Chapter 26 – The Great Depression Section 4 – Surviving Hard Times

The Dust Bowl Dust Bowl – parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas whose topsoil dried out during the 1930s. High winds carried the soil into dust storms. The dust storms were also called black blizzards because they completely blocked the sunlight. They buried farmhouses, fences, trees. People put shutters over doors and windows but the dust blew in so much that even food crunched when chewed.

The Dust Bowl, continued Causes Years of overgrazing by cattle Overplowing by farmers Grasses that held soil in place destroyed Drought and high winds picked up the earth and carried it away. Migrant Workers – people who move from one region to another in search of work. Hundreds of poor farmers in Oklahoma and Arkansas became migrant workers because their farms blew away. They headed west. Sometimes chased from towns. If they found work, it paid little. Often lived in tents or cardboard boxes without water or electricity.

Working Women Working women had extra problems. In the rare cases that jobs were available, employers generally hired men before women. Even the federal government would not hire a woman if her husband had a job. Some programs, like the CCC, were not open to women at all. Despite that, millions of women earned money to support themselves and their families. Common jobs for women were secretaries, school teachers, social workers, maids, factory workers, seamstresses. In San Antonio, Texas, 80% of pecan shellers were women. An active First Lady – Eleanor Roosevelt changed the role of First Lady. She said she would act as the “eyes and ears” of the President. She toured the US to see what the conditions were. She visited farms, Indian reservations, even a coal mine. She spoke out for women’s rights and other issues Gave press conferences for women reporters only She called on all Americans to live up to the goal of equal justice for all.

African Americans During the Depression, African Americans were often the first ones laid off. At relief centers, they were threatened or beaten when they registered for work. Some charities even refused to serve African Americans. Eleanor Roosevelt and others close to FDR urged him to improve the situation for African Americans. (story about Marian Anderson) FDR invited black leaders to the White House to advise him. These unofficial advisors became known as the Black Cabinet. Robert C. Weaver, a Harvard educated economist Mary McLeod Bethune, a well-known Florida educator. FDR also appointed Bethune to head the National Youth Administration’s Division of Negro Affairs. She was the first African American to head a government agency. Often FDR followed the advice of the Black Cabinet. However, when they wanted him to support an antilynching law, he refused because he did not want to lose southern support in Congress for his New Deal programs. Black leaders called on African Americans to unite for civil rights (rights due to all citizens). Slowly, they made gains. Struggle would take years.

Mexican Americans By the 1930s, Mexican Americans worked in cities around the country. A large number of them were in the West and Southwest working on farms. In good times, employers encouraged Mexicans to move north and take jobs. When the Depression came, many Americans wanted Mexicans repatriated (?). More than 400,000 people were rounded up and sent to Mexico. (Were all Mexicans?)

Asian Americans Asian Americans were often refused service at barber shops, restaurants and other public places. White Americans resented Asian Americans because they looked at them as competition for scarce jobs. Often there was violence. Government tried to reduce the number of Asians in the US. Repatriation Act signed by FDR in 1935 provided free transportation for Filipinos who agreed to return to the Philippines and never come back. Many took advantage of the offer.

Native Americans 1924 – Congress had given citizenship to all Native Americans. However, they continued to live in very bad poverty. FDR wanted new policies to help Native Americans. Congress passed a series of laws in the 1930s that have been called the Indian New Deal. Gave Indians greater control over their areas, protected their rights to live according to their own traditions. Indian Emergency Conservative Work Group hired Native Americans to help with soil-erosion control, irrigation, and land development.

Arts of the Depression John Steinbeck, author of The Grapes of Wrath, told about migrant workers Richard Wright, a black writer, wrote Uncle Tom’s Children, about racial violence against black southerners. Thomas Hart Benton, painted the frontier. Grant Wood painted American Gothic. Government hired photographers to go out and record American life during the Depression. One of the photographers they hired was Dorothea Lange.

Escaping Hard Times Radio Comedians (Burns and Allen) Classical music Daytime radio shows (people out of work) – told stories over weeks and months, often sponsored by soap companies. Became known as ? 1938 – most famous radio broadcast. Halloween night. Actor Orson Welles presented a fake newscast based on the science fiction novel, The War of the Worlds about the landing of Martians on Earth. People who tuned in late thought it was real. Thousands of scared people went running into the streets trying to escape the Martians. Movies Tried to make people feel good Shirley Temple, “On the Good Ship Lollipop” Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – first full-length animated film 1939 – Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz – of a young girl leaving a black and white life in depression-era Kansas and going to a colorful world in Oz. Most expensive and most popular movie of the 1930s – Gone with the Wind – Story about the Civil War – underlying theme: Americans had survived hard times before; they would survive them now.