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Front page of the newspaper Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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Stock Market Crash and Housing - News Article

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Stock Market Crash and Housing - News Article

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"That farm was probably  worth seventy or eighty thousand dollars, and they’d foreclose on a $15,000 mortgage. That wasn’t fair." Rome Hentges, in Hard Times

A lot of people invested in the stock market during the 1920s, even people who could not afford it took out loans. With the stock market crashing and the drought, people became very poor and struggled with money. Many people were not able to keep their houses and were forced to foreclose their property since they could not keep up with the mortgage costs and more.

https://www.thebalancemoney.com/black-thursday-1929-what-happened-and-what-caused-it-3305817

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"But I hope some day things will be a little better, it is hard to send you children to school. with hardly anything to eat, and not the warmer kind of clothes. I have three little children and I can hardly feed them right: Because, don’t have the right kind of thing: I have one sickly child and he need milk I can’t buy the milk for him because my Husband wages are to small." Letter to Harry Hopkins, Federal Relief Administrator, 1935, in Down and Out in the Great Depression: Letters from the Forgotten Man

During the Great Depression, children's lives were very hard. They could not afford clothes and food, as well as a good education. Schools were not funded properly, so over 20,000 had to close. Many children had to work long hours from a very young age on the farm to help their parents. The poem above was made by a child and gives insight into how they viewed the situation they were in. It mentions how at first admitting to being in poverty was embarressing.

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"The forgotten man is still forgotten." J.W.C ., worker, 1935, in Down and Out in the Great Depression: Letters from the Forgotten Man

People during this time lost hope and felt like they were not being taken care of by the government. President Roosevelt promised to help these individuals and give them purpose again and relief. He called people them "forgotten men" since they were poor and not getting the support they needed. He hoped to promote his New Deal which would consist of different programs and projects that aimed to relieve the needy, recover the economy, and have financial reform.

https://publicpolicy.pepperdine.edu/academics/research/faculty-research/new-deal/roosevelt-speeches/fr040732.htm

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"A worker’s got no right to have kids any more."

-unemployed worker, in This Fabulous Century

The Great Depression caused many Americans to become disillusioned about the American Dream. Many people's dreams of having a family were stunted because many people felt that they should not have children and wait until the depression was over to get married. Additionally, many people could not afford divorces, so desertion rates between couples were through the roof. This quote shows how people became more cynical about life and how it was not worth it to bring kids into this society.

https://www.history.com/news/life-for-the-average-family-during-the-great-depression

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The Great Depression (1929-1939) was the worst economic downturn in modern history. The preceding decade, known as the " Roaring Twenties," was a time of relative affluence for many middle- and working-class families. As the economy boomed, new innovations allowed for more leisure time and the creation of a consumer society. But the economic depression that followed those boon years profoundly affected the daily life of American families, in ways large and small.

Even the affluent faced severe belt-tightening.

Four years after the 1929 stock market crash, during the bleakest point of the Great Depression, about a quarter of the U.S. workforce was unemployed. Those that were lucky enough to have steady employment often saw their wages cut or their hours reduced to part-time.

Even upper-middle-class professionals, such as doctors and lawyers, saw their incomes drop by as much as 40 percent. Families who had previously enjoyed economic security suddenly faced financial instability or, in some cases, ruin.

The average American family lived by the Depression-era motto: "Use it up, wear it out, make do or do without." Many tried to keep up appearances and carry on with life as close to normal as possible while they adapted to new economic circumstances.

Households embraced a new level of frugality in daily life. They kept kitchen gardens, patched worn-out clothes and passed on trips to the movies as they privately struggled to retain ownership of a home or automobile.

Potlucks and 'thrift gardens' were the norm.

Women's magazines and radio shows taught Depression-era homemakers how to stretch their food budget with casseroles and one-pot meals. Favorites included chili, macaroni and cheese, soups, and chipped beef on toast.

Potlucks, often organized by churches, became a popular way to share food and a cheap form of social entertainment.

