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The Great Depression Americans Suffer Topic 5.2
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I. From Wall Street to Main Street A. Stock market crash is “localized event” with endless impact 1. crash impacted thousands— GD affects the world
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The Depression Expands B. Expanding dep. Hurts most those who knew little of the world of speculation and buying on margin. 1. economy weakened piece by piece and lasts a decade 2. wage earners “working class” hurt the most and longest
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II. The Depression Reshapes American Society A-Poverty, hunger, homelessness spread across country 1. Hoovervilles- shanty towns built by homeless
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2. The hobo life a. hitch hiking around looking for work b. riding the rails---moving westward
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The Dust Bowl B. Farms in crisis 1. Family farms on the auction block (excess debt) 2. South— tenant farmers and sharecroppers evicted
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Dustbowl is coup d’grace— California becomes the promised land
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Labor Camp…
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Stress on the Family C. Stress of poverty and uncertainty takes a toll 1. health affects w/ no access to healthcare a. stress and diet drive disease Photo by Dorthea Lange
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Stress on the Family cont. 2. families fracture under duress a. extended families pile together for economy Photo by Dorthea Lange
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one job per family was standard women often fired when they got married
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D. Discrimination Increases 1. fierce job competition hurts minorities the most a. last hired—first fired
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b. lowest education and training levels c. whites needed the jobs that only minorities would do
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E. City Life vs. Farm Life 1. country people fared better (except the Dust Bowl) — could feed themselves and grow extra for barter
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2. city folks ate in soup kitchens, out of garbage cans, and begged on the streets
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Americans sticking together Tenant groups protest rent increases
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Penny auctions aided farmers in debt
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Changes in the lives of young people Many young people are asked (or forced ) to leave home Some go to live with other family members Many young people begin to ride the rail.
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Political Reactions to the Depression Despite the depression, few people call for radical political change. Communist Party cast over 100k votes in the 1932 election
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Socialist Party members cast 880k votes in the 1932 election. This was the height of power for both groups.
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Babe Ruth “Hey Babe, why do you get paid more than the President?
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“I had a better year than he did”
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Depression Humor Hoover jokes Hoovervilles, Hoover Blanket, Hoover Flag People all over the country used humor to get through the depression.
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Positive Signs of Change Good Signs Empire State Building Capone is convicted of tax evasion
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Signs of Change Bad Signs Babe Ruth retires Coolidge dies Lindberg baby kidnapped and killed.
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***Prohibition is Repealed in 1933***
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