1. Ch. 26 Sec. 4 The Nation in Hard Times

2. You are the son/daughter of a farmer on the Great Plains during the Depression. How would you feel if you were in the fields and all of a sudden you look behind you and you saw this coming at you…

4. The Dust Bowl Severe drought and poor farming techniques allowed the top soil to become very light and lifted away in high wind storms. The dust would literally bury some towns The result was an area that became known as the Dust Bowl

8. Black Blizzard Clip

9. What would you do if you were living there? Many farmers left the horrible conditions and became migrant workers. Many of them headed out west where they were not welcome by the people there….why do you think? Yeah…I think I’m outty!!!!

10. Women Face the Depression Many women earned wages to help make ends meet during the Depression. Women faced discrimination in the workplace and most times did not earn the same amount as men. Eleanor Roosevelt, FDR’s wife and First Lady, toured the country and spoke out for women’s rights. “Don’t worry everyone, I’ll talk to my husband.”

11. Minorities and the Depression African Americans Often the first to lose their jobs Eleanor Roosevelt urged her husband to help them, which he did As a result, African Americans vote for FDR (a Democrat) in the next election Mexican Americans Faced discrimination in the West and Southwest During hard times, many Americans forced Mexicans to leave the country and return to Mexico (some were even U.S. citizens!!!) Asian Americans Competition for jobs created much resentment for people of Asian decent. Many were encouraged to leave the country U.S. government even paid for some to leave. Native Americans FDR helped Native Americans by promoting friendlier policies. Indian Reorganization Act (IRA), which protected and even expanded landholdings of Native American reservations.

12. The Arts of the Depression Painting American Gothic by Grant Wood Photography Migrant Mother by Dorothea Lange Literature The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Movies The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland