THE GREAT DEPRESSION & THE NEW DEAL

LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WERE HUNGRY AND HOMELESS. THEY LIVED IN MAKESHIFT COMMUNITIES CALLED "HOOVERVILLES."

Most people resorted to building

residences out of box wood, cardboard, and any scraps of metal

they could find. Some individuals even lived

in sewer mains.

Hoover Takes ActionAlthough Hoover did introduce some federal programs to help lessen the impact of the Great Depression (too little, too late), he did not want to interfere in the American economy or give direct aide to people. Instead, he asked private charities such as the YMCA or churches to help.

Churches, YMCAs, and other charities established soup kitchens to feed the hungry

• Soup kitchens served soup, coffee, bread Soup kitchens continued throughout the Great Depression and are still in existence today

“Soup kitchens in America started around 1929 when the effects of a growing depression began to be felt. The need for soup kitchens was felt even more keenly when the tailspin in the economy worsened in 1932, and 12 million Americans — about 25 percent of the normal labor force — were out of work. Governmental unemployment relief ranged from nonexistent to inadequate When soup kitchens first appeared, they were run by churches or private charities. Soup kitchens served mostly soup and bread. Soup was economical because water could be added to serve more people, if necessary.”http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1660.html

GREAT DEPRESSION:IMPACT ON AMERICANS

All Graphs from: www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/us34.cfm

GREAT DEPRESSION:STOCK PRICES

Stock Prices Sep. 3, 1929 Nov. 13, 1929 1932 Low

American Telephone 304 197 1/4 70 1/4

General Electric 396 1/4 168 1/2 34

General Motors 72 3/4 36 7 5/8

New York Central 256 3/8 160 8 3/4

Radio 101 26 2 1/2 U.S. Steel 261 150 21 1/4

1. What does this chart tell you about stock prices before and

after the stock market crashed?

GREAT DEPRESSION:UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

Average Unemployment Rate

1879-89 8 percent 1889-99 10 percent

1899-1909 4 percent 1909-19 4 percent 1919-29 4 percent 1929-39 18 percent 1939-49 5 percent 1949-59 4 percent 1959-69 5 percent 1969-79 6 percent

2. What does this chart tell you about workers?

GREAT DEPRESSION:BANK FAILURES

Bank Failures 1929 659 1930 1,352 1931 1,456 1932 2,294 1933 5,190

3. What does this chart tell you about the number of

banks (and businesses) that failed?

GREAT DEPRESSION:UNEMPLOYMENT

Unemployment as Percentage of the Labor

Force 1900 5 percent 1910 5.9 percent 1920 4 percent 1925 4 percent 1929 3.2 percent 1930 8.7 percent 1932 23.6 percent 1933 24.9 percent 1934 21.7 percent 1935 20.1 percent 1936 16.9 percent 1937 14.3 percent 1938 19 percent 1939 17.2 percent 1940 14.6 percent 1950 5 percent

4. What does this chart tell you about people’s lives up

until 1940?

GREAT DEPRESSION:FAMILY INCOME

Family Income, 1929 over $10,000 2.3 percent

$5,000-10,000 8 percent 2,500-$5,000 19 percent $2,000-2,500 11 percent $1,500-2,000 18 percent $1,000-1,500 21 percent under $1,000 21 percent

5. What does this chart tell you about families?