ERIC Number: EJ1385524
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0037-7996
EISSN: EISSN-2152-405X
High School History Textbooks and the Causes of the Great Depression: Missing the Obvious
Niederjohn, M. Scott; Schug, Mark C.; Wood, William C.
Social Studies, v114 n2 p91-97 2023
Years ago, it became established that the severity and length of the Great Depression were due largely to misguided Federal Reserve monetary policy and the resulting catastrophic bank failures. This result is confirmed by surveys of scholars in the area and books specifically written on economic history. Yet the leading textbooks used in high school US history fail to reflect these findings. The texts (1) tend to ignore the recognized causes of the Great Depression's severity and (2) overstate the role of other causes rejected by the majority of economic historians. After laying out this curious disjuncture, this article presents curricular resources to help high school teachers more accurately present the Great Depression's causes.
Descriptors: History Instruction, United States History, Economic Climate, Textbooks, Textbook Content, High Schools, Influences, Economic Factors, Course Content, Banking, Political Issues, Public Policy
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A