The Great Depression

Many found being broke humiliating. 1929-1939 Stock market crash Didn’t realize the effect it would have No money to replenish what was borrowed Many found being broke humiliating.

The Roaring 20’s The new concept of “credit” People were buying: Automobiles Appliances Clothes Fun times reigned Dancing Flappers Drinking

Why was this bad? Credit system WWI People didn’t really have the money they were spending WWI The U.S. was a major credit loaner to other nations in need Many of these nations could not pay us back

The Stock Market People bought stocks on margins Stocks fall If a stock is $100 you can pay $10 now and the rest later when the stock rose Stocks fall Now the person has less than $100 and no money to pay back

With people panicking about their money investors tried to sell their stocks This leads to a huge decline in stocks Stocks were worthless now People who bought on “margins” now could not pay Investors were average people that were now broke And then….

President Hoover Herbert Hoover was president at the start Philosophy: We’ll make it! What He Did: Nothing The poor were looking for help and no ideas on how to correct or help were coming

What about the people? Farmers were already feeling the effects Prices of crops went down Many farms foreclosed People could not afford luxuries Factories shut down Businesses went out Banks could not pay out money People could not pay their taxes Schools shut down due to lack of funds Many families became homeless and had to live in shanties

Many waited in unemployment lines hoping for a job.

People in cities would wait in line for bread to bring to their family.

Some families were forced to relocate because they had no money.

“Hooverville” Some families were forced to live in shanty towns A grouping of shacks and tents in vacant lots They were referred to as “Hooverville” because of President Hoover’s lack of help during the depression.

Hooverville

Out of the Dust: The South and the Dust Bowl

A drought in the South lead to dust storms that destroyed crops. “The Dust Bowl”

The South Was Buried Crops turned to dust=No food to be sent out Homes buried Fields blown away South in state of emergency Dust Bowl the #1 weather crisis of the 20th century

Two Families During the Depression

A Farm Foreclosure

Some families tried to make money by selling useful crafts like baskets.

*FDR* When he was inaugurated unemployment had increased by 7 million. Poor sections (like Harlem) had 50% of the pop. unemployed Instated the “New Deal” Yea! Frankie!

People everywhere were effected by the depression It wasn’t till President Roosevelt took over and tried to put the economy back together that people even saw a glimmer of hope

Major Historical Happenings... Jim Crow Laws Scottsboro Trials Recovering from the Great Depression Racial Injustice Poor South

Jim Crow Laws After the American Civil War most states in the South passed anti-African American legislation. These became known as Jim Crow laws. These laws included segregation in… Schools -- Hospitals Theaters -- Water fountains Restaurants Hotels Public transportation Some states forbid inter-racial marriages

These laws were instituted in 1896 and were not abolished till the late 1950’s (even then still not completely).

Scottsboro Boys Trial 9 young African-American men (13-20) accused of raping 2 white girls in 1931 Immediately sentenced to death Trials went on for nearly 15 years before all the men were dismissed

Started on a train bound for Memphis Several white men boarded and picked a fight with the black men Whites were forced off train by the 12 black men. The white men reported the the black men had raped two white girls on the train to authorities They were immediately arrested and tried in front of an all-white jury.

The trials caused a huge uproar amongst the black community.

During the Great Depression, unemployment was high During the Great Depression, unemployment was high. Many employers tried to get as much work as possible from their employees for the lowest possible wage. Workers were upset with the speedup of assembly lines, working conditions and the lack of job security. Seeking strength in unity, they formed unions. Unions are united fronts of people working towards better working conditions and equal rights for employees. Unions Erin Ryan 7/11/2008 Students might wonder. "What are all these people doing?" In keeping with the theme of the 1930's and the Great Depression, we learn about jobs and why there are very few available. This also helps explain to students why some people are forced to live in Hoovervilles. We will likely discuss the meaning of the word “union”, using real world examples to ensure students understand.

Riding the Rails The teenagers riding the rails during the Great Depression accounted for 1/16 (250,000) of a jobless army that numbered four million.                 The price of trespassing on the rails was high: The Interstate Commerce Commission recorded 5,962 trespassers killed and injured in the first 10 months of 1932. Erin Ryan 7/11/2008 By explaining the railroad system to the students, they can gather an understanding of the railway transportation system during the 1930's. Not only ca connections can also be made to the danger that Bud places himself when he decides to run away to find his family, students will undoubtedly compare this with current times. They can contrast the differences of today’s transportation to that of the 1930’s.

1930's- The Other Side of Life Even during "Hard Times" and wartime, people need to be entertained. The American people in the 1930’s were no exception. They enjoyed many forms of entertainment, particularly if they could do so inexpensively. Erin Ryan 7/15/2008 In the next few slides, my goal is to make students aware that life went on despite "hard times". People choose inexpensive forms of entertainment like dancing, music, radio, and movies. Students must understand the 1930’s were not all bad. Many famous artists and musicians we “born stars” during this time period. Dance Band & a Saturday night dance in the 1930’s