the decade had completed. (He also wrote one on the 20s.) It's not the kind of dry, boring history to which I was subjected in high school. Frederick Lewis Allen was a social historian, so he doesn't just write about politics and economics, although he definitely does cover those topics. He also writes about the length of women's skirts, the hairstyles of men and women, the music different kinds of people were listening to, which books were popular among regular folks, intellectuals, college students. And he's got this dry wit—I frequently found myself chortling out loud, startling my dog.
There were so many interesting facts in here that I kept my husband from being able to concentrate on his own book: "Here, listen to this. He says FDR was such a bland candidate nobody knew what he really stood for, and then he gets in there and he's got this world-changing progressive platform! Sounds like some other president we know."
I had never heard of the protest by WWI veterans that rocked the Capitol. There were fears these men might actually rush the Capitol Building, but they were largely quite peaceful: they merely wanted bonus payments they had been promised. In spite of their peacefulness, after they encamped themselves, the Army was summoned and there was a violent rout. Hmm. Sounds familiar again. History doesn't repeat itself, but it sure echoes, right? Allen doesn't spare any sympathy, either, for the bankers and millionaires whose profligacy and greed led to the Great Depression. When a recession followed a weak recovery in 1937, he says, "We never seem to learn our lessons," which: yes.
He follows the events leading up to World War II, ending the book shortly before it erupted into total war and, of course, before America's involvement. It's fascinating to read what the months and years of fascist aggression looked like in the lead-up to all-out war, and how Americans thought of the global news. Certainly, between the rise of fascism and the Great Depression, things seemed apocalyptic and very frightening.
Big events like the Hindenberg explosion, the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, and Prohibition ending are all delivered in their local context, which is exactly the way to understand them. Missing, however, is the context of the modern perspective, so there's no mention of Lindbergh's Nazi sympathies. The plight of the "Okies" and the Dust Bowl is given a few pages, but the plight of Black Americans is given zero page time. You would think everyone in America was entirely white and mostly middle-class: that is hardly surprising, given the time in which this was written, but it is a bit disappointing. If the author had a broad enough perspective to be interested in what was happening with (hetero)sexuality, women's skirts, and martinis, he might have spared a few thoughts for minority populations.
If I had to guess the author's political affiliations, I would be a bit stumped—partly because I don't have a grip on what "radical," "progressive," and "conservative" really meant at that time. He was pretty sympathetic with FDR, and didn't think much of Hoover. His criticisms of the Republicans then are almost exactly my criticisms of the Republicans now, so that's interesting. He is also sympathetic with those who felt the WPA and CCC were becoming entrenched, and that Democrats were addicted to Big Government "priming the pump." But I was not looking to this author to mirror my own political convictions: I wanted to see how people (or at least one person) thought about that period of time, from that period of time. For that, this book is perfect.
Edition note: The audiobook was a treat, too, because it was recorded a long time ago so the reader has that old-timey mid-Atlantic accent, lending an authenticity to the project.
There were so many interesting facts in here that I kept my husband from being able to concentrate on his own book: "Here, listen to this. He says FDR was such a bland candidate nobody knew what he really stood for, and then he gets in there and he's got this world-changing progressive platform! Sounds like some other president we know."
I had never heard of the protest by WWI veterans that rocked the Capitol. There were fears these men might actually rush the Capitol Building, but they were largely quite peaceful: they merely wanted bonus payments they had been promised. In spite of their peacefulness, after they encamped themselves, the Army was summoned and there was a violent rout. Hmm. Sounds familiar again. History doesn't repeat itself, but it sure echoes, right? Allen doesn't spare any sympathy, either, for the bankers and millionaires whose profligacy and greed led to the Great Depression. When a recession followed a weak recovery in 1937, he says, "We never seem to learn our lessons," which: yes.
He follows the events leading up to World War II, ending the book shortly before it erupted into total war and, of course, before America's involvement. It's fascinating to read what the months and years of fascist aggression looked like in the lead-up to all-out war, and how Americans thought of the global news. Certainly, between the rise of fascism and the Great Depression, things seemed apocalyptic and very frightening.
Big events like the Hindenberg explosion, the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, and Prohibition ending are all delivered in their local context, which is exactly the way to understand them. Missing, however, is the context of the modern perspective, so there's no mention of Lindbergh's Nazi sympathies. The plight of the "Okies" and the Dust Bowl is given a few pages, but the plight of Black Americans is given zero page time. You would think everyone in America was entirely white and mostly middle-class: that is hardly surprising, given the time in which this was written, but it is a bit disappointing. If the author had a broad enough perspective to be interested in what was happening with (hetero)sexuality, women's skirts, and martinis, he might have spared a few thoughts for minority populations.
If I had to guess the author's political affiliations, I would be a bit stumped—partly because I don't have a grip on what "radical," "progressive," and "conservative" really meant at that time. He was pretty sympathetic with FDR, and didn't think much of Hoover. His criticisms of the Republicans then are almost exactly my criticisms of the Republicans now, so that's interesting. He is also sympathetic with those who felt the WPA and CCC were becoming entrenched, and that Democrats were addicted to Big Government "priming the pump." But I was not looking to this author to mirror my own political convictions: I wanted to see how people (or at least one person) thought about that period of time, from that period of time. For that, this book is perfect.
Edition note: The audiobook was a treat, too, because it was recorded a long time ago so the reader has that old-timey mid-Atlantic accent, lending an authenticity to the project.
May 9, 2020
I remember reading Frederick Allen's Only Yesterday, an account of America in the 1920s, for a high school history class. It was tough going then, as I hadn't ever experienced his kind of social history before. I needed a narrative, and he didn't provide one, or at least not the kind I was used to.
I read into it years later and found it a delight. Allen's ability to sweep over a wide range of fields reminded me of anthropology, and his sense of humor charmed me.
So I picked up Since Yesterday (1940), his history of the 1930s, with an expectation of more of the same. I turned to this because of the recession-nigh-unto-depression unfolding now, so I could learn from the past. And my expectations were met.
Since Yesterday starts with the stock market crash of 1929 and takes us through 1939, ending with the Nazi/Soviet invasion of Poland. Allen follows a chronological path, taking us through familiar events: Hoover's increasingly desperate attempts to cope, FDR's first election, the New Deal, FDR mediating between insurgents on the left and right, the slow recovery, the 1937-1938 crash, and the run-up to WWII.
Most of this was familiar to me, but not all, and sometimes in contexts I hadn't thought of. Allen reminds us of how Prohibition ends with FDR's ascent, that the Depression basically ended America's experiment with restricting alcohol. He shows us how important labor was, and how strikes and organization were still very active.
What does this tell us about 2020, assuming we understand that history never repeats perfectly? Allen reminds us that family and social roles changed up, with some people performing different tasks at home and work. Some left cities to try country life. Many suffered stark psychological shocks, especially those seeing their careers put on hold or ended.
The book's sketch of popular culture is fascinating. We see some media providing thoughtful explorations of current affairs, while others (notably film) offer instead distractions. The latter seems to outweigh the former. We should probably expect a repeat of this, albeit expressed through different media, notably computer gaming and streaming video. Allen also points out that sports became more popular, more "democratized" (2241); I'm not sure what the equivalent would be for our time.
