The Depression Begins…(late 1929 into 1930)  Factories begin to lay off workers and/or cut wages.  Small businesses begin to close  Unemployment rises to 25% by 1932  By 1933, the GNP is half of what it was in 1929  Farm prices drop, 25% of farmers lost their land by  By 1933, 5000 banks failed and closed.

Everyone is affected in some way  Even those who haven’t lost jobs or money can see others suffering  The depression is worldwide, other countries have the same problems  Remember – in the US in the 1930’s there was NO unemployment insurance, no welfare, no food stamps, no disability ins.  The only “relief” (free food, clothing or small amounts of money) came from churches, private organizations, and a few cities.

For those who still had jobs:  Possible loss of savings  Hours or wages may be cut – less income  Fear of layoffs  Do you help family and friends who are worse off than you?  How can you cut back on expenses (plant a garden, reuse old clothes etc…)

For those who have lost their jobs  #1 priority – pay rent or mortgage – keep a place to live  Feed your family  Wives and children try to find work is Dad is laid off  Constant job hunting and loss of self-worth  Apply for “relief” if available  Sell stuff to buy food or pay rent  Older kids may leave home to ease the burden on their parents

For those without homes  Move in with relatives or friends if possible  Live in your car or sleep outside (park benches etc…)  Build a shack from scraps of lumber or other junk. In large cities, rows of shacks like this were made in abandoned lots or alleys. They were called HOOVERVILLES

Finding food…  For those with no income, feeding their families was not always possible  Soup kitchens and breadlines where food was free were set up by churches and some communities.  Working or begging for food  Look through garbage cans for food  Some cities would give away food – but it wasn’t enough to last for long

Effects of the depression  Some families were split up – kids taken to orphanages and abandoned  Sickness, malnutrition, and even starvation occurred at a higher rate.  Suicide rates rose  Hoover flags – empty pockets  Hoover blankets – old newspapers used like a blanket

Was everyone affected equally?  Not really – if you were already poor, or had no savings or relatives nearby – things could get tough quickly  Farmers were hit hard and African- Americans had higher unemployment rates than whites.  Married women were sometimes fired so the available jobs could be given to men