Sec. 3: Life During the Depression The Depression was a difficult time for Americans because many faced unemployment and the loss of land and other property.

Key terms: Dust Bowl, migrant worker Essential Questions How did the Depression affect minority groups? What radical political movements gained influence?

Hard Times in America Not every worker lost a job during the Depression – not every family needed aid. Most Americans had to make do with less: less income, less food, and less security. Nearly 2 million men abandoned their homes. Desperation drove women into the workforce – many families survived on a woman’s income. Women worked harder at home to make ends meet. New Deal era opened doors for women in public life. Pres. Roosevelt appointed the first woman ever to serve in the cabinet, Frances Perkins. Best known woman in American public life was Eleanor Roosevelt who was often her husband’s “eyes and ears.”

The Dust Bowl The southern Great Plains suffered an environmental disaster during the 1930s after a severe drought struck in 1931. Farmers had cleared millions of acres of sod for wheat farming and did not realize that the roots of the grass had held the soil in place. Strong prairie winds simply blew the soil away. The drought and dust storms continued for years. Dust Bowl farmers went bankrupt and had to give up their farms. About 400,000 farmers migrated to California and became migrant workers

Dust Bowl

The Plight of Minorities The Depression fell especially hard on the minority groups who were already on the lower rungs of the American economic ladder. African Americans – In the south more than half no jobs. 400,000 migrated to Northern cities during the 1930s. Pres. Roosevelt appointed group of advisers known as Black Cabinet.

Native Americans – 1930s brought benefits to Native Americans – John Collier, head of Bureau of Indian Affairs introduced a set of reforms known as Indian New Deal & pushed Congress to pass the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. Hispanic Americans – As depression deepened resentment against Mexican Americans grew – politicians and labor unions demanded that Mexican Americans be forced to leave the U.S.

Radical Political Movements Hard times helped radical political groups gain ground. Socialists and Communists viewed the Depression not as a temporary economic problem but as the death of a failed system. Although both socialism & communism had significant influence, neither became a major political force in the U.S.

Entertainment & the Arts The Depression produced two separate trends in entertainment and the arts – escapism and social criticism. Radio became enormously popular as well as movies. Many writers and painters and photographers portrayed the grim realities of Depression life.