The Depression and Culture

Objectives Discover how the Great Depression and the New Deal affected women, African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Native Americans. Learn about the causes and effects of the Dust Bowl. Understand how art, radio, and movies informed and entertained people during the Depression.

Terms and People Eleanor Roosevelt – FDR’s wife and First Lady; known for her active role in the administration civil rights – rights guaranteed in the Constitution, especially voting and equal treatment under the law Mary McLeod Bethune – educator and member of Roosevelt’s “Black Cabinet” Marian Anderson – African American singer whose performance at the Lincoln Memorial became a symbol of the civil rights struggle

Terms and People (continued) migrant worker – person who travels from one region to another in search of work John Collier – Commissioner of Indian Affairs who created the Indian New Deal John Steinbeck – author of the Depression-era classic The Grapes of Wrath

How did the Great Depression affect daily life? The Great Depression affected people of many different backgrounds and ways of life. Its hardships shaped American culture for generations to come.

During the Depression, women struggled to support themselves and their families. in the workplace Competed with men for jobs Were more likely than men to lose jobs or have wages cut Found fewer job opportunities Women at home took on more chores to save money: sewing clothes, canning food, and baking bread.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt inspired many women. Helped transform the role of First Lady Traveled widely Made radio speeches and wrote newspaper columns Used her position to champion women’s rights

African Americans were hit especially hard by the Depression African Americans were hit especially hard by the Depression. Over half were unemployed in the South. South North Sharecroppers were forced from their land as cotton prices plummeted. African Americans continued to migrate north, looking for factory jobs. Some moved to the cities, but they often lost jobs to unemployed whites. Often, however, they were the last hired and the first fired.

FDR had a mixed record on civil rights. He failed to support an antilynching bill because he did not want to lose support from southern senators. Black Cabinet Advised the President on African American issues Included Mary McLeod Bethune and William Hastie Still, he appointed more than 100 African Americans to government posts.

A concert by African American singer Marian Anderson proved to be symbolic of the civil rights struggle. The Daughters of the American Revolution had refused to allow Anderson to sing in their hall. Eleanor Roosevelt arranged to have Anderson perform at the Lincoln Memorial in front of a huge crowd.

Mexican Americans also suffered during the Depression. Many were migrant workers in the Southwest. When unemployed white workers flooded the area looking for work, Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans were deported.

Native Americans continued to live in poverty. FDR’s Commissioner of Indian Affairs, John Collier, created the Indian New Deal. The Indian Reorganization Act restricted sales of Native American lands. Under the plan, Native Americans were hired to build schools, hospitals, and irrigation systems. Congress failed to enable self-government of the tribes or to promote education, however.

A new disaster struck the Plains in the 1930s—the Dust Bowl. Winds blew away soil on land cleared by farmers and parched from drought. The result was “black blizzards.” Black blizzards blocked the sun, seeped into houses, and killed people and animals. Crops failed, and farmers were ruined. In some counties, one in three families left to make a living elsewhere.

Many farm families headed west, looking for work. Dust Bowl refugees competed with local workers for low-paying jobs. Eventually, police tried to close roads into California, but migrants kept coming.

People in California called the migrants “Okies” because so many were from Oklahoma. The Grapes of Wrath The book tells the story of a family who moves to California seeking a better life. John Steinbeck captured the desperation of Dust Bowl families in his classic novel The Grapes of Wrath.

American arts and media reflected the hardships of the time. Under New Deal programs, artists and photographers like Dorothea Lange recorded everyday experiences. Other artists painted murals on public buildings.

Movies also portrayed the social problems of the time. Many movies, however, were meant to help people forget their troubles. The radio was a vital part of life, as people listened to FDR’s fireside chats, popular bands, and comedians.