Allen notes (Kindle location 1183) "a new crusading spirit among the citizenry," aimed at political corruption. I can see this in the US and elsewhere now, as anxiety about COVID-19 translates into fury at authorities who mishandled it - and, of course, the customary graft and incompetence of the Trump administration, plus residual dislike of those named in the Panama Papers. It might connect with other political currents, such as climate change activism, identity politics, and the resurgent (if still marginalized) left.
The book makes an intriguing argument for an odd shift in sexual mores. On the one hand, people seem to stop getting excited about sexual issues that were revolutionary in the 1920s, and just move on with some resignation or acceptance. On the other, there are flashes of classic American puritanism. I do wonder how this plays out in 2020, given our greatly different society (i.e., several generations of women's and gay liberation, oceans of pornography, social sifting into like-minded communities, etc.). Will we stop arguing as much about the impacts of online porn, say, or accept more censoring of access to it? Will BDSM keep becoming mainstreamed, or will we marginalize it once more?
On a related note, Allen shows that some intergenerational conflicts from the 1920s died down in the 30s (2250). Should we expect "OK Boomer" to fade and to see both young and middle aged people be less opposed to their elders, especially as the latter are the primary victims of COVID-19? On the other hand, the book also observes how many young people viewed the world as having broken promises of good lives and careers (2549); how will this play out, by revolt or hunkering down? We could see a repeat of the 1930s' "essential friendliness [and] human decency" (2922) instead - which might shock a lot of folks.
On another related them, Since Yesterday thinks that religious belief and practice did not take off during the Depression, that secularization continued (2568). I wonder how our period reacts. Will new religious movements and pseudoscience (think Goop, or Alex Jones) grow into a new New Age or Great Awakening, or will the US follow the rest of the world into decreasing religious affiliation? There are already signs of this occurring among younger Americans.
Written in 1940, the book is in some ways better as an artifact of its time than as an objective history. It can't show how WWII gave the US economy an enormous and decisive boost, ultimately transforming American society into one deeply bound up with a large and permanent military machine, for example. Since Yesterday ends on a querulous note on FDR's Keynesian economics, an interesting pause, as we known that that kind of national economic strategy would dominate much of the world for the next two generations.
I enjoyed Allen's style, presentation, and attitude. He has a keen eye for small details of Americana. I didn't know that "boondoggle" took off as a term in the 1930s, for example (2889). This is the period of spectacular crimes, like the killing of Dillinger and the twisty story of the Lindbergh baby. It's the time of a ferment in political improvisation and ideas, like the Townsend plan, technocracy, and EPIC. It saw the birth of trailers and mobile homes.
Recommended.
I read into it years later and found it a delight. Allen's ability to sweep over a wide range of fields reminded me of anthropology, and his sense of humor charmed me.
So I picked up Since Yesterday (1940), his history of the 1930s, with an expectation of more of the same. I turned to this because of the recession-nigh-unto-depression unfolding now, so I could learn from the past. And my expectations were met.
Since Yesterday starts with the stock market crash of 1929 and takes us through 1939, ending with the Nazi/Soviet invasion of Poland. Allen follows a chronological path, taking us through familiar events: Hoover's increasingly desperate attempts to cope, FDR's first election, the New Deal, FDR mediating between insurgents on the left and right, the slow recovery, the 1937-1938 crash, and the run-up to WWII.
Most of this was familiar to me, but not all, and sometimes in contexts I hadn't thought of. Allen reminds us of how Prohibition ends with FDR's ascent, that the Depression basically ended America's experiment with restricting alcohol. He shows us how important labor was, and how strikes and organization were still very active.
What does this tell us about 2020, assuming we understand that history never repeats perfectly? Allen reminds us that family and social roles changed up, with some people performing different tasks at home and work. Some left cities to try country life. Many suffered stark psychological shocks, especially those seeing their careers put on hold or ended.
The book's sketch of popular culture is fascinating. We see some media providing thoughtful explorations of current affairs, while others (notably film) offer instead distractions. The latter seems to outweigh the former. We should probably expect a repeat of this, albeit expressed through different media, notably computer gaming and streaming video. Allen also points out that sports became more popular, more "democratized" (2241); I'm not sure what the equivalent would be for our time.
Allen notes (Kindle location 1183) "a new crusading spirit among the citizenry," aimed at political corruption. I can see this in the US and elsewhere now, as anxiety about COVID-19 translates into fury at authorities who mishandled it - and, of course, the customary graft and incompetence of the Trump administration, plus residual dislike of those named in the Panama Papers. It might connect with other political currents, such as climate change activism, identity politics, and the resurgent (if still marginalized) left.
The book makes an intriguing argument for an odd shift in sexual mores. On the one hand, people seem to stop getting excited about sexual issues that were revolutionary in the 1920s, and just move on with some resignation or acceptance. On the other, there are flashes of classic American puritanism. I do wonder how this plays out in 2020, given our greatly different society (i.e., several generations of women's and gay liberation, oceans of pornography, social sifting into like-minded communities, etc.). Will we stop arguing as much about the impacts of online porn, say, or accept more censoring of access to it? Will BDSM keep becoming mainstreamed, or will we marginalize it once more?
On a related note, Allen shows that some intergenerational conflicts from the 1920s died down in the 30s (2250). Should we expect "OK Boomer" to fade and to see both young and middle aged people be less opposed to their elders, especially as the latter are the primary victims of COVID-19? On the other hand, the book also observes how many young people viewed the world as having broken promises of good lives and careers (2549); how will this play out, by revolt or hunkering down? We could see a repeat of the 1930s' "essential friendliness [and] human decency" (2922) instead - which might shock a lot of folks.
On another related them, Since Yesterday thinks that religious belief and practice did not take off during the Depression, that secularization continued (2568). I wonder how our period reacts. Will new religious movements and pseudoscience (think Goop, or Alex Jones) grow into a new New Age or Great Awakening, or will the US follow the rest of the world into decreasing religious affiliation? There are already signs of this occurring among younger Americans.
Written in 1940, the book is in some ways better as an artifact of its time than as an objective history. It can't show how WWII gave the US economy an enormous and decisive boost, ultimately transforming American society into one deeply bound up with a large and permanent military machine, for example. Since Yesterday ends on a querulous note on FDR's Keynesian economics, an interesting pause, as we known that that kind of national economic strategy would dominate much of the world for the next two generations.
I enjoyed Allen's style, presentation, and attitude. He has a keen eye for small details of Americana. I didn't know that "boondoggle" took off as a term in the 1930s, for example (2889). This is the period of spectacular crimes, like the killing of Dillinger and the twisty story of the Lindbergh baby. It's the time of a ferment in political improvisation and ideas, like the Townsend plan, technocracy, and EPIC. It saw the birth of trailers and mobile homes.
Recommended.
December 16, 2017
Great easy-to-read account of the 30s in America. From serious issues like the Dust Bowl disaster and the economic nightmare of the Depression to less important events like the Orson Welles War of the Worlds broadcast, Allen brought the period to life. Not a scholarly presentation, but still well researched.
