Primary Source: “This Land” by Woody Gutherie  

You can follow along with the lyrics here. 

Guided Discussion Questions 

  • What do you think the major themes are in this song?
  • What do you think motivated Guthrie to write it?
  • How do you think the Great Depression and our world in the midst of coronavirus are similar? different?

For more information on Woody Guthrie, read “This Machine Kills Fascists”: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
William Deverell is a Professor of History at the University of Southern California and the Huntington Library. He is an OAH Distinguished Lecturer. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to him at deverell@usc.edu.