ch. 26 sec. 4 the nation in hard times. you are the son/daughter of a farmer on the great plains...
TRANSCRIPT
Ch. 26 Sec. 4
The Nation in Hard Times
You are the son/daughter of a farmer on the Great Plains during the Depression. How would you feel if you were in the fields and all of
a sudden you look behind you and you saw this coming at you…
The Dust Bowl
• Severe drought and poor farming techniques allowed the top soil to become very light and lifted away in high wind storms.
• The dust would literally bury some towns
• The result was an area that became known as the Dust Bowl
What would you do if you were living there?
• Many farmers left the horrible conditions and became migrant workers.
• Many of them headed out west where they were not welcome by the people there….why do you think?
Yeah…I think I’m outty!!!!
Women Face the Depression• Many women earned wages
to help make ends meet during the Depression.
• Women faced discrimination in the workplace and most times did not earn the same amount as men.
• Eleanor Roosevelt, FDR’s wife and First Lady, toured the country and spoke out for women’s rights.
“Don’t worry everyone, I’ll
talk to my husband.”
Minorities and the
Depression
African Americans• Often the first to lose
their jobs• Eleanor Roosevelt
urged her husband to help them, which he did
• As a result, African Americans vote for FDR (a Democrat) in the next election
Mexican Americans• Faced discrimination in
the West and Southwest
• During hard times, many Americans forced Mexicans to leave the country and return to Mexico (some were even U.S. citizens!!!)
Asian Americans• Competition for jobs
created much resentment for people of Asian decent.
• Many were encouraged to leave the country
• U.S. government even paid for some to leave.
Native Americans• FDR helped Native
Americans by promoting friendlier policies.
• Indian Reorganization Act (IRA), which protected and even expanded landholdings of Native American reservations.
The Arts of the Depression
Painting
American Gothicby Grant Wood
Photography
Migrant Motherby Dorothea Lange
Literature
The Grapes of Wrathby John Steinbeck
Movies
The Wizard of Ozstarring Judy Garland