October 19, 2019
Unlike its companion book, Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920s, this book does not have the light-hearted tone and carefree attitude that that one took at a look back at the decade. Everything here in Since Yesterday: The 1930s in America is filtered through the economic disaster of the Depression. There are no real fads like goldfish swallowing here or flagpole sitting. The few things that sparked that kind of interest among the public in the thirties were aimed at schemes for making money, like bingo or other games of chance or games like Monopoly that had money-making as their theme. Even the movie or book choices reflected either total escapism or preoccupation with the plight of the desperate poor.
Since the real strength of the first book was encapsulating a picture of the nation's pastimes and ideals, a time capsule of Americans at work and play, so to speak, this follow on falls short. Partly this is due to the somber nature of the times themselves. Nobody was much in the mood for play and leisure, except for those remaining few very rich, was hard to come by. So, the book's emphasis is on the economic tragedy of the Great Depression and the political attempts of the New Deal to alleviate it. Unfortunately, this type of book, spanning a decade, and being more sociological in nature cannot deal adequately with these subjects in a very authoritative way. It ends up being a superficial political essay and a fairly boring look at the decade Good, but not nearly as good as his look at the Twenties.
Since the real strength of the first book was encapsulating a picture of the nation's pastimes and ideals, a time capsule of Americans at work and play, so to speak, this follow on falls short. Partly this is due to the somber nature of the times themselves. Nobody was much in the mood for play and leisure, except for those remaining few very rich, was hard to come by. So, the book's emphasis is on the economic tragedy of the Great Depression and the political attempts of the New Deal to alleviate it. Unfortunately, this type of book, spanning a decade, and being more sociological in nature cannot deal adequately with these subjects in a very authoritative way. It ends up being a superficial political essay and a fairly boring look at the decade Good, but not nearly as good as his look at the Twenties.
July 7, 2018
Beginning with the everyday life of America on the morning of September 3, 1929, the day the stock market crashed, this book looks at the next ten years, ending with the invasion of Poland by Germany, and a declaration of war by England and France.
The book doesn't only deal with political and economic issues, however. It also describes what people wore, read, listened to on the radio and talked about. I was interested to learn that up until that time, "the maintenance of general prosperity...[was]...not regarded as a presidential responsibility." So, even as the economy staggered, the press was praising Hoover's first six months in office. By 1936 though, "There was no longer and question, in the minds of most Americans capable of realistic though, that the government must carry a heavy responsibility for the successful or unsuccessful working of the economic system. Having once intervened, it could not extricate itself even if it would. The debate was only about the extent to which the intervention should go." The forces of big business, those that favor big government, and populists all were evident in this decade.
Social changes included a decline in religious feelings and church attendance. They had religion, but it "...was not the religion of the churches; one of the few points of resemblance between the prevailing attitude...in 1929 and...1935 wqs that both time were agnostic if not atheist. What animated these men and women was the secular religion of social consciousness...Deeply moved by the Depression and the suffering it had caused; convinced that he economic and social system of the country had been broken beyond repair, that those who had held the chief economic power before 1929 had been proved derelict and unworthy, and that action was desperately needed to set things right"
As Hitler and Japan continued their aggression with no response from the world at large, America was in an isolationist phase. It gives pause to realize that this might be repeating itself today.
The book is balanced about the strengths and weaknesses of FDR and the New Deal. My father, was a fan of FDR which is easier to understand when you read of the privations faced by the public during the Depression. Without government intervention, it is unlikely that the country would have recovered, but like many interventions problems arise when well meaning people become infatuated with their own ideas and with the power to act on them. Hubris lies in wait for all of us.
"For three and half of the ten years since the Panic of 1929 the Hoover Administration had fought valiantly but vainly against disaster. For six and half years the Roosevelt Administration had experimented and palliated, and had merely kept disaster at bay-to the tune of an increase of not far from twenty billion dollars in the public debt of the United States." On the credit side: 1. there was no revolution or dictatorship arising from the Depression. This is significant since there was widespread privation and discontent. There was even a Wall Street cabal that attempted to enlist an Army general to lead a coup against FDR, but this failed. 2. the work of the New Deal was done humanely keeping FDRs promise that "we are determined to make every American citizen the subject of his country's interest and concern, and we will never regard any faithful law-abiding group within our borders as superfluous." 3. "Despite all the miseries of the Depression and the recurrent fears of new economic decline and of war, the bulk of the American people had not yet quite lost their basic asset of hopefulness."
I enjoyed this book. It is well written describing a time and place with many echoes in the present.
The book doesn't only deal with political and economic issues, however. It also describes what people wore, read, listened to on the radio and talked about. I was interested to learn that up until that time, "the maintenance of general prosperity...[was]...not regarded as a presidential responsibility." So, even as the economy staggered, the press was praising Hoover's first six months in office. By 1936 though, "There was no longer and question, in the minds of most Americans capable of realistic though, that the government must carry a heavy responsibility for the successful or unsuccessful working of the economic system. Having once intervened, it could not extricate itself even if it would. The debate was only about the extent to which the intervention should go." The forces of big business, those that favor big government, and populists all were evident in this decade.
Social changes included a decline in religious feelings and church attendance. They had religion, but it "...was not the religion of the churches; one of the few points of resemblance between the prevailing attitude...in 1929 and...1935 wqs that both time were agnostic if not atheist. What animated these men and women was the secular religion of social consciousness...Deeply moved by the Depression and the suffering it had caused; convinced that he economic and social system of the country had been broken beyond repair, that those who had held the chief economic power before 1929 had been proved derelict and unworthy, and that action was desperately needed to set things right"
As Hitler and Japan continued their aggression with no response from the world at large, America was in an isolationist phase. It gives pause to realize that this might be repeating itself today.
The book is balanced about the strengths and weaknesses of FDR and the New Deal. My father, was a fan of FDR which is easier to understand when you read of the privations faced by the public during the Depression. Without government intervention, it is unlikely that the country would have recovered, but like many interventions problems arise when well meaning people become infatuated with their own ideas and with the power to act on them. Hubris lies in wait for all of us.
"For three and half of the ten years since the Panic of 1929 the Hoover Administration had fought valiantly but vainly against disaster. For six and half years the Roosevelt Administration had experimented and palliated, and had merely kept disaster at bay-to the tune of an increase of not far from twenty billion dollars in the public debt of the United States." On the credit side: 1. there was no revolution or dictatorship arising from the Depression. This is significant since there was widespread privation and discontent. There was even a Wall Street cabal that attempted to enlist an Army general to lead a coup against FDR, but this failed. 2. the work of the New Deal was done humanely keeping FDRs promise that "we are determined to make every American citizen the subject of his country's interest and concern, and we will never regard any faithful law-abiding group within our borders as superfluous." 3. "Despite all the miseries of the Depression and the recurrent fears of new economic decline and of war, the bulk of the American people had not yet quite lost their basic asset of hopefulness."
I enjoyed this book. It is well written describing a time and place with many echoes in the present.
December 29, 2022
This was a wonderful surprise. I expected something dry and a history lesson like from a stuffy professor. What I got was a warm guided tour that was well thought out and didn't pull one way or another politically.
May 13, 2025
Decent Content but pretty dry overall.
September 1, 2019
After reading Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920's, I was curious to see how Frederick Lewis Allen had chronicled the following decade.
When I think of the 20's, it calls a lot of imagery to mind: jazz, bobbed hair, silent film, those adorable cars. To read a history published so soon afterwards felt a bit like time travel. The book was addressed to Allen's contemporaries and I got to eavesdrop on the conversation.
