Ch. 22.2 Hardship and Suffering During the Depression

Section Objectives:

1. Describe how people struggled to survive during the Depression.

2. Explain how the Depression affected men, women, and children.

One American’s Story

-Who was Ann Marie Low?

·  A girl living on a farm in North Dakota with her family, she was affected by the dust bowl.

-What hardship did she have to battle?

·  The dust bowl.

1. The Depression Devastates People’s Lives

-What did the depression bring to millions of Americans?

·  Hardship, homelessness, and hunger.

A. The Depression in the Cities

-What were shantytowns?

·  Little towns consisting of shacks. People lived in rusted out cars, crates, and piano boxes.

-What were soup kitchens?

·  Places that offered free or low cost food.

-What were bread lines?

·  Lines of people waiting to receive food provided by charitable organizations or public agencies.

-Why did people in cities live in shacks and wait in bread lines?

·  They lost their jobs and were evicted from their homes. Without money people had to find a new way to survive.

-How did competition for jobs impact race relations during the Great Depression?

·  African Americans were lynched, and whites demanded Latinos in the Southwest be deported out of the country.

B. The Depression in Rural Areas

-Why were so many farmers losing their land?

·  Falling prices and rising debt prevented farmers from being able to pay off loans.

·  This resulted in mortgage holders taking their lands.

C. The Dust Bowl

-Why did many farm families leave their land during the Great Depression?

·  Dust storms and evictions led farmers to leave the Great Plains region.

-What was the dust bowl?

·  Dust storms throughout the Great Plains region that wreaked havoc in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado.

2. Effects on the American Family

-How did the depression affect families?

·  The Great Depression brought families closer together; they listened to the radio, or played board games.

·  The Great Depression also put a lot of pressure on family life.

A. Men in the Streets

-How did the Depression affect men and their families?

·  Many men deserted their families after being unable to find work for years.

·  Some became hoboes or wonderers of the country looking for work.

-What was direct relief?

·  Cash payments or food provided by the government to the poor.

B. Women Struggle to Survive

-How did the Depression affect women?

·  Women managed household budgets, sewed, and canned food.

·  Women also tried to work outside the home, but this was met with opposition from out of work men.

·  Women were also starving because they were to ashamed to reveal their difficulties.

C. Children Suffer Hardships

-How did the Depression affect children?

·  Children had poor diets, lack of health care, and serious health problems

·  Schools began to shut down as tax revenues declined, leaving 300,000 children without an education.

·  Many teenage children began to hop from freight car to freight car in search of work, adventure, and an escape from poverty.

·  Many were also beaten by armed freight yard patrolmen.

D. Social and Psychological Effects

-How did the Depression change the social aspect of life for people?

·  People did not go out as much; saving money became a primary focus.

·  Strangers helped each other by sharing food, clothing, and a place to stay.

·  Families helped each other bringing communities closer together.

-What psychological impact did the Depression have on people?

·  Some people lost the will to live and committed suicide.

·  Many were also committed to mental hospitals.