The 1930s in America will always be remembered for twin disasters-the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. Michael L. Cooper takes readers through this tumultuous period, beginning with the 1929 stock market crash that ushered in the Great Depression and continuing with the severe drought in the Midwest, known as the Dust Bowl. He chronicles the everyday struggle for survival by those who lost everything, as well as the mass exodus westward to California...

Examines the history of Japanese in the United States, focusing on their treatment during World War II, including the mass relocation to internment camps and the distinguished service of Japanese Americans in the American military.

Examines the purpose and daily routine of the Indian schools, focusing on the eighty-four Sioux boys and girls who left their tribe in 1879 to become students at Carlisle Indian School, the first institution opened by the federal government for the education of Native American children.

Discusses the community that was the first English colony on American soil in 1607, the home of Princess Pocahontas, the first destination port for African slaves, and the business center of the new tobacco industry.