The 1930's don't conjure up quite so clear a picture in my mind. There are the talkies, but those haven't gone anywhere. There's Art Deco, but that, in fact, began earlier. Reading this, I can see why this time period was essentially blacked out of my (and our collective) imagination. It was bleak. The Great Depression was...depressing. After the roaring 20's, the 30's were a drab expanse of poverty and dumbfounded resignation. Who even cared about film? Who even cared about art, or prohibition, or anything? The world economy had collapsed and no one had the foggiest idea what to do about it.
I learned a lot from this book. For instance, did you know that greedy businessmen will light a match, look you straight in the eye, and then feel nothing as they watch the world burn? Okay, you knew that. But did you know that they can do it in broad daylight, for all to see, and not even the president can stop them? Like, say the U.S. president is a competent, relatively decent human being, right? Doesn't matter! Nothing matters!
I'm going to bed.
When I think of the 20's, it calls a lot of imagery to mind: jazz, bobbed hair, silent film, those adorable cars. To read a history published so soon afterwards felt a bit like time travel. The book was addressed to Allen's contemporaries and I got to eavesdrop on the conversation.
The 1930's don't conjure up quite so clear a picture in my mind. There are the talkies, but those haven't gone anywhere. There's Art Deco, but that, in fact, began earlier. Reading this, I can see why this time period was essentially blacked out of my (and our collective) imagination. It was bleak. The Great Depression was...depressing. After the roaring 20's, the 30's were a drab expanse of poverty and dumbfounded resignation. Who even cared about film? Who even cared about art, or prohibition, or anything? The world economy had collapsed and no one had the foggiest idea what to do about it.
I learned a lot from this book. For instance, did you know that greedy businessmen will light a match, look you straight in the eye, and then feel nothing as they watch the world burn? Okay, you knew that. But did you know that they can do it in broad daylight, for all to see, and not even the president can stop them? Like, say the U.S. president is a competent, relatively decent human being, right? Doesn't matter! Nothing matters!
I'm going to bed.
October 9, 2019
I covered this book over the course of five days because I’d read “Only Yesterday “ right before and was intent on reading steadily through this one. The end bogged me down a bit, don’t know if the clean layout of the decade was turning hazy or too information-laden or outright uninteresting. My thoughts on the first book apply: there’s no perspective from the down-trodden or invisible minorities. Though a picture is formed about the hardships and changes of the Depression, still, the author himself seems to be outside of the worst of it, he is educated, insightful, and had already begun important work as a writer. Another (unfair) gripe is that the book is dated (to before WWII) and at all times there’s the looming presence of what we know comes. As a record of American life at a very specific period this book shines. The author writes from an economist’s standpoint as a default, speeding through terms such as tariff, bonds, devaluation and weighty acronyms without much layman explanation.
August 2, 2017
Since Yesterday: The 1930s in America, September 3, 1929- September 3, 1939
WOW! I didn't expect to get so much information out of one book. I have to say, my dog thanks the author for two whole beautiful days of me listening to this book, (and playing ball with him the whole time,) and I couldn't stop so I read into the night. This book gave me a lot to think about. I already knew a fair amount of this era, (or so I thought!) I taught it for years. For those of you who don't really know too much about FDR read this book! Be prepared, it's a long read, but if you like this sort of thing, you won't be disappointed. 😀
WOW! I didn't expect to get so much information out of one book. I have to say, my dog thanks the author for two whole beautiful days of me listening to this book, (and playing ball with him the whole time,) and I couldn't stop so I read into the night. This book gave me a lot to think about. I already knew a fair amount of this era, (or so I thought!) I taught it for years. For those of you who don't really know too much about FDR read this book! Be prepared, it's a long read, but if you like this sort of thing, you won't be disappointed. 😀
June 21, 2021
I was a bit skeptical of a history book published just one year after the most recent part of the events covered, but this is a most enjoyable book covering the decade in so many facets; economy, morality, entertainment, politics, etc. It is a very good start for anyone interested in learning about a very tumultuous decade.
November 25, 2015
A follow-up to his original book on the roaring 20s, this book gives the same treatment to the depression.
December 16, 2020
This book made me realize just how much of the US economic troubles began due to FDR's policies. We are still paying of it. Enjoyable book and history to learn.
June 21, 2021
Sort of like an extended verbal version of the movietone newsreel in tone, it provided a good feel for the era and attempted to make sense of the political and economic issues.
July 6, 2021
- When stock was rather high in 1929, people believed "you can never go wrong if you are a Bull on America" (price didn't recover for almost 3 decades)
- People blamed technology for killing jobs
- In 1929, vast majorities of people believe the repeal of prohibition was not possible - "at least the dry states won't allow it"
- Stock market hit peak around Sep 3, 1929. It fluctuated but didn't really have a dramatic drop till late Oct - people believed the bull market can never die
- Hoover was very fast in "stabilizing" the market, promised tax decrease, threw few incentives and promised "prosperity is just around the corner"
- After the initial October down term, many people jumped into the stock market to "buy the dip". Vast majorities of them lost all of the "dip" as stock sank even lower.
- Hoover step in to "stabilize" prices, not allowing prices to fall under certain amount. However the unintended consequences was rather pronounced: people just stopped buying to save money
- For the wealthy class, they weren't affected until 2 years into the depression. Some professionals, despite not having reliable jobs, still went to "work" at empty offices anyways.
- Many people out of work for several years had fear going back to work due to the feeling of insufficiency.
- More people were going to school than before - High School attendance were up, people went back to College then even more schooling afterwards
- "It's not usually during a collapse that men rebel, but after it"
- Marriage was delayed as young people had poor economic prospect. Birth rate declined. Casual sex increased and contraception sale also increased. Divorced dropped until recovery occurred.
- Just 1 year after the New Deal was implemented, it was already loosing support from the radicals for "moving too slow"
- WPA was subject to constant change and constant lack and sought billions of funding from the government - "administrative makeshift"
- The relief system becomes a political bargain chip for the Democrats. They employed more of it as election neared.
- With AAA, farm price did increase after 1933 despite the continue economic uncertainties. Life especially improved for farmers who outright owned their farms
- Tremendous amount of farmers lost their farms during the early years of Depression due to debt. Most of them moved into towns.
- "Wall Street Financiers" were buying bankrupt farms. In 1934, nearly 30% of farm land in the West North Central States were owned by them. In 1880, only 25% of farms were farmed by tenants. During the depression the number risen to 42%.
- Suitcase farmer became big: farmers who used technologies such as tractors to farm, no longer need to live on the farm and could farm on part-time basis given the technological efficiency
- 1930-37, farm tractors sale increased no less than 90% and accelerating. People believed farms would be smaller with more intensive yields (somewhat correct).
- Between 1931 to 1936, more people move out of the US than moved into the US
- In 1938, the decrease of birth rate was visibly pronounce.
- Suburbs around the city was booming all throughout the depression.
- American population was increasingly becoming more nomadic with the popularity of the automobile. While automobile sales decreased during the earlier depression years, more people began using used automobile.
- By 1936 - FDR's second election - bank failure became few and far between. People got used to the idea that depression was here to stay permanently. Neither political party argued about if government was right or not, they only argued how much of government intervention there should be.
