Hardship and Suffering During the Great Depression

Main Idea Main idea – During the Great Depression Americans did what they had to do to survive We want to be able to: Describe how people struggled to survive during the Depression Explain how the Depression affected men, women, and children

Depression in the Cities Many people in the cities lost their jobs, got kicked out of their homes, and ended up in the streets Many built and lived in shantytowns – small towns made of shacks Many people begged for food or money, or went through garbage to find things to eat Soup kitchens provided free or low-cost food Bread lines provided food from charitable organizations

Shantytowns or Hoovervilles

Bread Lines and Soup Kitchens

Minorities in the Cities Conditions for African Americans and Latinos were especially difficult Their unemployment rates was higher, on average, and they made much less money Racial violence from unemployed whites discouraged blacks from trying to get jobs Latinos faced prejudice and some whites demanded they be deported, even if they had been born in the U.S.

The Depression in Rural Areas One advantage that rural areas had over cities was that most people were at least able to grow their own food Thousands of farmers lost their land because of their debt Many farmers turned to tenant farming or sharecropping to try to stay alive

The Dust Bowl Farmers on the Great Plains had plowed up much of the prairie grass on the plains Farmers then over-farmed the land A drought that started in the early 1930s finally dried up the land Winds began, and the winds picked up the dried topsoil and carried it away Some of the topsoil even reach New York, or ships miles off of the coastline This region became known as the Dust Bowl

Effects on the American Family Family was a source of strength for most Americans While some thought that the hard times would destroy the family and moral values, this largely didn’t happen Many Americans returned to more traditional values and emphasized the importance of family unity Families found new ways to entertain themselves – board games (Monopoly), listening to the radio

Men in the Depression Men had a hard time adjusting to unemployment because they were used to supporting their families Men would set out on the streets to look for jobs Some men became “hoboes”, wanderers who traveled the country in railroad box cars and who slept under bridges Government offered no direct relief to people during the early years of the Depression

Women in the Depression Women took charge of the households in helping to get through the tough times Canned foods to preserve them Managed household budgets Some women worked outside the home to get money for the family, but still got less than men Men sometimes thought that no woman should have a job if a man needed one, so women faced resentment for working

Children in the Depression Many children suffered from poor diets and a lack of money for health care Lack of milk in diets Rise in malnutrition Diet-related diseases – rickets, etc. Children suffered from the lack of education Schools shortened school year or closed Children would often go to work instead

Teenagers in the Depression Teenagers looked for ways out of the suffering Many became wanderers, like the hoboes, and hopped on trains to travel the country Some were eager to see the country and look for opportunities

Social and Psychological Effects Many people lost their will to survive – suicide rate increased by 30 percent between 1928 and 1932 Three times as many people were admitted to state mental hospitals People accepted new standards of living Adults stopped going to doctors or dentists Young people forgot about college Some put off getting married or having families

The Shaping of a Generation For some Americans, achieving financial security became their only goal in life People showed great kindness to people who were in need, giving food, clothing, or a place to stay Many people developed habits of saving or thriftiness – they would keep these for life