Theme 2: a - the spread of the Depression Flashcards
What was unemployment like in 1929 Vs 1933
1929: 3.2%
1933: 25.2%
(13,000,000 out of work)
How was unemployment different for Black Americans?
- 4-6x higher than white Americans
- jobs traditionally given to them now offered to white people
- previous opportunities in Industrial North than closed
- 1933: 50% of Black Americans unemployed Vs 25% of whites
How did the Depression affect Native Americans?
- policy of assimilation & allotment meant they were the poorest group (Dawes Severalty Act 1887)
- Destruction of their culture led them feeling empty/apathetic
- 1926: Department of the Interior confirmed the act had been a disaster for Native Americans - allotment left them with unsuitable land
- meant they had to search for work during the Depression
What was the Hispanic American experience of unemployment?
- they used to work as seasonal agricultural workers
- when Depression hit many were repatriated to cut the budget for relief & free up some jobs for whites
- some left voluntarily: 7,000 on 2 trains to Central Mexico
- Raid took place to force them out - some were even US Citizens & never lived outside the USA
What was unemployment for women like?
- more likely to be laid off than men - free up jobs
- domestic service suffered lots as families could no longer afford to keep them on (particularly affected Black women)
- Married women more likely to keep jobs than single women - but were blamed for male unemployment
- 1/2 of the 48 states had laws banning the employment of married women
What new industries emerged during the Depression years?
- air conditioning
- airline travel
- colour film
- supermarkets
How was the coal industry affected during the Depression?
- production in 1932 at its lowest since 1904
- workforce fell by 300,000
- many only worked part-time
- wages could be as low as $2.50 per DAY
Which industry, in particular, seemed impervious to the Depression?
AVIATION (aircraft)
- it’s commercial growth saw $100 mil invested in the industry
- by 1928 workforce = >1,000
How many banks closed 1929 - 33?
over 10,000
double the amount which closed in 1921-29, 5,000
What did the banks do when farmers couldn’t meet their mortgage repayments?
- The farmer would be evicted & the bank would take over the farm
- So, the banks lost liquid assets to replace their mortgage payments
- These banks often went bankrupt as these farmers were unsaleable
What were the social attitudes towards unemployment?
- work ethic was very strong in America
- unemployment among able-bodies generally deemed to be their own fault
- psychological effects of mass unemployment devastating
How did the marriage rate change during the Depression?
the no. of marriages
(1929) 1.23 mil
(1932) 100,000
DECLINE
What were hoboes & what did they do?
- Unemployed & living in shanty towns
- 1 - 2 mil of them
- searched for work but often thrown off trains (the Southern Pacific Railroad threw off 68,000 from their trains)
Where did relief come from & what did it look like?
- States, local authorities & charities
- most came from charities
- before 1932 no state had unemployment insurance & only 11 had varied pension schemes
What was the experience of elderly people during the Depression years?
- many lived below the poverty line
- very few private pension schemes
- 1925: only 36,000 pensioners were receiving benefits from 500 pension plans
- many had to keep working or rely on family for financial support (the Depression altered these options)
