The Great Depression was an economic slump that lasted nearly ten years from 1929. Many families struggled with unsanitary living conditions in overcrowded households. Poor health spread easily under these conditions. Unemployed people lived with friends or on the streets. Additional hardships included floods destroying homes. Women were expected to care for their families. Family trips were difficult due to poor vehicles on unpaved roads. Businesses closed down but some remained open selling cheaper goods. The depression impacted all of Americans.
2. The Great Depression The Great Depression was a rough time for all Americans. It was a economic slump that hurt America for nearly ten years after starting in 1929. The biggest factor of this outcome was due to the major stock market crash a few months earlier.
3. Family Troubles Many families during the depression had to live in the same household. Families that had as many as nine member such as this family, who had to endure unsanitary living conditions.
4. Bad Times=Bad Health Due to the unsanitary living conditions many people, mostly children, became very ill and was hard to recover from considering the conditions weren’t good and many other member still lived and did daily activities around them.
5. Where To Go? During the Great Depression many people lost their jobs. In fact, many people lost everything. People resorted to finding places to live during the time being. Some people resorted to friends while others had to live on the streets, just as the person on the left was forced to sleep at the doorway of the town’s local church.
6. Other Troubles It was hard enough during the depression that many families lost everything but to top it off other unexpecting troubles occurred such as a major flood. The damage was castrophic destroying houses such as to the left in the picture and leaving parts of their belongings scattered throughout.
7. The Lives of Women ACE Question: What was mostly expected of women during these times of hardship? What was their most basic “jobs” that were required for families to function properly and for the women to make sure they were doing their part?
8. Family Trips During the hard times families couldn’t afford the best working cars so family trips became worst nightmares. Families often had to travel to find work or a new place to live. As you can see from the picture there is no pavement so traveling became very bumpy and excruciating especially for the families whose numbers were bigger than what the vehicle could hold.
9. Family Portrait Time! The Great Depression consisted of families usually of large numbers. As you can tell from the house, hard times were occurring for families couldn’t afford windows instead they resorted to boarding it up. Also during hard times families couldn’t travel to take pictures instead they take them at times as harsh as this.
10. No Longer In Business Many businesses had to close down due to the shortage in sales and the economic crisis of course. This building to the left was once a place where many people would eat and enjoy alcoholic beverages, as you can see the lettering has been tried to be covered up. This building now has been run down with no people there. People used it as shelter when they had no where else to go during these hard times.
11. Local Businesses People with the selling opportunities often opened up little businesses with the products they had and the storage area they had. This particular business consisted of fruits and fish. The products are sold in a open building with no detailed inside structure. Many products were sold cheaper than the actual value just so people would buy and they could receive a profit.
12. Lights, Camera, Action! Picture films were a good way of advertising how the hard economic times were taking a toll on America. To the left is a movie cover, one of the many alike during this time, that portrays the hardships. Many covers were created to send a message. Just as the one to the left the message is that America must stick together to get through these rough times.
13. How Comforting How ironic is this billboard after looking under it ? Its ironic how peace and happiness is offered yet the people can’t even afford to find a way of transportation to get to the train station. Yet alone can’t find the money to find a place to live.
14. Sharecropper's Wife and Child Many woman were forced to stay home while the husband went out and sought work. Often times women weren’t even remember by their real name instead just as a “title” to their husband. Woman had no say in what they wanted to do or how they felt towards situations ultimately affecting them the most from the depression.