Suffering, Determination and Humor Crash and Depression Learning Unit www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F4yT0KAMyo Mrs. Deming Crash and Depression Learning Unit www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F4yT0KAMyo Mrs. Deming

Great Depression Wage cuts and unemployment affected all levels of society, making many people homeless. The Depression affected people’s mental and physical health. Conditions for farmers and African Americans worsened during the Depression.

Life Examples Savings account gone due to bank closing Parent’s lose job—can’t pay rent, evicted Eating nothing but soup for weeks

“Hoovervilles” Shanty towns made out of cardboard and scrap material Built for the homeless—see pg. 487 Mocked President Hoover

Farming Community Lost farms to the banks Landowners expelled sharecroppers Dust Bowl = drought and dust storms that hit the Great Plains

Psychological Problems Anxiety over losing job or unemployment Depression, suicide rates increased Easily became sick due to poor nutrition—children really affected Begging for food Overcrowded living conditions Working women accused of taking jobs away from men--fired

Discrimination African American unemployment soared to 56% Relief programs refused to help African Americans Black churches & organizations gave private help

How did people respond? The Great Depression left a lasting impression on those who lived through it. People had good memories of working together and helping each other. The Depression ended the era of the 1920s.

Reaction People pulled together to help each other. Tenant groups formed to protest rent increases and evictions. Religious, political and charitable groups set up soup kitchens and breadlines to feed the hungry. “Penny Auctions”—Bid pennies on land and machinery--returned them to their original owners.

Teenagers? Left homes out of necessity or a desire to seek a better life Roughly 250,000 teens riding on freight trains looking for work or thrills “I wanted to stay home and fight poverty with my family. But my father told me I had to leave….But I didn’t have it in my mind to leave until he told me, “Go fend for yourself. I cannot afford to have you around any longer.” Clarence Lee

Depression Humor Jokes and cartoons kept people laughing through their troubles “Hoover Blankets”—people huddled under newspapers “Hoover Flags”—pockets turned inside out

Prohibition Repealed (overturned) 21st Amendment = eliminated the ban on alcoholic beverages Stimulated the economy---grain growing, breweries, pretzel industry End to a failed social experiment & gangsters profiting on bootlegging

Hope? The Empire State Building was a symbol of hope 2500-4000 people worked on the world’s tallest building

Monopoly Charles B. Darrow—unemployed, created a compelling board game Fantasy of acquiring land, houses and hotels they could rent or sell Parker Brothers rejected at first due to design failures Estimated over 500 million have played Monopoly