Lecture 59: Life During the Great Depression

Summary

The Great Depression severely impacted millions of Americans, with a national unemployment rate reaching 25%. The economic hardship was compounded by the ecological disaster of the Dust Bowl in the Midwest, forcing farmers to leave their lands in search of work. Amid this crisis, Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1932 election promised a New Deal to restore national confidence and tackle the nation's dire economic struggles. His inspiring inauguration speech emphasized overcoming fear and moving forward, symbolizing hope for a struggling nation. The plight of families, especially Dust Bowl refugees, was captured poignantly in literature like John Steinbeck's 'The Grapes of Wrath.'

Takeaways

• 😀 Life during the Great Depression was marked by constant hardship for millions of Americans, with a peak national unemployment rate of 25%.
• 😀 Many Americans depended on soup kitchens for free meals as they struggled to survive.
• 😀 The Great Depression affected not only the economy but also the national psyche, with many blaming themselves for their situation.
• 😀 The national suicide rate spiked to almost 19% in 1929 and remained higher than normal throughout the decade.
• 😀 The Midwest experienced a severe drought in the 1930s, exacerbating the hardships faced by farmers.
• 😀 Decades of poor farming practices, including plowing up native grasses, led to the Dust Bowl, where strong winds carried away the exposed soil.
• 😀 The Dust Bowl forced hundreds of thousands of farmers to abandon their land, leading to a mass migration of displaced people, often referred to as Okies and Arkies.
• 😀 Many Dust Bowl refugees traveled west to California in search of work as migrant farmhands, but faced hostility along the way.
• 😀 In 1936, California attempted to block the influx of refugees with the “Bum Blockade” due to the overwhelming number of displaced people.
• 😀 Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal, presented during the 1932 election, offered a new approach and helped restore public confidence in the government.
• 😀 FDR's inauguration speech emphasized the importance of overcoming fear, stating that the only thing to fear was 'fear itself,' which paralyzes progress.

Q & A

What was the unemployment rate during the Great Depression?

At its highest, the national unemployment rate reached 25%.

How did many Americans cope with the hardships of the Great Depression?

Many Americans relied on soup kitchens for free meals.

What psychological impact did the Great Depression have on many Americans?

Many Americans blamed themselves for their predicament, and the national suicide rate jumped to almost 19% in 1929, remaining higher than normal throughout the decade.

What ecological disaster worsened the situation during the 1930s?

The Midwest was devastated by a severe drought, which caused the worst ecological disaster of the century and led to the creation of the Dust Bowl.

Why was the soil in the Midwest vulnerable to erosion during the 1930s?

The soil was exposed due to poor farming and grazing methods, and decades of plowing up the native tall grass that had held the soil in place.

What was the Dust Bowl, and how did it affect the Midwest?

The Dust Bowl was a region in the Midwest that became notorious for massive dust storms, caused by the drought and exposed soil. It devastated farming and forced hundreds of thousands of farmers to leave their land.

Who were the Dust Bowl refugees, and where did they try to go?

The Dust Bowl refugees, often called Okies and Arkies, were people forced to leave their land in states like Oklahoma and Arkansas. Many of them tried to get to California to find work as migrant farmhands.

What role did John Steinbeck's novel 'The Grapes of Wrath' play in documenting the Great Depression?

John Steinbeck's novel 'The Grapes of Wrath' documented the journey of the Joad family, showing the struggles of Dust Bowl refugees as they were forced to leave their Oklahoma farm.

What was the 'Bum Blockade' in California during the 1930s?

The 'Bum Blockade' was California's attempt to close its borders in 1936 due to the overwhelming number of refugees arriving in the state during the Great Depression.

What was Franklin Delano Roosevelt's promise during the 1932 election?

Franklin Delano Roosevelt promised a 'New Deal' for the American people, offering a much different and vigorous approach to addressing the nation's problems compared to Herbert Hoover.

What did Franklin Delano Roosevelt say in his inaugural address regarding fear?

In his inaugural address, Roosevelt stated, 'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.'