1. Depression Social Effects and Survival

2. Social effects of the depression  Most people believed that the depression would end quickly  Hard times hit all levels of society  Including professionals who thought their jobs were more secure than laborers  Many people moved in with relatives Others were left homeless  15,000 in New York City Many homeless people came together and lived in “hoovervilles” Some drifted from place to place hitchhiking or “riding the rails”

3. Hoovervilles

4. Dust Bowl  Farmers could not pay their mortgagees and lost their farms Dust Bowl was caused by dust storms sweeping through the plains  60% of Dust Bowl families lost their farms  300,000 left Kansas  440,000 left Oklahoma

5. Impact on heath  President Hoover claimed that no one had starved but many could not afford food  Those who could not afford food got sick easier Children were hit the worst by long term affects

6. Stress on families  When people could not afford housing they would often move in with relatives in a crowded apartment  Divorce rate dropped Too expensive for separate households

7. Stress on Families  Men were embarrassed and ashamed when they could not find jobs  Women who had jobs were looked down upon Took a job from a man Many companies would not hire married women

8. Discrimination increases  Competition for jobs led to higher discrimination Whites were now taking low paying jobs that were usually held by minorities  Some white men believed that African Americans did not deserve jobs if white men did not have jobs  1932-56% of African- Americans were out of work

9. Discrimination  Government relief programs discriminated against African Americans Churches and organizations, National Urban League, gave private help

10. Surviving the depression  Not all of the depression was bad; there were good things to come out of it too  Pulling together  Many people worked together to help each other survive the depression  protest rent increases  Give necessities to people who were struggling Ex one woman gave her husband’s suit to a man who couldn’t afford one Ex. One woman took in a family for dinner

11. Pulling together  Farmers held penny auctions If the farm went on foreclosure farmers would get together and bid low amounts so the farm went back to the original owner  Helped stop foreclosures of farms

12.  Teenagers left home because they had to or to find a better life 250,000 were “riding the rails” in 1930’s Faced danger every day  Being arrested  Train related injuries  Threat of being shot by angry farmers

13. Political action  Seeking political solutions Most people trusted the democratic process to get them out of the depression Some went for radical solutions  Communist and socialist party had an increase in numbers There was a high point of cooperation between many different groups

14. Humor  People used humor to get them through the depression “Hoover” was often used as the butt of jokes  “Hoovervilles”, “Hoover blanket”, “Hoover flags” Babe Ruth asked for a higher salary than Hoover because he said he had a better year than him People joked that you had to wait in line to find a window to jump out of

15. Signs of Change  21st amendment- repealed prohibition Control of alcohol returned to the states, some still banned alcohol Got rid of organized crime  End of the Era 1931- Al Capone was convicted of tax evasion Jan 1933- Calvin Coolidge died 1935- Babe Ruth retired Henry Ford became an enemy to laborers

16. Signs of Change  Empire State Building Symbol of hope 2,500 to 4,000 worked on it More than 4,000 people paid a $1 to take a trip to the top