American Family Life And The Impact Of The Great Depression
explanatory Essay
801 words
The Great Depression was the greatest economic downturn America had ever faced. With the fall of the stock market in one day the entire country was in chaos. People’s entire life saving as well as plans for the future were destroyed in minutes. This paper will discuss how The Great Depression affected family dynamics and everyday life as the result of economic hardship.
Before The Great Depression happened American family life was very different. In the early 1920’s child labor laws were enacted. These laws meant that the children were starting to either go to school or be left alone more often. The absence of children 's income started the poverty trend that continued into the depression. The upper class families were more accustomed to fathers
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that the great depression was the greatest economic downturn america had ever faced. with the fall of the stock market in one day the entire country was in chaos.
- Explains that american family life was very different before the great depression, when child labor laws were enacted. the absence of children's income started the poverty trend that continued into the depression.
- Explains that family incomes decreased in almost every family across america. the reemergence of women in the workforce forced men to take over household duties.
- Explains that many children, especially in rural areas, did not realize the impact of the great depression. they were children of farmers whose lives were not that changed because they had always been poor.
- Explains that children born during the great depression had no idea how much economic hardship they were born into. children were placed in the hands of other children and older siblings had to take on the role of parents.
- Explains that some boys left home so that they wouldn't be a financial worry on their families, while others left in the middle of the night. they rode in boxcars or hitchhiked during the day.
- Explains that shelter was a commodity during the great depression. destitute families would move across the country in search of work, leaving behind lives for the unknown.
- Explains that homelessness led to the development of hoovervilles, which were small towns made entirely of salved trash shacks.
- Explains that housing density rose in the 1930s because families were either evicted or moved out of their houses and moved in with relatives. many families ended up without any form of shelter and lived under bypasses and on sidewalks.
The only families that were not impacted were ones that were independently wealthy. Many men who were the sole source of income for their families lost their jobs. This job loss left the responsibility of income to the women. This is when women really started to go into the workforce for the first time since Word War one. The reemergence of women in the workforce forced men to take over household duties. The gender role reversal caused major disruptances in the everyday running of the household. Men who had never had to run a home before learning all the domestic skills while women were learning job skills impacted the dynamics of husband and wife. The rifts in marriages also caused the children 's lives to be impacted.
The lives of children during The Great Depression were greatly changed. Many children, especially in rural parts of the country, did not realize the impact of the Great Depression. These were children of farmers whose lives were not that changed because they had always been poor and the only thing that would change their lives would be the dust bowl. Farmers continued to be able to provide food because their livelihood was not dependant on the stock market as so many others
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- Explains that the great depression was one of the darkest periods in america's history. it was a time of despair for all americans.
- Explains that the stock market crash of 1929 was the most major cause that led to the great depression.
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- Explains that americans blamed herbert hoover for the crisis. the hawley-smoot tariff increased taxes on imported goods in america, which led to a decrease in trade with other foreign countries.
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- Analyzes the effects of the great depression on the economy, unemployment rates, and people's lives.
- Explains that the great depression affected america, germany, france, south africa, and canada. these countries depended on america's trade and went into some small crisis.
- Explains that the great depression took a lot of hard work to get america to where it used to be. franklin delano roosevelt, aka fdr, got elected easily, in hope of getting america out of the crisis.
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the effects of the great depression on children. it stripped people of their lives and they had to try and get by on barely anything.
- Explains that children in the great depression would work in terrible conditions to help support their families. they worked 10 hours a day for $0.40-$1.10.
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- Explains that during the great depression, teens all over america would run away and ride the rails. train hopping was extremely precarious and deadly.
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