The Roaring 20’s and the Great Depression PART 3 LIFE DURING THE DEPRESSION & THE EFFECTS OF THE NEW DEAL

In the early 1930’s a drought hit the Great Plains. Overgrazing and overplowing of the land had damaged the soil for years before this. Winds picked up the dirt from the dry, exposed fields. During dust storms, noon turned into night. Dust damaged farms across a 150,000 square mile region called the Dust Bowl, which covered parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado and New Mexico.

The Dust Bowl lasted for years until rain and improved farming methods finally brought relief. Many picked up and moved to California.

Living through Hard Times  In 1936, after 4 years of the New Deal, 9 million people still had no jobs.  People had to stand in bread lines, and live under bridges and overpasses.  Children had to grow up fast in the depression, many tried to work, and some ran away to avoid burdening their families.  By late 1932, perhaps a quarter million teens roamed the country.  Family life was hard because fathers and mothers struggled to fill traditional roles.

One woman remembered the Depression this way, “People were living in old, rusted out car bodies….There were people living in shacks made of orange crates. One family with a whole lot of kids were living in a piano box.” Going clockwise from left to right: A soup line, people “squatting” on the trains, and shanty towns or “Hoovervilles”.

Artists Portray the Struggle & Women in the New Deal  Many books described the struggle that people had in the depression.  Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee, and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck described the struggle of farmers.  Writers and photographers were hired by the government to document the struggles of people living through the depression.  The first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt worked to help the poor by visiting people to see how government programs were working.

Eleanor Roosevelt was a first lady who took action and was definitely an equal to her husband. The Grapes of Wrath captured the desperation of the Depression. It was also made into a movie. Frances Perkins was the Secretary of Labor, and the first female cabinet member in U.S. History.

Minorities and the Depression  FDR did have African-American advisors who advised him on racial issues, however FDR did not support civil rights laws.  African-Americans did remain loyal to FDR because he tried so hard to help the poor.  In the West, Mexican-Americans were affected because more people moved there and jobs were difficult to get.  For the only time in United States History, during the depression, people immigrated to other countries instead of immigrating to the United States.  Life improved somewhat for Native Americans because some reservation land was restored to them.

Unions Gain Strength The AFL & the CIO were both Unions that worked to help improve life for workers. Unions used sit down strikes (workers remained idle in the plants) to get what they wanted. The Wagner Act of 1935 gave Unions the ability to negotiate better working conditions.

The people who lived through the Great Depression were changed forever. There was a constant, nagging worry even after the Depression ended that it may come back again one day. The New Deal did not end the Great Depression. It was only when World War II started that the Depression really ended. But the New Deal did change the government.

A Larger Role for Government  President Roosevelt’s actions not only increased the government’s power, it increased the power of the executive branch.  The Depression was a world-wide event and in countries like Germany, Japan & Italy, dictators took advantage of the desperation and took control of those countries.  There were critics of Roosevelt’s actions but, FDR’s concern for the poor and leadership helped the country keep faith in democracy.

New Deal Programs Today Program What the program does National Pension System The Social Security system pays out old-age pensions. Oversight of Labor Practices The NLRB oversees labor unions. It investigates disputes. Agricultural Price Supports This program pays farmers to raise crops for domestic use. Protection for Savings The FDIC insures bank deposits up to $100,000. Regulation of the Stock Market The SEC watches the stock market. It ensures fairness.