Great Depression and the Dust Bowl: 1929-1942 Looking at how the depression affected people’s lives

Great Depression and the Dust Bowl: 1929-

1942

Great Depression and the Dust Bowl: 1929-

1942

Looking at how the depression affected people’s

lives

Looking at how the depression affected people’s

lives

Great Depression and the Dust Bowl


• By 1932, 12 million people were unemployed

• That is 25% of the entire American population at this time. (The unemployment rate now is 7%)

• By 1932, 12 million people were unemployed

• That is 25% of the entire American population at this time. (The unemployment rate now is 7%)



• How do you eat when you have no money?

• People had to wait in bread lines and at soup kitchens for food

• How do you eat when you have no money?

• People had to wait in bread lines and at soup kitchens for food



• Many people lost their entire life savings when the banks failed, and therefore they also lost their homes

• They had to make new homes out of cardboard, tin, or crates

• These makeshift homes are known as Hoovervilles

• Many people lost their entire life savings when the banks failed, and therefore they also lost their homes

• They had to make new homes out of cardboard, tin, or crates

• These makeshift homes are known as Hoovervilles





• What about the farmers out west?

• Life was just as bad as they faced falling income, foreclosure, and drought

• What about the farmers out west?

• Life was just as bad as they faced falling income, foreclosure, and drought



• Their income dropped by half

• Why?

• People could not buy food!

• Their income dropped by half

• Why?

• People could not buy food!



• A drought in the plain states and southwest worsened their situation

• A drought in the plain states and southwest worsened their situation



• The drought combined with poor farming methods resulted in a loss of topsoil, which would get whipped into giant dust storms

• The “Dust Bowl”

• The drought combined with poor farming methods resulted in a loss of topsoil, which would get whipped into giant dust storms

• The “Dust Bowl”





• People couldn’t live and farm here with these economic and environmental problems

• A group of migrant farmers moved to California looking for work

• They are known as Okies

• People couldn’t live and farm here with these economic and environmental problems

• A group of migrant farmers moved to California looking for work

• They are known as Okies





• How do we beat the Depression?

• Starts in 1932 with a new President

• Franklin Delano Roosevelt defeats Hoover (FDR)

• He promises a New Deal for Americans

• How do we beat the Depression?

• Starts in 1932 with a new President

• Franklin Delano Roosevelt defeats Hoover (FDR)

• He promises a New Deal for Americans

Documents

Great Depression and the Dust Bowl: 1929-1942 Looking at how the depression affected people’s lives