Effects of the Depression How did urban and rural people survive during the Great Depression?
Suffering at Home Financial collapse causes people to lose their homes People live in makeshift shelters (Hoover hotels) creating Shantytowns known as “Hoovervilles”
Soup Kitchens & Bread Lines To eat people dug through garbage cans. Charities started setting up soup kitchen & bread lines to feed people
Racial Issues in 1930s Af-Am unemployment is 50%, double what the rest of US is 1933: Due to racial competition over traditionally low paying jobs, greatest number of lynchings occur since Reconstruction In the west, White Americans compete with Hispanics for jobs, demand Hispanics be deported (13K deported to Mexico) Scottsboro Boys Nine black teens accused of rape, despite lack evidence all nine are found guilty – Supreme Court rules Alabama must retry case 7 of the 9 were found guilty again in re-trial
Depression in Rural America & The Dust Bowl “Migrant Mother”, by Dorothea Lange Rural America hit hard by the Depression & natural catastrophe Because native plants were removed and the land was overused, top soil blew away during big wind storms known as “Dust Bowl”
Dust Bowl affects KS, OK, TX, NM & CO Families can’t farm, unable to pay back debt to banks, 400k farms foreclosed upon ( ) Hundreds of thousands of families forced to migrate West along Route 66 (many to California) Migrants collectively known as “Okies” (derogatory) and were discriminated against in jobs, housing, etc 1. What type of “front” drives dust storms? 2. How much top soil is in the dust storm? 3. How much are farmers losing and how many are fleeing?
Effects on the American Family 1.Men: many became so discouraged they abandoned their families, becomes hoboes “riding the rails” 2. Women: had to stretch food/clothes as far as possible, need jobs but couldn’t be hired if a man needed work 3. Young Children: Poor diets/lack of health care = malnutrition & disease, schools are closed=uneducated future population 4. Teenagers: Many also “ride the rails” to travel the country, issue becomes rampant crime by teens & against teens
Social and Psychological Effects - From , suicide rate rose more than 30% - 3X as many people were admitted to state mental hospitals - Achieving financial stability became the main goal in life “Ever since I was 12 years old there was one major goal in my life…and that was to never be poor again.” - anonymous Video Questions: 1.Which major US company also suffered during the Depression? 2.How many savings accounts were wiped out? 3.How many families had no support? =Wil1ePlT1xs&list=PLC8D9DC 28C3EC5223