- Inflation fear was no longer a major concern, unlike during the earlier years of the depression and government money printing.
- Towards the end of the depression, with political situation around the world becoming increasingly concerning, trade barrier actually increased, not decreased as once hoped.
- While money printing created strong supply of money, banks did not lend them out. Businesses weren't eager to invest due to economic uncertainties.
- The only major financing at the time were corporations refinancing its debt with lower interest rate - from around 5% to now 3%.
- It became incredibly difficult for small business to launch during the great depression, as manufacturing moved towards capital intensive equipment. Big companies gained tremendously at the expenses of small companies.
- Once people got into the relief program, it became very difficult for them to get out of it
- By 1936, the affluent class began its visible spending again. Miami real estate boomed again since the Coolidge prosperity days. Big parties occupied major cities.
- Transportation: had a leap forward. New ocean liners were breaking ground, automobiles were getting better, airplanes began flying faster.
- To the well-to-do, dislike with FDR was universal. They blamed the sluggish economy on FDR's economy and "lack of confidence". The hatred gained ground all the way till 1938, when the hatred weakened through "exhaustion". Many thought FDR's policy was communism and "not much better than Stalin". Some speculate that Eleanor Roosevelt had a political ambition of her own and would cling to power after FDR (didn't happen).
- FDR beat Landon by a landslide - much to the well-to-do class' upset (earlier some publication predicted Landon would win by a landslide). Among many reasons, some speculate that the New Deal, although many parts of it is a Democrat's bargain chip, for the most of it did helped many regular Americans.
- Many programs of the New Deal had many scandals - fund was not appropriately used etc. However, most poor class of the country was willing to overlook that since it did provide them aid. However the well-to-class was bitterly upset by it.
- In 1936, Americans began turning some of their attention to Europe - Hitler occupying Rhineland, Civil war in Spain. However, out of all, most Americans simply cared about the love affair between the British king and a Baltimore women.
- For writers of the time, many became rather radical. They believed communism will scoop America. However, their number was fairly small.
- By 1939, most American has be accustomed to the depression and believe life would continue like this forever.
- From 1928 to 1936, German camera like Leica became the craze in America. Camera overtook America despite depression was taking toll.
- Radio was gaining more and more prominence by the end of the decade.
- Newspaper became rather conservative - not because their writers were (in fact most journalists were rather radical) but due to the owners of newspapers were conservative. Newspapers were heavily anti-New Deal at the time.
- Newspaper corporations also consolidated greatly during the Great Depression. Many eventually became monopoly or duopolies.
- When print media tried to be radical, their advertisement avenue was quickly pulled off, resulting in the immediate insolvency of the media.
- Americans also increasing tuned into summarized news (like the success of Reader's Digest).
- Variety show dominated American attention. In addition, American movie goers wanted to see movies where everyone was rich and money was not of an issue. They have little interest to see movies showing the struggle of the Great Depression
- Disney became a rather huge success. In fact, while many factories remained idle during the Depression, Disney's toy production had more demand than supply.
- Organized union became a rather big thing starting 1933. However it slowly waned towards the end of the decade as the public got tired of the violence associated with each union action.
- Latter part of 1936 and early part of 1937, price experienced a sharp increase
- Towards the end of Aug 1937, business condition deteriorated again with stock market decline once again. Business investment lagged, and government spending also halted. 2 million men were thrown out of work.
- Silent trigger: Recession of 1937-38 had no visible "cause" and happen rather suddenly
- America towards 1937 was better liked in Latin America than before due to new foreign policy
- Crisis in Europe: while it was occurring, Americans were heavily anti-war.
- While Americans didn't take communist propaganda seriously, they did take Nazi propaganda seriously and were afraid of them spreading into America
- Relief program by this point has become a staple. While demoralizing, many became dependent on it. People became overly pessimistic and believed the Coolidge-Hoover prosperity of 1920s will never return.
- Big companies continued to dominate the landscape. In fact, more than half of all profit made in America was made by less than 10 big American companies, while small businesses continue to lose money. Bank continue to be glutted with idle money.
- People did not invest also because cost of business was high, partly due to regulatory expenses, partly due to up-front business expenses
- People blamed technology for killing jobs
- In 1929, vast majorities of people believe the repeal of prohibition was not possible - "at least the dry states won't allow it"
- Stock market hit peak around Sep 3, 1929. It fluctuated but didn't really have a dramatic drop till late Oct - people believed the bull market can never die
- Hoover was very fast in "stabilizing" the market, promised tax decrease, threw few incentives and promised "prosperity is just around the corner"
- After the initial October down term, many people jumped into the stock market to "buy the dip". Vast majorities of them lost all of the "dip" as stock sank even lower.
- Hoover step in to "stabilize" prices, not allowing prices to fall under certain amount. However the unintended consequences was rather pronounced: people just stopped buying to save money
- For the wealthy class, they weren't affected until 2 years into the depression. Some professionals, despite not having reliable jobs, still went to "work" at empty offices anyways.
- Many people out of work for several years had fear going back to work due to the feeling of insufficiency.
- More people were going to school than before - High School attendance were up, people went back to College then even more schooling afterwards
- "It's not usually during a collapse that men rebel, but after it"
- Marriage was delayed as young people had poor economic prospect. Birth rate declined. Casual sex increased and contraception sale also increased. Divorced dropped until recovery occurred.
- Just 1 year after the New Deal was implemented, it was already loosing support from the radicals for "moving too slow"
- WPA was subject to constant change and constant lack and sought billions of funding from the government - "administrative makeshift"
- The relief system becomes a political bargain chip for the Democrats. They employed more of it as election neared.
- With AAA, farm price did increase after 1933 despite the continue economic uncertainties. Life especially improved for farmers who outright owned their farms
- Tremendous amount of farmers lost their farms during the early years of Depression due to debt. Most of them moved into towns.
- "Wall Street Financiers" were buying bankrupt farms. In 1934, nearly 30% of farm land in the West North Central States were owned by them. In 1880, only 25% of farms were farmed by tenants. During the depression the number risen to 42%.
- Suitcase farmer became big: farmers who used technologies such as tractors to farm, no longer need to live on the farm and could farm on part-time basis given the technological efficiency
- 1930-37, farm tractors sale increased no less than 90% and accelerating. People believed farms would be smaller with more intensive yields (somewhat correct).
- Between 1931 to 1936, more people move out of the US than moved into the US
- In 1938, the decrease of birth rate was visibly pronounce.
- Suburbs around the city was booming all throughout the depression.
- American population was increasingly becoming more nomadic with the popularity of the automobile. While automobile sales decreased during the earlier depression years, more people began using used automobile.
- By 1936 - FDR's second election - bank failure became few and far between. People got used to the idea that depression was here to stay permanently. Neither political party argued about if government was right or not, they only argued how much of government intervention there should be.
- Inflation fear was no longer a major concern, unlike during the earlier years of the depression and government money printing.
- Towards the end of the depression, with political situation around the world becoming increasingly concerning, trade barrier actually increased, not decreased as once hoped.
- While money printing created strong supply of money, banks did not lend them out. Businesses weren't eager to invest due to economic uncertainties.
- The only major financing at the time were corporations refinancing its debt with lower interest rate - from around 5% to now 3%.
