Sections Two and Three The Great Depression

Native Grasses & Sod Destroyed Land was ravaged for decades by humans Native grasses had sheltered the soil But Sodbusters plowed up the native grasses to grow wheat & corn Sod was so thick & wood was so scarce in the Great Plains that early settlers built their shelters by digging into the sod.

Sod Shelter

Drought & Dust Storms After decades of destroying the sod when the winds finally came all topsoil was removed Imagine seeing a wall of black dust up to a 1000 ft high Dust storms like these plagued the Great Plains between 1932-1939 Together with the Gt. Depression 1000s of farmers were wiped out

Parched Land from Drought

Dust Storm

Impact of Dust Bowl

Got Farm?

Farmers in Distress During 1920s – ’30s farm prices were falling Falling prices kept farmers from paying their mortgages Many lost their farms to foreclosure Penny Auctions took place in which friends bought the farm for a penny and then returned it to their friends

Tough Times

The Okies Okies were farmers who lost everything and abandoned their fields in search of new opportunities Many came to CA where they worked for almost nothing Not welcome by most, harassed by law enforcement, sometimes turned away at the border.

Okies Move West

Tenant Farmers Hit Hard As fed’l gov paid subsidies to landowners not to grow products so prices would rise So landowners evicted tenant farmers off the land Subsidies given to landowners were then used to buy new technology which further reduced the need for farm hands or tenant farmers AA tenant farmers were hit disproportionately hard

Tenant Farmers on the move

Mexican-Americans Faced discrimination 12,000 rounded up and deported to Mexico between 1931-1934 Even Mex-Americans faced discrimination Many asked to be repatriated to Mexico In Texas, 60% of all people of Mex descent returned to Mex by Jan 31

In the City By 1933 ¼ of all people were unemployed AA lost their jobs first, followed by other minorities, then full time employees were asked to share their jobs with others People lost their homes, possessions Hoovervilles – temporary shelters Bread lines, soup kitchens Loss of hope

Hooverville, USA

In the Family Men lost status and self-esteem due to inability to support the family Women economized to keep families from starving & often took up home crafts Women faced discrimination in professional jobs but kept the traditional female occupations such as clerical jobs Hoboes – in search of jobs across the country & ashamed to return home many deserted their families

Growing up in the ’30s Psychological and spiritual depression as well as economic People avoided socializing because ashamed of torn clothes Young people put off getting married Married couples put off having children Undernourishment Lack of hope & faith led to deep despair Left invisible scar

Car Craze Continues Cars were status symbols Car shows continued to draw 1000s Tourism increased during the ’30s Auto industry continued to grow

Electricity Transforms the Home The appliance revolution begun in the ’20s continued thru the ’30s. Made possible by gov programs that brought electricity to all regions Household chores became easier

Escape through Entertainment Double feature matinee Talkies Easy escape Ornate theatres Color film Gone With the Wind allowed people to escape 60-90 m people went to moves during average week in the ’30s

Golden Age of Radio Radio was a piece of furniture which served as the visual focus & entertainment center in the home 10 m radios in 1929; 30 m by 1939 Mass media featured soap operas, quiz shows, children’s programming such as Superman, Lone Ranger Evenings featured comedy and variety shows or dramatic presentations

First National Form of Entertainment

Literature & the Arts Literature such as the Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck Art - American Gothic – Grant Wood Documentary photography All these artistic forms sought to portray the Gr Depression as it really was.

American Gothic – Grant Wood

Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

ADD – ML Section 2 Urban & rural impact Dust bowl Hoboes & their symbols (p. 475) No federal system of direct relief Resentment against employed women Children – Hoover tourists, malnutrition, schools closed Approx 25,000 trespassers killed

Add ML Social & Psychological impact Suicides Mental Asylums People couldn’t afford medical care Delayed marriage Stigma of poverty

The End