Social Impact of the Great Depression

Journal # 105 What were “Hoovervilles?” What conditions led to the Dust Bowl in the 1930s?

The Homeless Numbers Grow Those who lost their homes moved in with relatives, others roamed the country. 1931=15,000 homeless in NYC Some set up shanty towns made of cardboard and scrap metal. Nicknamed Hoovervilles after the president Felt he was not responding to the crisis

Hobos Travelled the country’ ‘Hitched’ from one “hobo jungle” to another. Slept on benches, box cars, or freight cars.

Farmers Continue to Suffer Couldn’t pay mortgages  lost farms to banks Tenement farmers & sharecroppers kicked off their land. To protest low prices, farmers dumped gallons of milk and destroyed crops.

The Dust Bowl Drought and farming practices led to dust storms between 1931-1940. Farmers’ plows stripped away the layer of prairie grass that protected the topsoil. Great soil erosion. Red dust fell on the East Coast.

Oakies 60% of Dust Bowl families lost their farms 440,000 families left OK during 1930s. 100,000 Dust Bowl families left area for West Coast

Strain of Poverty Hoover declared, “no one has starved.” But some had and others were starving Effects on children of poor diet & no medical care

Children 20% of America's children were hungry and without proper clothing. In some coal mining regions, the percentage of malnourished children reached as high as 90%. Children went without shoes and warm clothes for the winter.

Family hardships Men felt like failures since they couldn’t support their families. Divorce rates went down – couldn’t afford it. Women accused of taking men’s jobs. Married women were not hired if husbands were employed.

Discrimination  Competition for jobs Some immigrants were deported African Americans had to turn to churches Federal gov’t even discriminated against them with aid.

Scottsboro Nine On March 25, 1931, nine African-American men were arrested and charged with the rape of two white women. Within twelve days, all of the men were tried and convicted in a Scottsboro, Alabama Court House.

Scottsboro Nine U.S. Supreme Court ordered a second trial  the men had not received adequate legal counsel in a capital case. Again found guilty Went through four rounds of trials, always guilty

1932 Country angry at lack of response by Hoover Ready for a change