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HIST 175: Michigan History: Recommended Primary Sources for Chapters 15 and 16

General Primary Sourcebook covering a broad range of historical time periods

Chapter 15

See Chapter “Hard Times” in Michigan Voices: Our State’s History in the Words of the People Who Lived It
See Chapter 12 and parts of Chapter 13 in The Great Water : A Documentary History of Michigan

 

 

Politics

Do Newspaper searches in the New York Times or Chicago Tribune for Governor Wilber Brucker (1931-1933), Governor Comstock (1933-1935) or Mayor of Detroit (later Governor) Frank Murphy (Mayor 1930-1933, Governor (1937-1939)

 

Radical right-wing politics

Radio Priest Father Charles Coughlin

--Do searches in the New York Times or Chicago Tribune on Father Charles Coughlin and/or Radio Priest

--Other Sources about his anti-Semitism here:

http://www.ajcarchives.org/main.php?GroupingId=6060

--Speech/prayer by Coughlin: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5111/

 

The Black Legion

--This was a secret society so sources can be difficult. You can look up newspaper articles about the murders of Silas Coleman in May of 1935 or Charles Poole in May of 1936

--This source was written by a left-wing group critical of the Black Legion: http://fau.digital.flvc.org/islandora/object/fau%3A5407/datastream/OBJ/view

--Labor Spies and the Black Legion. New Republic 87, no. 1124 (June 17, 1936): 169

 

Sources Dealing with Labor Actions, strikes, and riots

15 ARE INDICTED OVER FORD RIOT, HEARINGS START: labor Board Considers Same Battle. AT FORD HEARING

THOMIS, WAYNE.Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963); Chicago, Ill. [Chicago, Ill]07 July 1937

 

REFUSES TO CALL MICHIGAN GUARD IN STRIKE RIOT: Governor Orders State Police to Newberry.

Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963); Chicago, Ill. [Chicago, Ill]05 June 1937

 

The story of the General Motors strike /

submitted to stockholders by Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., president, General Motors Corporation, April, 1937.

 

Supreme Court Ruling that made Sit-Down Strikes illegal

 

Sit-Down Epidemic; Strike Fever Spreads. New York Times. March 21, 1937

 

“Ford Men Beat and Rout Lewis Union Organizers,” New York Times, May 27, 1937.

 

Search the Michigan Daily News (The University of Michigan’s student newspaper) for “riot” in the 1930s.

 

Audio Recordings from people directly involved in the Flint Sit-Down Strike

 

Collection of Newspaper Articles and Political cartoons about Flint Sit-Down Strike

 

Life during the Depression

Detroit is my Own Home Town is an account of Detroit History published in 1946 from a leading Newspaper columnist.

Chapter 16

See Chapter 14 in The Great Water : A Documentary History of Michigan

See chapter “Arsenal of Democracy” in Michigan Voices: Our State’s History in the Words of the People Who Lived It


 

Arsenal of Democracy sources

--Wiliam Knudsen

Find articles about William Knudsen in the New York Times or Chicago Tribune

Dec. 3, 1941 Speech by Knudsen: http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/policy/1941/1941-12-03a.html

 

--Newsreel--Story of Willow Run: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2zukteYbGQ


 

German Prisoners of War in Michigan

183,618 Axis Prisoners in Hands of U. S.: Prisoners of War

Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963); Chicago, Ill. [Chicago, Ill]08 May 1944: 1

https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.hope.edu/hnpchicagotribune/docview/176930445/4F87561D3B504A4DPQ/1?accountid=11471


 

1943 Detroit Race Riots 

Sancton, Thomas. “The Race Riots.” New Republic 109, no. 1 (July 5, 1943): 9 

 

Why race riots? : Lessons from Detroit / by Earl Brown.

 

Racial conflict : a home front danger : lessons of the Detroit riot.

 

What caused the Detroit riot? :an analysis / by Walter White and Thurgood Marshall.

 

LIFE magazine Aug 17, 1942

DETROIT WATCHFUL IN 'MOP UP' OF RIOTS: Quiet Continues as the Courts ... By TURNER CATLEDGESpecial to THE NEW YORK TIMES. New York Times (1923-Current file); Jun 28, 1943; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times 

 

REPORT OUTLINES REMEDY FOR RIOTS: Urban League Inquiry Traces ... New York Times (1923-Current file); Jul 3, 1943; 

 

2 GUILTY IN DETROIT RIOT: Lyons and Tipton Held to Have Incited Racial Outbreak New York Times (1923-Current file); Oct 23, 1943;

 

DETROIT RIOT LAID TO FALSE RUMORS: Members of Fact-Finding Group ... Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES. New York Times (1923-Current file); Aug 12, 1943; 

 

DETROIT RIOT KILLING CHARGED TO 4 YOUTHS: Three Said to Confess Shooting Negro 'to Have Some Fun' Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES. New York Times (1923-Current file); Jul 31, 1943

 

DETROIT HEAD SETS INQUIRY IN MOTION: Mayor Urges Dies to Keep ... By TURNER CATLEDGESpecial to THE NEW YORK TIMES. New York Times (1923-Current file); Jun 26, 1943; 

 

LEAGUE BLAMES DETROIT RIOT ON OVERCROWDING: Proposes Program to Better Relations. Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963); Jul 3, 1943

 

CHARGES RACIAL RIOTS INCITED BY DETROIT REDS: Officer of Urban League Tells of Inquiry. Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963); Chicago, Ill. [Chicago, Ill]30 Sep 1943: 21

 

ARMY RULES DETROIT; 23 DIE: HOMES FIRED, SHOPS LOOTED IN RACE RIOTS 700 Wounded in Wild Disorders. MILITARY RULES DETROIT; 23 DIE IN RACE RIOTS Chops Looted and Homes Are Set Afire. Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963); Chicago, Ill. [Chicago, Ill]22 June 1943

 

TROOPS RESTORE CALM IN DETROIT; DEATH TOLL 28: City Tries to Uncover the Cause of Rioting. Hughes, Frank. Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963); Jun 23, 1943;

 

NEGROES DETAIL POLICE ACTS IN DETROIT RIOTING: Assert Charges Warrant Special Grand Jury. Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963); Jul 29, 1943

 

A collection of primary sources and a secondary high quality blog/article source from the Walter Reuther Library at Wayne State University