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History 1BB3: America and the World: The Twentieth Century
Dr. Stephen M. Streeter
McMaster University, Winter 2002
The Problem of Historical Causation: Using Mills Library To Investigate
The Origins Of The Great Depression
Note: If you wish to access the library's electronic resources from off campus you must apply for a PROXY ACCOUNT through MUGSI. For instructions on how to do this, see http://www.mcmaster.ca/cis/facilities/reginst/. Since it takes 24 hours to get a response you should do this well in advance!
Introduction:
This assignment is designed to show you how to obtain useful historical information from the Mills Library. The background reading by John Garraty offers one historian's explanation for the origins of the Great Depression in the United States. One of the questions on the midterm exam will ask you to explain why a global depression occurred in the 1930s. In other words, you will want to find some more information about why so many Western capitalist countries, in addition to the United States, experienced such a severe prolonged economic downturn in the same decade.
Background Reading:
John Garraty, The "Great Depression" (1986), pp. 2-25
Assignment: (due at the beginning of this tutorial):
Use the library's card catalog (MORRIS) to find 1 scholarly book and 1 scholarly journal article containing information about the global origins of the Great Depression. [Do not include John Garraty's book as one of your selections.] Use the computerized databases America History and Life and Historical Abstracts to assist your search. These electronic indexes can be accessed through the Mills library website at: http://www.mcmaster.ca/library/research/indexes/alf-a.htm. (You will need your proxy account no. if you are accessing the catalog from off campus) America History and Life and Historical Abstracts provide short summaries (abstracts) for journal articles and can help you locate book reviews, but then you are getting the information second hand, which is always less reliable. [Do you really want to trust what the abstracter or reviewer says?] In this assignment you should use the abstracts to guide you to the appropriate source, which you must then consult first hand. Since many students will be searching for the same kinds of sources please do not check these materials out of the library or leave them stranded where no one can find them. Follow the library's rules for returning materials to the proper location.
To complete this assignment you must cite the two sources using the bibliographical models described in Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to History, 3rd edition, pp. 83-93. After each source provide a short paragraph containing facts that will help answer the question