Many families strived for self-sufficiency by keeping small kitchen gardens with vegetables and herbs. Some towns and cities allowed for the conversion of vacant lots into community "thrift gardens" where residents could grow food.

Between 1931 and 1932, Detroit's thrift garden program provided food for about 20,000 people. Experienced gardeners could be seen helping former office workers-still dressed in white button-down shirts and slacks-to cultivate their plots.

Board games and miniature golf courses thrived.

The average American family didn't have much extra income to spend on leisure activities during the 1930s. Before the Depression, going to the movie theater was a major pastime. Fewer Americans could afford this luxury after the stock market crashed-so more than one-third of the cinemas in America closed between 1929 and 1934.

Often, people chose to spend time at home. Neighbors got together to play cards, and board games such as Scrabble and Monopoly-both introduced during the 1930s-became popular.

The radio also provided a free form of entertainment. By the early 1930s, many middle-class families owned a home radio. Comedy programs such as Amos 'n' Andy, soap operas, sporting events and swing music distracted listeners from everyday struggles.

Mini-golf became a Depression-era craze. More than 30,000 miniature golf links sprang up across the country during the 1930s. Prices ranged from 25 to 50 cents per round.

Women entered the workforce in increasing numbers.

Some families maintained a middle-class income by adding an extra wage earner. Despite widespread unemployment during the Depression years, the number of married women in the workforce actually increased.

Some people criticized married women for taking jobs when so many men were out of work, though women often took clerical or service industry positions that weren't seen as socially acceptable for men at the time.

Women found work as secretaries, teachers, telephone operators and nurses. But in many cases, employers paid women workers less than their male counterparts.

Families on government support were less stigmatized.

The New Deal programs of President Franklin D. Roosevelt meant the expansion of government into people's everyday lives after 1933. Many Americans received some level of financial aid or employment as a result of New Deal programs.

Prior to the Great Depression, most Americans had negative views of government welfare programs and refused to go on welfare. In some towns, local newspapers published the names of welfare recipients.

While attitudes toward government assistance began to change during the Great Depression, going on welfare was still viewed as a painful and humiliating experience for many families.

Economic hardship caused family breakdowns.

The stress of financial strain took a psychological toll-especially on men who were suddenly unable to provide for their families. The national suicide rate rose to an all-time high in 1933.

Marriages became strained, though many couples could not afford to separate. Divorce rates dropped during the 1930s though abandonments increased. Some men deserted their families out of embarrassment or frustration: This was sometimes called a "poor man's divorce."

It's estimated that more than two million men and women became traveling hobos. Many of these were teens who felt they had become a burden on their families and left home in search of work.

Riding the rails-illegally hopping on freight trains-became a common, yet dangerous way to travel. Those traveling the country in search of work often camped in " Hoovervilles," shantytowns named after Herbert Hoover, president during the early years of the Great Depression.

Crime was mythologized, but this was largely hype.

Famous outlaw duo Bonnie and Clyde went on a two-year bank robbing spree across America, while in New Jersey, famous aviator Charles Lindbergh 's toddler son was abducted, held for ransom and then murdered.

High-profile events like these, broadcast through radio announcements and in newspaper headlines, contributed to a sense of lawlessness and crime in the Great Depression, stoking fears that hard times had created a crime wave. But this was more hype than reality.

Violent crimes initially spiked during the first few years of the Great Depression, but nationwide, rates of homicides and violent crimes began to fall sharply between 1934 and 1937-a downward trend that continued until the 1960s.

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Life for the Average Family During the Great Depression | HISTORY

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The Great Depression, the worst economic downturn in modern history, profoundly affected the daily life of American families in ways large and small.