- It became incredibly difficult for small business to launch during the great depression, as manufacturing moved towards capital intensive equipment. Big companies gained tremendously at the expenses of small companies.
- Once people got into the relief program, it became very difficult for them to get out of it
- By 1936, the affluent class began its visible spending again. Miami real estate boomed again since the Coolidge prosperity days. Big parties occupied major cities.
- Transportation: had a leap forward. New ocean liners were breaking ground, automobiles were getting better, airplanes began flying faster.
- To the well-to-do, dislike with FDR was universal. They blamed the sluggish economy on FDR's economy and "lack of confidence". The hatred gained ground all the way till 1938, when the hatred weakened through "exhaustion". Many thought FDR's policy was communism and "not much better than Stalin". Some speculate that Eleanor Roosevelt had a political ambition of her own and would cling to power after FDR (didn't happen).
- FDR beat Landon by a landslide - much to the well-to-do class' upset (earlier some publication predicted Landon would win by a landslide). Among many reasons, some speculate that the New Deal, although many parts of it is a Democrat's bargain chip, for the most of it did helped many regular Americans.
- Many programs of the New Deal had many scandals - fund was not appropriately used etc. However, most poor class of the country was willing to overlook that since it did provide them aid. However the well-to-class was bitterly upset by it.
- In 1936, Americans began turning some of their attention to Europe - Hitler occupying Rhineland, Civil war in Spain. However, out of all, most Americans simply cared about the love affair between the British king and a Baltimore women.
- For writers of the time, many became rather radical. They believed communism will scoop America. However, their number was fairly small.
- By 1939, most American has be accustomed to the depression and believe life would continue like this forever.
- From 1928 to 1936, German camera like Leica became the craze in America. Camera overtook America despite depression was taking toll.
- Radio was gaining more and more prominence by the end of the decade.
- Newspaper became rather conservative - not because their writers were (in fact most journalists were rather radical) but due to the owners of newspapers were conservative. Newspapers were heavily anti-New Deal at the time.
- Newspaper corporations also consolidated greatly during the Great Depression. Many eventually became monopoly or duopolies.
- When print media tried to be radical, their advertisement avenue was quickly pulled off, resulting in the immediate insolvency of the media.
- Americans also increasing tuned into summarized news (like the success of Reader's Digest).
- Variety show dominated American attention. In addition, American movie goers wanted to see movies where everyone was rich and money was not of an issue. They have little interest to see movies showing the struggle of the Great Depression
- Disney became a rather huge success. In fact, while many factories remained idle during the Depression, Disney's toy production had more demand than supply.
- Organized union became a rather big thing starting 1933. However it slowly waned towards the end of the decade as the public got tired of the violence associated with each union action.
- Latter part of 1936 and early part of 1937, price experienced a sharp increase
- Towards the end of Aug 1937, business condition deteriorated again with stock market decline once again. Business investment lagged, and government spending also halted. 2 million men were thrown out of work.
- Silent trigger: Recession of 1937-38 had no visible "cause" and happen rather suddenly
- America towards 1937 was better liked in Latin America than before due to new foreign policy
- Crisis in Europe: while it was occurring, Americans were heavily anti-war.
- While Americans didn't take communist propaganda seriously, they did take Nazi propaganda seriously and were afraid of them spreading into America
- Relief program by this point has become a staple. While demoralizing, many became dependent on it. People became overly pessimistic and believed the Coolidge-Hoover prosperity of 1920s will never return.
- Big companies continued to dominate the landscape. In fact, more than half of all profit made in America was made by less than 10 big American companies, while small businesses continue to lose money. Bank continue to be glutted with idle money.
- People did not invest also because cost of business was high, partly due to regulatory expenses, partly due to up-front business expenses
June 24, 2024
It has been observed that the writing of history should 'wait' for at least 50 years so that that the historian could gain proper context and perspective in writing the history.
Frederick Lewis Allen - wrote his history of the U.S. during the 1930's directly as the 1930's ended.
This, then is a contemporary history of the U.S. during the 1930's.
This history details at a microscopic level some of the major foibles of the decade.
The 1930's in the U.S. was a time period encompassing major changes - incorporating stress, chaos and the times recognized shift sands of reality. These shifting sands involved economics (the U.S. depression), politics - late in the decade gains made by the Republicans - changes in International Relations (U.S.' principal allies Great Britain and France) within Europe and finally war 09/01/1939.
Book has several novel approaches:
* It begins with a review of what things were like in the U.S. as the 1920's were ending - 1929 - stock market crash(es) - and compares that with what happens almost exactly 10 years later - beginning of war - 09/03/1939 - England and France declare War on Germany.
* Allen introduces 'threads of analyses of subject areas' - where he introduces subjects and generates a description of what would later develop from this origin - in an attempt to 'tie these threads of analysis together'. One example would be Roosevelt's attempt to 'pack' the Supreme Court - how it was defeated in Congress - but the Supreme Court 'came around in the end' and supported some of the major aspects of the New Deal - such as Social Security.
* Allen describes how the New Deal 'grew' - trying anything (everything) - and when an initial attempt failed - they changed the model and invented a new agency with a new mandate to fix a new problem.
* Allen provides no profound interpretation of the period - just a series of simple presentations of the 1930's - as a fast moving panorama of events, personalities and very different points for view. Detail and analysis of the New Deal is better described in "The Forgotten Man" - by Amity Scholes.
* Allen makes a very interesting point - where (in so many words) - he refers to the Zeitgeist of the 1930's (I take it to mean the 'spirit of the age'). With all the hard times during especially the early 1930's - in the mid to late 1930's the public had 'moved on' from economic-hard time - they were (in Allen's words) - "ready for a show" - and so the U.S. Public's fascination with the First "Trial of the Century" (Lindbergh Kidnapping); fascination with Sports - Babe Ruth/Bill Tilden, etc.
An interesting historical overview (a high level survey course) of the U.S. during the 1930's - which was an important time - there are better books covering specific detail areas - but a very good overview.
Should be of interest to those who read U.S. History.
Should be of interest to those who study and respect the New Deal - such programs such as Social Security, Wage & Hour Laws, Collective Bargaining Rights - all of which have influenced the U.S. population and its history.
Carl Gallozzi
Cgallozzi@comcast.net
Frederick Lewis Allen - wrote his history of the U.S. during the 1930's directly as the 1930's ended.
This, then is a contemporary history of the U.S. during the 1930's.
This history details at a microscopic level some of the major foibles of the decade.
The 1930's in the U.S. was a time period encompassing major changes - incorporating stress, chaos and the times recognized shift sands of reality. These shifting sands involved economics (the U.S. depression), politics - late in the decade gains made by the Republicans - changes in International Relations (U.S.' principal allies Great Britain and France) within Europe and finally war 09/01/1939.
Book has several novel approaches:
* It begins with a review of what things were like in the U.S. as the 1920's were ending - 1929 - stock market crash(es) - and compares that with what happens almost exactly 10 years later - beginning of war - 09/03/1939 - England and France declare War on Germany.
* Allen introduces 'threads of analyses of subject areas' - where he introduces subjects and generates a description of what would later develop from this origin - in an attempt to 'tie these threads of analysis together'. One example would be Roosevelt's attempt to 'pack' the Supreme Court - how it was defeated in Congress - but the Supreme Court 'came around in the end' and supported some of the major aspects of the New Deal - such as Social Security.
