North Attleborough:
Books Open Doors

 The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest.

The 1930s when To Kill a Mockingbird takes place was the time of the Great Depression. Because of the severe unemployment, life was especially hard for people at the low and bottom of the economic ladder. The competition for work exacerbated the racial tensions throughout the country. Explore these sites to see the variety of life during the times of the Finches and their neighbors.

Kingswood College's site on American Cultural History 1930-1939. Overview of the times.

University of Virginia's multimedia display of life in the '30s. Great photographs, comics and more from the times. Includes link to Triple-A Plowed Under, a play that was first produced by the Federal Theater Project on March 14, 1936. It was recorded as a vocal re-enactment on May 15th, 2004 for this web-project. (This Land is Your Land audio links do not seem to work on this site anymore.)

State of Michigan's Reminiscences of the Great Depression

The Sound of 1930s Florida Folk Life

American Folklife: Alabama. Includes audio of songs from 1930s Alabama.

WPA Life Histories from Massachusetts: Explore some of the stories of Massachusetts citizens during the depression.