Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Next Previous Chapter 10 US History: Civil War to the Present Americans Face Hard Times The Big Idea All over the country, Americans struggled to survive the Great Depression. Main Ideas Parts of the Great Plains came to be known as the Dust Bowl as severe drought destroyed farms there. Families all over the United States faced hard times. Depression-era culture helped lift people’s spirits. The New Deal had lasting effects on American society.
Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Next Previous Chapter 10 US History: Civil War to the Present Main Idea 1: Parts of the Great Plains came to be known as the Dust Bowl as severe drought destroyed farms there. Hard times for farmers began in the 1920s because prices for farm products remained low. Severe drought hit the Great Plains in the early 1930s. Lasted most of the decade Crops withered away Massive dust storms swept the region, turning the region into a Dust Bowl.
Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Next Previous Chapter 10 US History: Civil War to the Present Effects of the Dust Bowl Farmers could not raise crops. — Could not pay mortgages — Many lost their farms. Government tried to assist. — New Deal programs offered price stabilization and loans to farmers. — Scientific advances in soil conservation and farming methods — Too little, too late People began leaving the region — 2.5 million left the area
Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Next Previous Chapter 10 US History: Civil War to the Present Main Idea 2: Families all over the United States faced hard times. American families faced hard times. — Many forced to split up. — Some roamed the country trying to find work. — Children often had to drop out of school and take low-paying jobs or leave home and fend for themselves.
Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Next Previous Chapter 10 US History: Civil War to the Present Mexican-Americans As white families moved west, it became harder for Mexican Americans to find work. In California, local leaders and unions convinced government to deport many Mexican- born workers and their children, many of whom were U.S. citizens. Minority Groups and the Depression African Americans Faced discrimination — Many lost jobs to unemployed white workers. Many able to find work through relief programs. African American leaders acted as advisors to Roosevelt. — Mary McLeod Bethune was an educator appointed to Roosevelt’s cabinet. — African Americans appointed to Roosevelt’s cabinet were known as the Black Cabinet.
Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Next Previous Chapter 10 US History: Civil War to the Present Some musicians, like folk singer Woody Guthrie, expressed themes of loss and struggle, reflecting the American Depression experience.Woody Guthrie Swing music helped people forget their troubles and lifted spirits. Writers like John Steinbeck explored the theme of Depression life in his writings.John Steinbeck Literature Music Radio Movies offered Americans another way to escape from reality. Radios provided inexpensive entertainment with music and popular radio shows. Film Main Idea 3: Depression-era culture helped lift people’s spirits. Works Progress Administration– put artists to work and helped to create a record of life during the Depression WPA
Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Next Previous Chapter 10 US History: Civil War to the Present Main Idea 4: The New Deal had lasting effects on American society. The New Deal has had long-reaching effects: Gave Americans help and hope in a time of severe crisis Expanded the role of federal government Some agencies and programs still exist today and remain an important part of American society. — Social Security still provides economic relief to the elderly, children, and those with disabilities. — Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation protects the savings of bank customers.