Hard Times and Unemployment
• By the end of 1932—12 million Americans
were unemployed
• Hawley-Smoot Tariffraised tariffs on
foreign goodscut U.S. exports and imports
• People starting cutting out luxuries and food
• No Rent $=moved to Hoovervilles
shantytowns
• Millions went hungrytwo-thirds of all
children in NYC suffered from malnutrition
“Here you will find men living in homemade ‘houses’ constructed of box
wood and lumber, begging description. Many curious folks come out
‘Shantytown’ and a guide eagerly shows one around with explanations
as to who is who and what is what in ‘shantytown.’ Any donation you
may give is part of the community chest and shared by all dwellers.”
--Brady Stewart, photographer, Pittsburgh, 1930
The Penny Auction
• When farmer could not pay their mortgages, the banks foreclosed
on the property and sold the farms at public auctions. Local farmers
would gather at these auctions. Someone in the crowd would bid
around fifteen cents, and bids rarely went above a few dollars before
the bidding stopped. This forced the auctioneer to halt the sale
Riding the Rails
• Pick two individuals from the video to study.
• Listen to their story and record information about
their lives during the Great Depression.
• Record general information about the conditions
faced by teenagers
• Assessment: You will be writing a five paragraph
essay on the life of teenagers during the Great
Depression.
–
–
–
–
Introduction: Experiences of teenagers
1 paragraph per person (2 paragraphs)
Experiences of women from reading
Conclusion
Information to seek
• Why did they leave their home?
• What were their experiences on the road?
• How did they feel about themselves during
the Great Depression?
• What problems did they face during their
travels?
• How did their experience during the Great
Depression affect their childhood?
Characters
Clarence Lee
• Clarence Lee
Peggy De Hart
Charlie Bull
Rene Champion
John Fawcett
• White man with derby
and blue coat
Jim Mitchell
Bob “Guitar Whitey”
Symmonds
Writing Specifics
• A Thesis statement BOLDED within your
introduction paragraph.
– Thesis allows the reader to know what the
rest of the paper will tell them.
• A topic sentence for each body paragraph
with focusinsight to what the paragraph
will be about.
• Conclusion statement which restates your
thesisBOLDED
Women on the Breadlines, 1932
1. What was the family structure during the
Great Depression?
2. How did young women and girls survive
during the Great Depression?
3. How does the plight of unemployed
women differ from that of men?
Women on the Breadlines
•
•
•
The family structure during the G.D. was
brokenparents and kids were out
looking for jobs all the time
Many young girls offered themselves to
older men so they would be taken care of
for their services
Women had a lot harder time getting a
job over a man who probably had a
family at home to provide for
Problems and Effects of G.D.
• As you read, describe the problems and
effects of the Great Depression.
• Discuss the social, economic, and cultural
changes due to the Great Depression.
Effects of G.D.
On Farms
In Cities
• Production
cutbacks in
factories
• Falling wages
• Bread lines
• Hoovervilles
Both
• Unemploy
ment
• Poverty
• Eviction
• Falling
commodity prices
• Accumulating
debt
• Farm
foreclosures
• Drought
• Migration
The Great Depression: A
Struggle to Survive
• Assess the impact of the Great
Depression on the lives of Americans
during the 1930s.