Section 3

 

The Dust Bowl

        -Drought hit Great Plains in 1930sāDust Bowl

                -Erosion (topsoil blown away)

        -Farmers brokeāmoved to find work

                -The Grapes of Wrath

 

Life in the City

        -Everyone was affected by the depression

        -Cities hit hard

                -Local govt’s did little to help

        -Salvation Army, Red Cross stepped in

-People relied on neighborsā“rent parties”

        -Breadlines, soup kitchens

        -20% of children were malnourished

        -Everyone ate lessālong-term health effects

        -Homelessness

       

Life on the Farm

        -Demand for crops decreased

                -People did not have moneyāDecrease in prices

                        -People in city hungry

                                -Farmers left crops in fields to rot

                                        -Could not afford to harvest it

        -Banks foreclosed on farms

                -Auctioned farms off

                        -Neighbors would bid absurdly low

                                -$0.25 for plow; $1.90 for a farm

                                -Would keep out serious bidders

                                -Give back farm to foreclosed family

 

Women in the New Deal

        -Women started working again

        -Eleanor Roosevelt (wife of FDR)

                -Held press conferences

                -Encouraged women to be active

 

Minorities in the New Deal

-African Americans

                -For the most part, the ND helped blacks

                        -FERA, WPA helped most

                        -In CCC, were segregated, NRA had lower wages

                -Depression increased racial tensions

                        -In 1933, 24 blacks were lynched

                -Roosevelt did little

                -FDR appointed more than 100 blacks to major jobs

-Native Americans

                -Indians had lots of problems before the depression

-Poor housing, poor health care, malnutrition

                -American Indian Defense Association

                        -Protected Indians’ religious freedom and property

                -Indian Reorganization Act of 1934

                        -Tried to revive tribal rule

                        -Paid for college education

                        -Promoted study of their civilizations

                        -About 2/3 of Indian tribes participated

       

 


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