American Experience

Rising more than 700 feet above the raging waters of the Colorado River, it was called one of the greatest engineering works in history. Hoover Dam, built during the Great Depression, drew men desperate for work to a remote and rugged canyon near Las Vegas. There they struggled against brutal heat, choking dust and perilous heights to build a colossus of concrete that brought electricity and water to millions, transforming the American Southwest.

Time Period: 1901 to 1935

Themes: The Great Depression and unemployment, working conditions and labor policies, racial discrimination, and the growth of the American West.

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