florida folklife

Primary Source Picks

Today in History: Works Progress Administration
April 8, 2013October 16, 2021

Today in History–April 8–the Library of Congress features the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which was funded by the the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935, approved on this day in 1935. This national works program, created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, employed more than 8.5 million people on 1.4 million public projects before it was disbanded in…

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Primary Source Picks

Today in History: W.C. Handy & the Blues
September 28, 2011January 11, 2024

Today in History–September 28–the Library of Congress features William Christopher Handy, whose song the “Memphis Blues” was published on this date in 1912. Handy introduced the blues into mainstream music and became known as the father of the blues. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access a rich collection of blues music…

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