Life of Americans During the Great Depression
Fig. 4. Children of the Arkansas Rehabilitation Center. FDRLibrary.marist.edu
Fig. 7. African American's line up to fin work during the Great Depression with an ironic side behind them.
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Life during the Great Depression changed drastically for some, becoming difficult and hard to handle. Family life became a more challenging experience, marriages were broken, jobs were scarce, food was scant, and loved ones were lost. America, which had once been a land of freedom and opportunity, had become a land of economic captivity and despair. Families that had been economically sound before the stock market crash were haunted by the pressure that came after it. Many children had to start working, along with their parents, in order for families to survive. Those from ages ten to eighteen would work in fields, factories, canneries, and mines to scrounge up as much income as they could to help provide for their families. Not all children were lucky to find jobs, though. Some teenagers were so unfortunate that they were left without homes or food because they had left their poverty stricken homes in search of a better life. They were found wandering around the country, finding shelter in hobo villages, and hopping trains, begging for food along the way. They would try to avoid being caught by the police or train rail guards on duty. Children's education was also affected by the schools that were continually being shut down across the country. Because the numbers of pupils were increasing and the numbers of teachers decreasing from lack of income, schools had no choice but to shut down. This left many students without a school to attend, which led to an even greater reason to run away from home (Borade). Sadly, although these economic problems were out of the control of the children during this time, a lot of the time, they were the ones who suffered most.
Economic instability and hardship brought many other new problems to arise in the homes of Americans, as well, that would have never happened if not for the Great Depression. On many occasions, the economic problems were the cause of much of the divorcements that happened during that time. Often, a husband would become so frustrated and afraid of the family's situation that he would just walk out from the family's life completely to avoid facing their problems. According to a 1940 survey, "1.5 million married women had been abandoned by their husbands." ("Great"). Many husbands, while struggling to find a job constantly through all of the chaos, would become so frustrated or disheartened that they would just give up entirely, and become emotionally paralyzed by their lack of hope and self-respect ("Great"). So, as one can see, men were greatly affected emotionally, mentally, and physically during these great and dreadful times. Women, many who had lost their husbands, developed a greater sense of independence and self-reliance. Many, who had no other choice because of their circumstances, went outside the society's norm of women being in the home and found jobs at factories or other industries ("Great"). The role of women society became greater which helped to increase equality of men and women throughout the country. This also sometimes frustrated men, though, because they felt that the women were taking more of their opportunities away from them (Bedard). Although some women did stay home to continue to take care of their children and continue their role of homemakers, this did not mean that they were not involved in the cause of staying economically stable alongside their husbands. To protect their families from poverty, they would do their best around the home to live within their means. They would make their own Christmas ornaments around the holidays ("Life"). They would sew their children's clothes, grow things in their gardens that they would sell and trade with friends and neighbors, and strive to keep a positive, optimistic attitude within their homes (Bedard). Women during the Great Depression helped in the homes and in neighborhoods a lot, giving them a more respected position in society. Although there were many who were greatly affected by this phenomenal event in history, there were also many who were not. According to EyeWitnesstoHistory.com, "Up to forty percent of the country never faced real hardship during those years." Some of the people who were most greatly affected by the economical changes and who suffered the most were the African Americans and the Mexican Americans. Since they were different and society saw them as less important individuals in in the country, they had even more trouble than the average American finding a job that would hire them. The Mexican Americans were belittled and many organized labor unions became upset about having to compete for employment with natives. Eventually, 400,000 Mexican Americans were sent back to their country of descent after the organized labor unions forced the authorities to do so. African Americans were also discriminated against and fell into even worse living circumstances than many of the other Americans. They would live in homes without windows, wooden flooring, or sewage disposals and their average income would be less than a dollar a day (Borade). Even African American women had better luck at getting jobs than their husbands. They would be hired to work as domestic servants, textile workers, and other occupations which gave them a greater power in the homes, increasing their voice in domestic affairs. Although the black women were treated a little more fairly than the men, they still all were worse off than their white counterparts ("Great"). Those who had come to America to achieve the American dream had only come to find that their dreams could not be reached in the 1930s during this great and dreadful time. The Great Depression was indeed a time of sorrow and hardship across America, but this event marked a time in history that will never be forgotten. It was a time where people were in great distress which brought many together to create a more unified country. It was a time where people were given a cause to help and lift others, to help each other survive. Although it was hard at times, it brought many people together and when World War II started, things began to look better for America, and the years of the greatest economic crisis our nation has seen were over. Click Below to see the Works Cited for this Essay: Essay Works Cited |
Fig. 5. Men eating bread and soup in a breadline during the Depression years.
Mrbelloblog.com Fig. 6. Great Depression: White migrant mother with children.
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