Music is an effective primary source to gain a greater understanding of the past. The history of America's Great Depression is a prime example of this, owing to the rich tapestry of various musical styles that permeated the 1930s. By examining the evolution of the music, lyrics, technology, and the lives of musicians, students can gain a deeper understanding of this important era. Using music as a primary source can be a highly effective tool in educating young people because modern American culture is so heavily influenced by music. One purpose of this thesis is to offer history teachers some insight and techniques for bringing music into their classrooms. In order to create this thesis I sought out other works that attempted to use music to teach history. The thesis utilizes a large variety of sources, including music histories and biographies, cultural studies, educational journals, and museum archives. There is still a lot of room for research and writing on this topic specifically as it applies to directly connecting musical primary sources to educational objectives, such as teaching of essential questions and understandings. This thesis includes an exemplar unit as a concrete example of how its arguments can be tangibly brought into an actual classroom.