15.3: Surviving the Great Depression pp. 520-523

15.3: Surviving the Great Depression Key Qs 1. How did Americans overcome the difficulties related to the Depression? 2. What signs of change did Americans begin to notice in the early 1930s? Key Terms Penny Auction 21st Amendment

Americans Pull Together Not all memories of the ‘30s are negative Country pulled together in order to help one another When farmers couldn’t pay mortgages, banks would foreclose & then sell it at an auction In some communities farmers promised to keep bids low; “penny auctions” Penny auctions combined w/ the threat of violence led some states to pass laws that stopped foreclosures on farms

Monopoly Created by Charles B. Darrow, an unemployed man from PA Allowed people to live fantasy of acquiring land, houses, & hotels First sold in 1935 500 million people have played the game since

Young People Ride the Rails In mid-1930s roughly 250K teens lived on the road Many were riding freight trains Lonely & dangerous Some were forced to leave by family

Seeking Political Solutions Most Americans continued to trust democratic process “10 million unemployed continue law-abiding. No riots, no trouble, no multi- millionaires cooked and served with cranberry sauce, alas.”—William Saroyan, 1936 However, both a communist and a socialist candidate ran for president in 1932 Socialist, Norman Thomas, won 881, 951 votes (2.2%)

Depression Humor Will Rogers, most notable humorist of the time “We’re the first nation in the history of the world to go to the poorhouse in an automobile.” “If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can’t it get us out?” “The only difference between death & taxes is that death doesn’t get worse ever time Congress meets.” “When Wall Street took that tail spin, you had to stand in line to get a window to jump out of.” Jokes helped people survive the hard times “Hoovervilles”—started as joke “Hoover blankets”— newspapers “Hoover flags”—empty pockets Babe Ruth was criticized for making $80K, which was more than Hoover His response, “I had a better year than he did.”

Signs of Change 1933—21st Amendment repealed 18th Amendment, Prohibition was over “The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.” Mostly welcomed; Prohibition seen as failed experiment Control of alcohol returned to the states; 8 continued the ban

Signs of Change Construction on Empire State Building began in 1930 Cost $41 million 102 stories, 1’250 feet Employed thousands of construction workers Opened on May 1, 1931

The End of An Era 1931—Capone gets locked up 1932—Lindbergh baby was kidnapped & murdered 1932—FDR, a Democrat, wins presidential election 1933—Coolidge died 1935—Babe Ruth retired

15.3: Surviving the Great Depression Key Qs 1. How did Americans overcome the difficulties related to the Depression? 2. What signs of change did Americans begin to notice in the early 1930s? Key Terms Penny Auction 21st Amendment