The Great Depression 1929-1941

The Crash Massive lifestyle changes Many Americans lost everything Poor Americans migrated all over the country trying to find an end to their misery The American economy totally collapsed The good feeling of the 1920s had completely disappeared

Homelessness Homelessness became rampant during the Depression People could no longer pay rent or mortgages Evicted from their homes No money to find new homes A homeless man during the Depression

Life in the 1930s

Hoover takes the blame President Herbert Hoover began to be the embodiment of everything that had gone wrong in America “Hoovervilles” Small encampments containing shacks made of cardboard, paper, old wood, car bodies, and other loose material Called Hoovervilles to mock the President “Hoover flags” - Pants pockets pulled to the outside to reveal their emptiness “Hoover blankets” – old newspapers “Hoover wagons” – cars pulled by horses “Hoover leather” – cardboard used to fix shoes Hoover’s popularity was non-existent by the end of his term

Poor Hoover… Pictures of the Depression

President Hoover's Stimulus Plan

The Dust Bowl At the same time as the Depression, farmers had another crisis to deal with Severe drought and poor farming techniques caused and erosion of the soil and created massive and unrelenting dust storms The Midwest of the United States became known as “The Dust Bowl”

The Dust Bowl “Black Blizzards” Farms were ruined as a nation starved Massive Dust storms that blew over several states. Health Hazards Farms were ruined as a nation starved Dust affected every part of the country Dust in the snows of New England Midwest farmers migrated to California looking for work

Black Blizzards

Discrimination increases Women who had work were fired Men having jobs was more important Married women were fired so that income could go to a man African Americans were also discriminated against during the Depression White laborers demand that the jobs held by African Americans go to them Violence against African Americans increased during the Depression

The 1932 Campaign Incumbent President Herbert Hoover Republican Challenger Governor Franklin Roosevelt Democrat

Election of 1932 President Hoover ran for re-election against Democratic Governor from New York, Franklin Roosevelt Republicans worked to shift the blame from Hoover to other places. Roosevelt ran on a platform called “The New Deal”, which was a plan to get the American economy rolling again Roosevelt wins the election easily