* Allen describes how the New Deal 'grew' - trying anything (everything) - and when an initial attempt failed - they changed the model and invented a new agency with a new mandate to fix a new problem.
* Allen provides no profound interpretation of the period - just a series of simple presentations of the 1930's - as a fast moving panorama of events, personalities and very different points for view. Detail and analysis of the New Deal is better described in "The Forgotten Man" - by Amity Scholes.
* Allen makes a very interesting point - where (in so many words) - he refers to the Zeitgeist of the 1930's (I take it to mean the 'spirit of the age'). With all the hard times during especially the early 1930's - in the mid to late 1930's the public had 'moved on' from economic-hard time - they were (in Allen's words) - "ready for a show" - and so the U.S. Public's fascination with the First "Trial of the Century" (Lindbergh Kidnapping); fascination with Sports - Babe Ruth/Bill Tilden, etc.
An interesting historical overview (a high level survey course) of the U.S. during the 1930's - which was an important time - there are better books covering specific detail areas - but a very good overview.
Should be of interest to those who read U.S. History.
Should be of interest to those who study and respect the New Deal - such programs such as Social Security, Wage & Hour Laws, Collective Bargaining Rights - all of which have influenced the U.S. population and its history.
Carl Gallozzi
Cgallozzi@comcast.net
June 30, 2017
“Sometimes the historian wishes that he were able to write several stories at once, presenting them perhaps in parallel columns, and that the human brain were so constructed that it could follow all these stories simultaneously without vertigo, thus gaining an livelier sense of the way in which numerous streams of events run side by side down the channel of time.” (p. 301)
This book is not a textbook, it’s a longform essay of the likes you would read in The New Yorker (or, more appropriately, Harper’s Bazaar of which Mr. Allen was the editor). It doesn’t attempt to touch on every single thing that happened, but rather paint a picture and draw connections between the different events, fads, and ideologies that seemed most prominent in the popular imagination of America from Sept. 3, 1929 to Sept. 3, 1939.
Sometimes it gets a little dull to slog through, particularly when Allen focuses on various politicians and pieces of legislation, or specific numbers regarding the business indices or just how much the stock of General Motors dropped in a three-year period. Allen also never manages, except for a few moments in the last chapter, to effectively present the context regarding how the different events he discusses coexist with each other (he often focuses on specific ideas--the New Deal, the Dust Bowl, political scandals--one at a time, resulting in some occasionally confusing time-jumping). But if you can make it through despite those weaknesses, you’re rewarded with summaries of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping and the exploits of Al Capone, and the tragedy of the dust bowl compounding the economic devastation of the stock market collapse.
One of the things that struck me, and which strikes me about pretty much any work of history, is how the themes of then resonate now. Near the end of the book Allen begins to sum up the feelings of the era, saying;
“A feeling of insecurity and apprehension, a feeling that the world was going to pieces, that supposedly solid principles, whether of economics or of politics or of international ethics, were giving way under foot, had never quite left thoughtful Americans since the collapse of Coolidge-Hoover prosperity in 1929 and 1930. It had been intense during the worst of the Depression, had been alleviated somewhat as business conditions improved, and had become more acute again as the international aggressors went on the rampage (and as, simultaneously, the United States slid into the Recession).” (p. 327)
Replace some of those specifics “depression,” “business conditions improving,” and you could write that paragraph about now. Somehow there’s something calming about remembering that life and world events have always felt scary to those muddling their way through. It makes me feel a little better about my attempts to muddle through life right now.
September 21, 2021
To anyone at this great remove, the Thirties are usually thought of as the interwar years. "Since Yesterday" does a good job of showing that the idea of a second Great War was far from a fait accompli, at least for the man on the street. Most people spent their time fretting more about how the latest recession (perhaps precipitated by Roosevelt's largesse with public money) might tip America back into the bad old days of the Depression, or getting their skull racked by "labor relations specialist" on the hunt for uppity workers. More frivolously, people inclined an ear to the radio to hear the latest escapades of The Lone Ranger, or maybe legally wet their whistle now that Prohibition had been repealed (mostly, some states, primarily in the South, remained dry long after the repeal of Volstead).
Author Frederick Lewis Allen does a good job guiding us from the tail end of the twenties, with its breadlines and its simmering ethnic antagonisms, into the thirties, when at least for a time, a quasi-messianic faith in FDR made a lot of Americans cautiously optimistic, for the first time in a long time. There's a tendency to focus a bit too much on the various public projects spawned by the New Deal, and not quite enough attention paid to fashion and popular culture (I wanted to do the Lindy Hop, dammit, while swinging to Benny Goodman), but for those who want a granular picture of Roosevelt's administration and those who opposed it, these sections will seem less like detours and more like routes to the heart of the matter.
Regardless, the book is as enjoyable as it is informative, and Allen does a good job of striking a cheerful, sometimes wryly humorous tone that keeps things from getting too stodgy and dry, always a risk with history, even the popular kind. Recommended, with a small number of photos.
Author Frederick Lewis Allen does a good job guiding us from the tail end of the twenties, with its breadlines and its simmering ethnic antagonisms, into the thirties, when at least for a time, a quasi-messianic faith in FDR made a lot of Americans cautiously optimistic, for the first time in a long time. There's a tendency to focus a bit too much on the various public projects spawned by the New Deal, and not quite enough attention paid to fashion and popular culture (I wanted to do the Lindy Hop, dammit, while swinging to Benny Goodman), but for those who want a granular picture of Roosevelt's administration and those who opposed it, these sections will seem less like detours and more like routes to the heart of the matter.
Regardless, the book is as enjoyable as it is informative, and Allen does a good job of striking a cheerful, sometimes wryly humorous tone that keeps things from getting too stodgy and dry, always a risk with history, even the popular kind. Recommended, with a small number of photos.
April 5, 2020
I gave this book all five stars even though I didn't necessarily believe what the author said about FDR. The author wrote this book shortly after the 1930's, and I actually recognized some of the prejudices and feelings that my own grandfather demonstrated about FDR, since he was a relatively young man back then and serving in the Navy. I'm sure many Republicans of that time period felt the same way about FDR, and I'm even sure many Republicans continue to feel the same way about this President. But it still stands that FDR was one of our greatest presidents (without involving political parties), who made many mistakes, but still guided the US through several of it's worst catastrophes.
But this book was extremely interesting because the author lived through it, and wasn't just looking back on historical time with an unbiased eye. Of course, the author had very specific likes and dislikes, colored by his experience of that time. He gave a lot of pages to the Great Depression and the economic challenges caused by the Depression. He also spent some time on FDR and what he did right and wrong, as well as the machinations that went on behind the scenes in Washington DC. Nothing ever changes there...it's the same old, same old.
If you are interested in history and want to read it from someone's point of view who lived through it this is your book. Just remember that the author writes with his own viewpoint.
But this book was extremely interesting because the author lived through it, and wasn't just looking back on historical time with an unbiased eye. Of course, the author had very specific likes and dislikes, colored by his experience of that time. He gave a lot of pages to the Great Depression and the economic challenges caused by the Depression. He also spent some time on FDR and what he did right and wrong, as well as the machinations that went on behind the scenes in Washington DC. Nothing ever changes there...it's the same old, same old.
