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Impact of The Great Depression On American Society
Impact of The Great Depression On American Society
Depression on
American Society
IB History of the Americas
Note-taking activity
Use the chart provided that divides these topics.
Rural
Urban
Men
Women
African Americans
Latinos/Hispanics
Children
In the space provided, list facts regarding the impact of the
Great Depression
RURAL LIFE DURING
THE DEPRESSION
While the Depression
was difficult for
everyone, farmers did
have one advantage; they
could grow food for their
families
Thousands of farmers,
however, lost their land
Many turned to tenant
Between 1929-1932 almost ½ million
farmers lost their land farming and barely
scraped out a living
Rural people (farmers)
unemployed in
one day.
Millions others
unemployed.
Effect on Workers and
Farmers
Because large
factories closed –
small businesses
and restaurants
began to fail too.
No customers
No merchandise
off staff
Review of Stock Market
Unemployment
married
Women took low-paying jobs as
domestics.
Social & Psychological
Effects
People had become so demoralized by the
experience that suicides increased 30% during
1928-1932.
Many people did not go to see a doctor or a
dentist because they didn’t have the money to
spare.
-People had to make tough decisions as to how to
spend their money. In most cases it came down to
life and death.
Women who didn’t work before took jobs to help
support the family when the man was out of work
Social & Psychological effects
cont...
•"The women know that life must go on and that the needs of
life must be met and it is their courage and determination
which, time and again, have pulled us through worse crises
than the present one.”
African Americans
• Faced discrimination
– Many lost jobs to unemployed white workers.
Marion Anderson:
performed at Lincoln
Memorial which was
arranged by Eleanor
Roosevelt
Impact on African
Americans
Many African American teenage boys ages
15-24 didn’t want to be a burden so they left
their families to ride the rails and look for work.