Subject:   What Conditions Existed Prior to the Storm??

Reading Level:   Adult / High School

Overview

Historical events are long in coming and long in lasting, where a single explanation is inadequate to explore the constellation of factors that results in any particular event or development. Complex problems call for complex solutions although the current state of politics and media in this country undermines such labored efforts. The problems of New Orleans did not begin with Hurricane Katrina nor will they end there. The events of late August and early September 2005 and efforts to rebuild the city are a microcosm of the blessings and curses of contemporary America.

Relevant Curriculum

• Louisiana Purchase, Gr 6-8
• Antebellum North and South: Different but Connected
• The Good and Bad of Westward Expansion
• The Slave Economy