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“Identity is not inherent. It is shaped by circumstance and sensitivity and resistance to self-pity.”-Dorothy West

After the war, many African Americans were disillusioned. They had fought for their country and did well, but when they came back they were still discriminated against. The Ku Klux Klan was still active and racist. The Harlem Renaissance occurred when African American art and literature became widespread and influential. This Renaissance helped bring them together after they felt like they did not belong and it was important for them to share their culture. The art was more modern as most other art was during this time. This quote summarizes the Harlem Renaissance because African Americans were able to showcase their identity, even through tough times.

https://www.artandobject.com/news/look-harlem-renaissance

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"During the first quarter of the century the Mexcicano had been needed as a laborer. Many historians believe that the Southwest would have reverted to a desert without the Mexican. He had reduced the cost of labor for agribusiness, working at stoop labor which few Anglo-Americans, even the poorest, would perform. The 1930’s, however brought hungry hordes of Arkansans and Oklahomans to the SouthWest, displacing the Mexicans in the farm and in the city. Many Mexicanos were ford to go on relief." From A Mexican American Chronicle

Many Mexicans were laborers in the United States and contributed significantly. However, when the Great Depression hit, they were seen as a threat to white people since they were taking job opportunities as the video explains. They were treated very unfairly and were raided and deported. Up to hundreds of thousands of Mexicans were deported. This quote shows the change in mindset that Americans had on Mexican immigrants.

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The Great Depression and Mexican Repatriation during the 1930s

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Migrant Mother pictured by Dorothea Lange

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"I only wants a common living to exist without starving and freezing to death."  Anonymous letter to F.D.R, 1935, in Down and Out in the Great Depression: Letters from the Forgotten Man

This photo taken by Dorothea Lange is very well known from the Great Depression era as it encapsulates the hardships people were going through just to survive. This quote represents what practically every person felt during the Great Depression and how they wanted relief. They did not want to struggle to survive anymore. This iconic photo is taken of Florence Thompson, a migrant and mother, and became a symbol of resilience and hope for people.

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"The migrant people, scuttling for work, scrabbing to live, looked always for pleasure, dug for pleasure, manufactured pleasure, and they were hungry for amusement. Sometimes amusement lay in speech, and they climbed up their lives and jokes." From The Grapes of Wrath

After World War 1, there was a generation of people called "The Lost Generation". This is because there was a shift in how people felt after the war. Many people felt a lot of the deaths were unnecessary and became very unpatriotic. Instead of things such as morals and values, people turned to materialistic things where they partied and drank. This period is known as the Roaring Twenties and Jazz Age. This GIF shows how extravagant these parties were and the quote shows how everyone was looking for a way to escape their reality.

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"The rag town lay close to water; and the house were tents, and weed-thatched enclosures, paper house, a great junk pile. Te man drove his family in and became a citizen of Hooverville-always they were called Hooverville…. And when the rains came the house melted and washed away. He settled in Hooverville and he scoured the countryside for work, and the little money he had went for gasoline to look for work." From The Grapes of Wrath

Shanny towns were called Hoovervilles by people during the Great Depression and were located all across the country. They were named after President Herbert Hoover as many people blamed him for being a problem and wanting to keep his "perfect budget". He did not supply any relief to people. These houses were very poorly made and the people living in them could barely even afford food.

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Hoovervilles, Breadlines, and Soup Kitchens | The Great Depression

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"No work, no hope: just live from one day to the next. Maybe better times are coming. Personally, I doubt it." Small - town housewife, 1933, in Down and Out in the Great Depression: Letters from the Forgotten Man

It was harder for women to find work during this time as the article says because they were perceived to be more domestic and had to stay at home. Women lost jobs at a higher rate than men did during the beginning of the crash and were discriminated against when trying to get employed. This quote shows the disillusionment of women and how they felt when having to get a job for their family with the biases they faced.

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"Women Who Have No Men to Work for Them": Gender and Homelessness in the Great Depression, 1930-1934 on JSTOR

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Elaine S. Abelson, "Women Who Have No Men to Work for Them": Gender and Homelessness in the Great Depression, 1930-1934, Feminist Studies, Vol. 29, No. 1 (Spring, 2003), pp. 104-127