Hoovervilles

HOOVERVILLES!

During the Great Depression, many families lost their homes because they could not pay their mortgages. These people had no choice but to seek different forms of shelter. Hoovervilles, named after President Hoover, who was blamed for the problems that led to the depression, increased throughout the United States. People blamed president Hoover for doing to little. People named Hoovervilles to shacks where homeless people lived. Evereything "hoovers" used had the name hoover in front of it. They used "Hoover blankets" which were papers they used to cover them selves. "Hoover Leather" was the name for a peice of cardboard stuck in a hole in you're shoe so you're foot didn't go through the hole. "Hoover stew" was the name people gave the soup that was very thin Hoovervilles got in soup kitchens.









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HOBOS.

HOBOS!

During the 1930's, because most people were losing their jobs, and because of this they couldn't afford food for their families. So most young men in their teens to late twenties left home. A great amount of hobo's left their homes, because they didn't want to take the small amounts of food their families had away from their little brothers or sisters mouths. These men did not have money to by train tickets so they jumped the trains, which was called "riding the rails." Riding the rails was very dangerous, and it was illegal. Hobo's laid boards across the brake rods under passanger cars. If they rode these boards they could be hidden from veiw. Also if they rode these boards it would be a very loud, and rough ride. Most hobo's since this was very dangerous got seriously injured or even killed. Hobo's begged for food or knocked on people's door asking for food in exchange for chopping wood.

"I still dream of riding freight trains. I can still smell trains, still feel the jouncing and swaying, still hear the thunderous rumbling from the wheels that penetrates an empty boxcar and the different types of rattling echoes…"Riding on Top: Memoirs of a Modest Master Hobo, by Gordon MacLean

The stock market crash

THE STOCK MARKET CRASH[1929]

The stock market crash was believed to be the cause of The Great Depression, but most historians believe that it was only one of the small causes. The stock market crash was also known to be Black Tuesday which is considered one of the worst days in American economic history. On Black Tuesday, a record of 16.4 million shares were traded and the ticker tape fell behind by two and a half hours. One of the reasons for the rocketing prices was the fact that more Americans, than ever before, began to buy stocks. As stocks increased in price, many Americans believed that they could gain a big fortune, even if they owned only one or two shares of stock. People constantly kept buying stock, but it if everyone was buying who would be purchasing. The stock market crash was one of the leading causes going into the Great Depression. It left many people devistated.

Dust Bowls

DUST BOWLS
Dust bowls lasted about ten years, and had a large effect on the southern plains. It caused drought, which effected agriculture. Families who lived in the south had trouble planting crops, and making profits. Wheat farmers had a lot of buisness,and people were paying good prices for wheat. Wheat farmers started planting, and growing wheat like never before. In the 1930's land was dry, but wheat farmers had good buisness. The dust bowls had rapid storms coming one after another, and the storms were in continuous sucession. Dust storms would roll in with rumbles, and big dark clouds would start to appear. Houses were closed up with clothes shoved in the doors, and windows so no dirt could get into families houses.

Up above on the right is Photograph of a Mother of Seven Children During the Great Depression. Up above, and centered is a picture of a dust storm in Boise City, Oklahoma.