Realities of the Great Depression

Objectives

• Name three main social problems during the Great Depression

• Why was it hard for women to find work during the Great Depression?

• What some ways people tried to “escape” their problems?

Bright Future

• 1929 U.S. families saw nothing but prosperity ahead of themo President Hoover said, “We have not yet reached

the goal, but given a chance to go forward with the policies of the last eight years, and we shall soon with the help of God be within the sight of when poverty will be banished from the nation.”

Major Social Problems

• Unemployment and poverty

• Breakdown of Families

• Soaring high school dropout rates

Unemployment and Poverty

• As unemployment went up many lost homes– Use up savings– Drop insurance

polices– Pawn jewelry and

clothes– Sell furniture

• As the Depression continued– Fathers lost jobs– Spent their days

looking for jobs– Few actually brought

home a paycheck

• Child birth rate goes down

UnemploymentRates

3.2

15.9

24.9

21.1

17.2

9.9

0

5

10

15

20

25

1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940

The Railroads and other services took a big hit in the wallet along with everyone

else!

Breakdown of Families

• Challenging for the Fathers • Some fathers suffered anxiety and a feeling of

worthlessness • More than half of the nation’s children were in

families that did not have enough money to provide:– Adequate food– Shelter – Clothing– or Medical Care

• Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins- one out of every five school children were suffering from malnutrition

• Government relief agencies would help the poorest hold off starvation– Many still went hungry

The American Home

• In a 1934 survey– 42% of city homes and apartments– 92% of farm dwellings had no central heating

• Entire Nation– 27% of homes lacked refrigeration equipment – 31% had no running water – 32% had an outdoor toilet – 39% did not have a bathtub or shower

Women

• Women’s movement lost momentum

• 1930, 1 out of 5 women were working outside the home

• States passed laws prohibiting the hiring of a married women

• New Deal relief agencies were reluctant to give aid to unemployed women

African Americans

• New Deal did more to reproduce patterns of discrimination than equality

• First to be laid off

• Hard to find housing in segregated cities

• Often entire family slept in one room

• 40-50% of their income went to pay rent

Mexican Americans

• 500,000 returned to Mexico by 1935– Same number that came to the U.S. in the 1920s

• “Invisible Minority”

• Urban Mexicans benefited from the New Deal

• Those that lived in rural areas were offered little help by the New Deal

School Dropout

• Children expected to get an education– Needed to help the family financially

• 1930 three million students between 7-17 left school

• Schools shortened the school year

• Teachers fired

• Black schools were the first to close

Court Packing

• Feb. 5, 1937• Add one new Justice for every Justice that is:

– Over 70– Has more than 10 years experience

• Allow FDR to appoint SIX new Justices• Reason?

– Current justices were too old and feeble to handle the large volume of cases coming before them

• The Real Reason– Prevent the conservative

justices on the court from dismantling the New Deal

• Owen J. Roberts a former opponent decided to support the New Deal

• New Deal programs then passed 5 to 4

“We’re the first nation in the history of the world to go to the poorhouse in

an automobile.” – Will Rogers

Escapism

• Americans were looking for a way to escape

– If they couldn’t find work, at least they could:

• go for a drive

• have a cigarette

• or go to a movie

– Sales of oil, gas, cigarettes, and movie tickets all went up

Golden Age of Hollywood

Legacy

• Great Depression connects the 19th and 20th centuries

• Depending on the Government for help– Welfare programs– Social Security

• Relative Poverty