9/19 Based on our class activities, describe how the following groups of Americans were impacted by the Depression: –Men –Women –Children –Immigrants –Farmers

The Hardships of the Great Depression

What are the facts? Upon the crash of the stock market, depositors began to “rush” the banks to withdraw their money However, banks did not have the money to cover customers withdrawals due to bad investments & loans Overall, over 5,000 banks closed during the depression, & $3.2 billion were lost

What are the facts? In addition to losing money, Americans also lost their jobs Unemployment reached 25% by 1933 Minorities were usually the first to lose their jobs Some states even created laws forbidding the hiring of married women for certain male oriented jobs.

What are the facts? Due to the troublesome times, many people began to turn to soup kitchens and bread lines for meals and warmth Before 1933 (pre-FDR), relief programs were only provided by local gov’ts and charities. The federal gov’t did not provide any relief

What are the facts? Most Americans had a negative attitude toward public assistance anyway Some states even took away rights of those collecting relief (voting, owning property, etc.)

What are the facts? American families were also torn apart –Men had difficulty coping; 2 million left families behind; suicide rate increased by 30 % –Women, if employed, were blamed for male unemployment; some even starved to death to feed their children –Children were suffering from malnutrition, which led to illness & disease; school closed & many children worked menial jobs

What are the facts? Due to bank closures & unemployment, people began to lose their homes Many families lived in crowded, unheated tenements apartments Others resorted to living in shantytowns, also known as “Hooverville's” (WHY?) These “towns” were overcrowded & had sanitation problems.

Dust Bowl Farmers who had suffered economic hardship even before the stock market crash were hit the hardest during the Depression During the 1920s, many farmers were deeply in debt due to large bank loans and low agricultural pricing During the Depression drought, grasshoppers, bank failures, and dust storms further tormented farmers Another problem that caused the Dust Bowl is lack of crop rotation

Dust Bowl Another problem for farmers was when the government passed the Hawley Smoot Tariff in 1930 –This was the highest protective tariff in U.S. history –Purpose was to help the growth of American industry and growth –How would Europeans or other foreign nations respond to a U.S. tariff on our goods at a time when majority of nations are suffering? The tariff actually hurt the U.S. economy rather than helped –Increased U.S. unemployment –Decreased world trade by 40%