Norris Dam:
To Build or Not to Build?
Students
Construction at Norris Dam began on October 1, 1933 and continued for three years. During that time thousands of people were removed from their homes and relocated to higher ground. Norris Dam was the first of many dams constructed in the Tennessee River Valley. The dam and reservoir included land from five Tennessee counties: Union, Campbell, Claiborne, Anderson, and Grainger.
While the TVA worked hard to consider those living within the valley there were times when it did not. For many years the government had
considered building a dam on the site, so the engineering and geological surveys were already completed. However, due to the tight timeframe the TVA established, social and economic studies were not done prior to the start of construction. The TVA justified beginning construction without these studies because of the “urgent need to relieve unemployment.” For future dams, social and economic studies became standard before construction. Since Norris Dam was already underway, those affected were not considered in construction.
This is where you come in! Based on the information you gather from these primary sources, you have to decide if Norris Dam should be constructed.