America Marching On, 1937

Narrated by Lowell Thomas in this 1937 NAM editorial, the film celebrates U.S. industrial progress amid the Depression’s shadow. From 18th-century mills to modern flour factories, it contrasts past dreams with 1930s innovations—cars, radios, trains, and planes. Stock market crash headlines fade into bustling cities and homes with vacuums and polished shoes, touting collaboration between workers, management, and capital as the path to better living, underscored by an optimistic vision of America’s future.