Hoosier Radical: Theodore Luesse Takes On the Great Depression
In this episode of Talking Hoosier History, we’ll meet radical organizer Theodore Luesse, who agitated for relief measures during the Great Depressions. His actions culminated in a sentence at the notorious State Penal Farm in Putnamville, where he ran for governor on the Communist ticket. Luesse’s sentence increased Hoosiers’ interest in communist ideals and ignited a series of social protests, ultimately modernizing Indiana government and cultivating a new generation of organizers, who demanded more from their government.
“Justice and the Square Deal:” The Political Alliance of Mother Jones and John W. Kern
In this episode of Talking Hoosier History, we’ll learn about labor organizer Mary “Mother” Jones’s political partnership with John W. Kern, the U.S. Senator from Indiana, and how their alliance represented a real shift in attitudes regarding organized labor during the Progressive Era.
“Ambassadors of Goodwill:” Mexican Bracero Workers during WWII
In this short episode of Talking Hoosier History, we’ll discuss the Mexican bracero workers who came to Indiana during WWII, how Hoosiers welcomed them (or didn’t), and how the braceros helped the U.S. meet wartime agricultural needs. We’ll also get a glimpse of how the Bracero Program established immigration patterns that remain relevant today.