Depression

Social Effects and Survival

Social effects of the depression Most people believed that the depression would

end quickly Hard times hit all levels of society Including professionals who thought their jobs

were more secure than laborers Many people moved in with relatives

Others were left homeless 15,000 in New York City

Many homeless people came together and lived in “hoovervilles”

Some drifted from place to place hitchhiking or “riding the rails”

Hoovervilles

Dust Bowl Farmers could not pay

their mortgagees and lost their farms Dust Bowl was caused

by dust storms sweeping through the plains

60% of Dust Bowl families lost their farms

300,000 left Kansas 440,000 left

Oklahoma

Impact on heath President Hoover

claimed that no one had starved but many could not afford food

Those who could not afford food got sick easier Children were hit the

worst by long term affects

Stress on families When people could

not afford housing they would often move in with relatives in a crowded apartment

Divorce rate dropped Too expensive for

separate households

Stress on Families Men were

embarrassed and ashamed when they could not find jobs

Women who had jobs were looked down upon Took a job from a man Many companies would

not hire married women

Discrimination increases Competition for jobs

led to higher discrimination Whites were now taking

low paying jobs that were usually held by minorities

Some white men believed that African Americans did not deserve jobs if white men did not have jobs

1932-56% of African-Americans were out of work

Discrimination Government relief

programs discriminated against African Americans Churches and

organizations, National Urban League, gave private help

Surviving the depression Not all of the depression was bad; there were

good things to come out of it too Pulling together Many people worked together to help each other

survive the depression protest rent increases Give necessities to people who were struggling

Ex one woman gave her husband’s suit to a man who couldn’t afford one

Ex. One woman took in a family for dinner

Pulling together Farmers held penny auctions

If the farm went on foreclosure farmers would get together and bid low amounts so the farm went back to the original owner

Helped stop foreclosures of farms

Teenagers left home because they had to or to find a better life 250,000 were “riding

the rails” in 1930’s Faced danger every day

Being arrested Train related injuries Threat of being shot by

angry farmers

Political action Seeking political solutions

Most people trusted the democratic process to get them out of the depression

Some went for radical solutions Communist and socialist party had an increase in

numbers There was a high point of cooperation between

many different groups

Humor People used humor to get them through

the depression “Hoover” was often used as the butt of jokes

“Hoovervilles”, “Hoover blanket”, “Hoover flags” Babe Ruth asked for a higher salary than

Hoover because he said he had a better year than him

People joked that you had to wait in line to find a window to jump out of

Signs of Change 21st amendment- repealed prohibition

Control of alcohol returned to the states, some still banned alcohol

Got rid of organized crime End of the Era

1931- Al Capone was convicted of tax evasion Jan 1933- Calvin Coolidge died 1935- Babe Ruth retired Henry Ford became an enemy to laborers

Signs of Change Empire State Building

Symbol of hope 2,500 to 4,000 worked

on it More than 4,000 people

paid a $1 to take a trip to the top