Great Depression in Rural America vs. Urban America September 7, 2010

Great Depression affected EVERYONE!!!  25% Teens leave home  Jump freight trains  People have job one day  No job the next (constant fear)  Lose homes  Unemployment rate  : avg. 3.7%  1933: 25%  Wages or hours cut  Paychecks 30% lower  Cook smaller meals/ bread lines  Water replaces milk/ no meat  People feel betrayed (soldiers)  25% Teens leave home  Jump freight trains  People have job one day  No job the next (constant fear)  Lose homes  Unemployment rate  : avg. 3.7%  1933: 25%  Wages or hours cut  Paychecks 30% lower  Cook smaller meals/ bread lines  Water replaces milk/ no meat  People feel betrayed (soldiers)

Minorities  Great Depression hit EVERYONE  But NOT equally  African Americans  LAST to be hired; FIRST to be fired  Unemployment rate: 50%  “Born into depression…”  Mexican Americans  Competition for jobs  Discrimination  Repatriation: encourage Mexican Americans to go back to Mexico with children  Great Depression hit EVERYONE  But NOT equally  African Americans  LAST to be hired; FIRST to be fired  Unemployment rate: 50%  “Born into depression…”  Mexican Americans  Competition for jobs  Discrimination  Repatriation: encourage Mexican Americans to go back to Mexico with children

In the cities…  LOSE HOMES  Sold furniture, jewelry, moved to cheaper homes  Evicted  Live on streets  Sleep on park benches, empty railroad cars, cardboard boxes  Hoovervilles  Makshift towns of tents & shacks built on public land/ vacant lots  Largest: NYC (Central Park)  LOSE HOMES  Sold furniture, jewelry, moved to cheaper homes  Evicted  Live on streets  Sleep on park benches, empty railroad cars, cardboard boxes  Hoovervilles  Makshift towns of tents & shacks built on public land/ vacant lots  Largest: NYC (Central Park)

In the country…  Farmers suffered before Depression hit Crop prices DOWN after WWI  Example: Wheat  $2.16 (1919) - 38 cents (1932)  Great Plains (drought for years)  Dust Bowl  8000 feet high/ “Black Blizzard”  Daylight to night/ blinded/ choked people  Destroy crops/ kill animals  Income NOT enough to keep farms  Can’t pay debt; buy seed; repair equipment; etc. RESULT: Farmers lose farms  1 million farms lost ( )  Leave farms/ move to cities  Okies: dust bowl refugees  Farmers suffered before Depression hit Crop prices DOWN after WWI  Example: Wheat  $2.16 (1919) - 38 cents (1932)  Great Plains (drought for years)  Dust Bowl  8000 feet high/ “Black Blizzard”  Daylight to night/ blinded/ choked people  Destroy crops/ kill animals  Income NOT enough to keep farms  Can’t pay debt; buy seed; repair equipment; etc. RESULT: Farmers lose farms  1 million farms lost ( )  Leave farms/ move to cities  Okies: dust bowl refugees

 Unemployment  Homeless  Dust Storms  No crops  Hoover did NOT cause Great Depression  BUT Americans wanted him to solve it  HOOVER  Smart/ business savvy  Worked long hours to solve problem  Still FAILED  Unemployment  Homeless  Dust Storms  No crops  Hoover did NOT cause Great Depression  BUT Americans wanted him to solve it  HOOVER  Smart/ business savvy  Worked long hours to solve problem  Still FAILED HOOVER FAILS TO RESPOND Government Response…

 Start of Great Depression  “Hands Off” policy in gov’t/ stay out of business  Natural to have UPS and DOWNS (strong survive)  Soon realized…doing NOTHING is not a good policy 1.Asked businesses to keep employment, wages, & prices the SAME 2.Asked Congress to reduce taxes, lower interest rates, & create public works programs 3.Suggest wealthy give more $$$ to charities  Good Plan  PROBLEM: too much VOLUNTEERISM  Localism: rely on local gov’t to fix economy  Doesn’t work  Start of Great Depression  “Hands Off” policy in gov’t/ stay out of business  Natural to have UPS and DOWNS (strong survive)  Soon realized…doing NOTHING is not a good policy 1.Asked businesses to keep employment, wages, & prices the SAME 2.Asked Congress to reduce taxes, lower interest rates, & create public works programs 3.Suggest wealthy give more $$$ to charities  Good Plan  PROBLEM: too much VOLUNTEERISM  Localism: rely on local gov’t to fix economy  Doesn’t work

 NEED: Federal Action!!!  Americans blame Hoover  And…Bonus Army issue  Congress promise bonuses to WWI vets  Vets want them NOW/ gov’t can’t do  Army marches to D.C.  Use tear gas & bayonets to force out  Shocks Nation  Hoover did NOT fix Great Depression  But…did ONE good thing  Hoover Dam  Increased employment  Irrigation system  1932 Election  Hoover has no chance of winning  Americans want CHANGE  More gov’t control (some think SOCIALISM)  NEED: Federal Action!!!  Americans blame Hoover  And…Bonus Army issue  Congress promise bonuses to WWI vets  Vets want them NOW/ gov’t can’t do  Army marches to D.C.  Use tear gas & bayonets to force out  Shocks Nation  Hoover did NOT fix Great Depression  But…did ONE good thing  Hoover Dam  Increased employment  Irrigation system  1932 Election  Hoover has no chance of winning  Americans want CHANGE  More gov’t control (some think SOCIALISM)