There were many hardships suffered during the Great Depression. Some of the major ones were loss of income, loss of home, loss of self-respect and loss of life's basic needs such as food and clothing.
After the 1929 stock market crash, people began to lose their jobs and realize they were unable to find other employment. This led to changes in family dynamics and structure, as sometimes it was easier for women and children than for men to find work. This was unusual, as women did not tend to work outside the home in that era. They took jobs that men were not interested in, such as domestic servants, clerks and textile workers.
As men lost their jobs, they were unable to pay their rent, so there was an increased loss of homes. Families found themselves living in makeshift homes such as cars, caves and even sewer drains. There were large shantytowns that sprang up at the edges of urban areas, sometimes called Hoovervilles as a jest toward the President (McElvaine, p. 28).
As people had less and less, they tried to make do with what they had. Medical and dental care were no longer an option, so people turned to home remedies. New clothing was not available, so they would take old clothing, take it apart and remake it. A popular fashion was to use flour sacks to make dresses (Wormser, p.11). Often people had to stuff paper in shoes that were worn and full of holes in order to get more wear out of them.
Food was definitely an issue for the people of the Depression. They often went hungry or their meals consisted of scraps from dumpsters. Those who owned land tended to not have it as hard, as they could plant food or keep some chickens. However, gradually they too lost their farms. In the cities, there were breadlines and soup kitchens to help, provided by charitable organizations (Slide Show, Slide #6).
Another great hardship was the loss of family unity. Children whose parents became destitute were sometimes sent to live with relatives (Wormser, pg. 11). Young teenagers often saw how difficult it was for their parents to feed the family, so they left home. Many of them became hoboes, riding the rails in search of food and work, which was a very hard life (Wormser, pg. 16). Entire families were displaced and rode the rails together (Wormser, pg. 17). It was not uncommon for fathers to just walk away or not return from their job searches.
Lastly, schools across the country were crippled by the economic crisis as tax revenues that supported public education fell. School years were shortened. Some schools closed altogether. Children had to take turns going to school, either because they had nothing to wear or nothing to eat. Also, many children had to work to help support their families; that became more important than school (Freedman, pg. 32).
Despite all of the hardships, families made do with what little they had and learned to be thrifty so that they could survive. If they held together despite the stress, they became stronger family units.
Works Cited:
Wormser, Richard. Growing Up in the Depression (1st ed. 1994).
Freedman, Russell. Children of the Great Depression (New York: Clarion Books 2005).
McElvaine, Robert S. "The Depression and the New Deal." A History in Documents, 2000.
Slide Show – http://otis.coe.uky.edu/openportfolioCl/images/image_show.ph.
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