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The Great Depression and New Deal

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Table of Contents

• City Life During the Depression

• The Dust Bowl and Rural Migration

• The New Deal and the Arts

• The Social Security Act

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City Life During the Depression• Many city dwellers lost their jobs and homes• Charities and churches were overwhelmed• Government relief efforts were inadequate early on• “Hoovervilles”• Breadlines and soup kitchens

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City Life During the Depression

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What is this a picture of?

How can you tell?

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What things were advertised as being available in this building?

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• Describe the appearance and the clothing of the men in this picture.

• What do the men have in common?

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• Approximately how many men can be seen in the photograph?

• How would you describe the expressions and postures of the men in the picture?

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Note that there are at least two African Americans standing in line.

Speculate as to the significance of their presence.

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Why do you think there aren’t any women in this picture?

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While it is not apparent from the photo, this soup kitchen was established by Al Capone, the infamous 1920s bootlegger and gangster.

Why might Capone have provided this sort of service?

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Knowing that this the soup kitchen was operated by Al Capone, speculate as to the significance of the man with the overcoat, suit, tie, and hat.

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What does this picture—unemployed men taking advantage of free food from an Al Capone-run soup kitchen—tell us about relief efforts during the early years of the Depression?