1. Life in the Great Depression 1929-1932

2. Unemployment  Thousands of businesses shut down (esp. luxury items/services)  Millions of workers were unemployed  Without work…there’s no income  Families struggled to pay bills and buy food  Spending decreased  “Downward Spiral”

3. Hoovervilles  Families struggled to pay mortgage  Banks foreclosed on family's homes  Foreclose = when banks take away property  Some built shacks just outside of town  Made of cardboard boxes, metal sheets, or leftover wood  Small, no water, dirty, “rundown”  Called Hoovervilles: Named after Pres. Hoover – blamed him

4. Surviving in the City  Employment agencies were overloaded with unemployed  Some sold fruit for money  Others washed windows  Some cities set up relief aid  Relief = survival needs provided for free (food, clothing, shelter, etc.)  Bread lines, soup kitchens offered free food to those in need  In time, became too full  Some begged for money  Some turned to crime  Jail gave 3 square meals and a roof over your head  Others simply wanted a job

5. Surviving in the Country  Because of oversupply (after WWI), many farms are foreclosed on by the bank, and many farmers are left unemployed.  Some small farms are able to get by living off of what they grow, but many were forced to look for another option.  The Dust Bowl added to the troubles of many farmers

6. What is the Dust Bowl?  Throughout the Great Plains, a period of severe dust storms caused major agricultural damage (farm land) from 1930 to 1936.  The storms happened because of:  Drought (period of little/no rain)  Extensive farming  Didn’t rotate crops and plowed prairie grasses out of top soil - caused erosion of the soil  Texas and Oklahoma were hit the hardest

7. Heading West  People needed to find work  Many people headed west  California = jobs (mostly unaffected during the Depression)  Packed the car and left or…  Others rode the train  Some illegally = hobo  Train-hopping from town to town  Looking for work/food  “Riding the rails”

8. President Hoover Responds  Hoover’s goal was to boost the confidence of the American people and remain optimistic  “Prosperity is just around the corner”  What did he do?  Lowered Taxes  Started gov’t programs to create jobs (built Hoover Dam)  Gave some loans to farmers  Believed in private organization/charities  Red Cross: Soup Kitchens, Breadlines,  Salvation Army: Charity drives  Hoover’s actions didn’t change much  Unemployment 25%-50%  23,000 Bankrupt Businesses in 1929  2 Million Homeless in 1932  People lost hope in Hoover  Looked for someone else to lead