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Historical Context Notes

Group 2

Shannon Williams, Stefanny Escareno, and Nate Muersch

-The book was created to express the struggles of migrant farm workers.

-By WW1 wages went up because the workers established an 800 mile trail along the great states.

-Usually single American men traveled far out

-Since they made only $400 a year, they couldn't pay their debt or dues.

-By mid 1930s the hourly wage went down to 27 cents.

-The farms were more like factories, it was more of an industry, the owners hi

-Red local managers to overlook what was occurring.

-The United States developed an agricultural environment and specialized in farm production

-Because of the economy failing it was a bright spot in the USA

-Since people were not getting a big salary they decided to obtain money on their own, by selling their goods and maintaining a farm.

Summary: overall this article told us the struggles people, especially farmers went through in war times. What we realize is as History goes on prices go up and salary goes down. This happens when we have social needs and aren't able to provide them, leading some people to go in debt. We also realized that the value of money was looked at way differently then than it is now.

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The Migrant Experience

In 1929 when the stock market crashed, farmers slowly started to lose their farms because of the bankers coming for their notes

The farmer who still owned their land didn't do too well

The farmers that didn't lose their crops travelled to migrant worker camps, owned by the Farm Security Administration

In 1931 there was a 7 year drought and in 1932 there were many dust storms

With the drought, the rich soil that the farmers use to have lost its nutrients which caused crops to fail in growth

Farmer families decided to packed up their belongs and try for California

Hoping to find work there

Why California? The refugees believed that the mild climate gave them a better chance of a longer growing season than where they were settled before

Many listened to songs about how California was like the “ultimate”state.

When the migrants weren't looking for jobs and working, they would sing and recreational activities to keep themselves busy

Also furnished them with safe places to live

As World War ll continued on, the economy and stock market started to get better and better

Many migrants went to fight for their country

The increase in migrants eventually led to the Zoot Suit Riot in 1942

Visiting sailors got into a fight with some young migrants and afterwards went on to take over sections of the city, beating down any Mexican Americans they saw.

When world war 2 began, the U.S government began employing Mexican workers to work for very little money under rough conditions.

When the war ended, the U.S one again began a mass deportation.

This all led up to today where we are looking at the third surge of Mexican migrants is taking place.

There are more than 20 million people of Mexican origin living in the U.S at the moment

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Great Depression

America went into a state being poor and broke

It was a struggle to get food and money

People were desperate for jobs

People traveled to California to get jobs and money

People tried to get money and food to survive the winter

Nine thousand banks crashed during the month of the stock market in 1929

Early 1932 10 million people were out of work

The Great Depression lasted for 10 years

Global trade was affected from the failing economy

Herbert Hoover was president during The Great Depression

When president Roosevelt became president his goal was to fix the economy.

The Great Depression ended when world war ll came to an end

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Setting Stage Notes:

-John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California 1902.

-Steinbeck considered himself as a “bindlestiff” aka poor person.

-Two farmers: George and Lennie.

-Takes place in Salinas, California.

-Lennie killed a ranch foreman with a pitchfork.

-Great Depression time period.

-George dreams of having his own farm.

-Lennie dreams of tending the rabbits.

John Steinbeck Notes:

-Stories focus on male friendships and masculinity.

-Wants readers to understand dreams and the loss of dreams.

-John Steinbeck was a deeply spiritual man.

-Wrote about what he usually witnesses.

-Works reflect a persistent compassion for the possibilities.

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So we had to make inferences biased on photos taken in the Great Depression. Our first photo was of a woman and she looked distressed and worried. She had a child in her hands. She looked as if her life was incontrovertibly spiraling downward. The next photo was of the the same woman and she has the one child and am older one. She stilled looked poor and in need of food and money to get her family by. The next photo was of the same three people but the woman looked stressed and like she was trying to protect her children. The fourth photo the woman looked hopeless. She looks as if she doesn't have food, money, and much shelter. The last photo was of the whole family. They looked very poor. They lived in a tent and looked as if they lost their jobs, house and much more.