If you are interested in history and want to read it from someone's point of view who lived through it this is your book. Just remember that the author writes with his own viewpoint.
March 15, 2024
This was an interesting follow up to Allen's contemporaneous history of the 1920s. I enjoyed both. It's interesting to see what was considered important at the end of the decade relative to our longer view. What I found most helpful in the 1930s book was the effect of the Great Depression on those people who were having a hard time, but not out of work and destitute, which is what we often read about. They were in there too, but he portrayed how it affected the average family with some income intact. I enjoyed also learning about the labor movement in that period, which was encouraged by the Roosevelt administration and led to huge strikes.
He always goes into a lot of politics, and it was interesting to read about how radical Roosevelt was with his cadre of New Dealers, and how some of what they did worked and much of what they did flopped. The economy improved in fits and starts, but just couldn't seem to really get going. Allen did a good job covering the sensational events, such as the Lindberg kidnapping and the scandalous Mrs. Wallace Simpson having an affair with King Edward of England. I also appreciated his discussion of how America moved from a hugely isolationist stance to being almost ready to help England and France as Hitler invaded more and more of Europe. It took a lot to change public opinion so widely held after our involvement in WWI. A good read to get into the mindset of people living at the time.
He always goes into a lot of politics, and it was interesting to read about how radical Roosevelt was with his cadre of New Dealers, and how some of what they did worked and much of what they did flopped. The economy improved in fits and starts, but just couldn't seem to really get going. Allen did a good job covering the sensational events, such as the Lindberg kidnapping and the scandalous Mrs. Wallace Simpson having an affair with King Edward of England. I also appreciated his discussion of how America moved from a hugely isolationist stance to being almost ready to help England and France as Hitler invaded more and more of Europe. It took a lot to change public opinion so widely held after our involvement in WWI. A good read to get into the mindset of people living at the time.
August 2, 2020
This was a very interesting book, for the most part. It was an era in the history of our country that I have not read much about. In between two world wars and with the country reeling from unprecedented economic conditions, it was interesting to hear about the tenor and demeanor of the national discourse.
While going through this, I was struck by how similar it was to our times. People on Facebook talk about today's political climate being totally unique and they pine for the "good old days." Reading this, those days were not as different from today as many people would want us to think.
Aside from the whole prohibition discussion, it was really interesting to see the parallels between decades.
While it was interesting to hear about the top books, records and movies of the times, (and radio shows), there was a LOT of this. There was also a lot of subjective talk about women's attire and haircuts, etc.
Having read this, I might need to go back and read the prior book, because the author's first book, "Only Yesterday," covers the 1920s. I know less about the 20s than I did about the 30s.
While going through this, I was struck by how similar it was to our times. People on Facebook talk about today's political climate being totally unique and they pine for the "good old days." Reading this, those days were not as different from today as many people would want us to think.
Aside from the whole prohibition discussion, it was really interesting to see the parallels between decades.
While it was interesting to hear about the top books, records and movies of the times, (and radio shows), there was a LOT of this. There was also a lot of subjective talk about women's attire and haircuts, etc.
Having read this, I might need to go back and read the prior book, because the author's first book, "Only Yesterday," covers the 1920s. I know less about the 20s than I did about the 30s.
October 18, 2024
It seems odd for an author’s wheelhouse to be summarizing the preceding decade, but that is what Frederick Lewis Allen did with both the 1920s and the 1930s. (Presumably he had another source of income while waiting for the decade to end.)
I imagine him being rather wry and detached in life, for how else could he have read the news so diligently and so dispassionately? The vast majority of nonfiction books from a given year will seem irremediably dated 50 years later; and even the most cultured usually bear the marks of their epoch. Allen, however, managed to write about his own time as if it were already long gone. It is a remarkable talent.
True, this volume might not hold up as well as his book on the 1920s. But that is mostly because the 1920s were simply more fun, while the economic catastrophe of the 1930s has attracted so much analysis that Allen’s book could hardly have been the definitive version. Even so, unlike the weightier tomes written in years gone by about the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, this one is enlivened by the sense of close proximity, and the uncertainty about how the crisis was going to end.
I imagine him being rather wry and detached in life, for how else could he have read the news so diligently and so dispassionately? The vast majority of nonfiction books from a given year will seem irremediably dated 50 years later; and even the most cultured usually bear the marks of their epoch. Allen, however, managed to write about his own time as if it were already long gone. It is a remarkable talent.
True, this volume might not hold up as well as his book on the 1920s. But that is mostly because the 1920s were simply more fun, while the economic catastrophe of the 1930s has attracted so much analysis that Allen’s book could hardly have been the definitive version. Even so, unlike the weightier tomes written in years gone by about the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, this one is enlivened by the sense of close proximity, and the uncertainty about how the crisis was going to end.
May 8, 2024
This is a well done book examining the last part of the 1920's through the end of the 1930's. It of course spends a good bit of time on the stock market crash and its results. (I wonder why no one was ever put on trial for what happened as it seems some of the things they were doing were dicey at best.)
It talks about prohibition, people known at the time like Father Coughlin, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, Benny Goodman and many others. It covers tree sitting, miniature golf, Roosevelt's term as governor and his wining the Presidency, the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby, the New Deal and all the problems it ran into and the psychological problems caused by the depression.
It covers the New Deal and its effects and the events that were leading up to World War II such as violence in Spain and the Japanese invasion of China.
It's really a concise and really good overview of that time, what caused things to happen and the results of what did happen and the march to World War II.
It talks about prohibition, people known at the time like Father Coughlin, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, Benny Goodman and many others. It covers tree sitting, miniature golf, Roosevelt's term as governor and his wining the Presidency, the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby, the New Deal and all the problems it ran into and the psychological problems caused by the depression.
It covers the New Deal and its effects and the events that were leading up to World War II such as violence in Spain and the Japanese invasion of China.
It's really a concise and really good overview of that time, what caused things to happen and the results of what did happen and the march to World War II.
December 2, 2024
Maybe it was just because the book I read last before this was The Jungle, but I had little appetite for reading about the quality of life and the strikes and the dust during the Depression, it made me so sad. Particularly for the first half of this book. I was crying on the bus about the flood victims idk what happened to me.
Generally I would say I liked Only Yesterday better if only because the content was much sillier and I like this guy’s dry humour. The political scandals in the 1920s were like going to the circus compared to the 30s. Speaking of scandals I feel like more time could’ve been spent on the Pecora Commission but politically there was so much to cover so I understand. As well, I think some of the economic talk went over my head which surprised me because Only Yesterday spent time describing what a graph would look like to the reader. Sign of the times I guess everyone knew quite a bit about the economy back then. Will probably just read an FDR biography and a basic economics book next. And will also read his last book eventually too!
Generally I would say I liked Only Yesterday better if only because the content was much sillier and I like this guy’s dry humour. The political scandals in the 1920s were like going to the circus compared to the 30s. Speaking of scandals I feel like more time could’ve been spent on the Pecora Commission but politically there was so much to cover so I understand. As well, I think some of the economic talk went over my head which surprised me because Only Yesterday spent time describing what a graph would look like to the reader. Sign of the times I guess everyone knew quite a bit about the economy back then. Will probably just read an FDR biography and a basic economics book next. And will also read his last book eventually too!
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