Depression Social Effects and Survival. Social effects of the depression Most people believed that...
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Transcript of Depression Social Effects and Survival. Social effects of the depression Most people believed that...
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