1930s & the Great Depression

USE THE READING STRATEGY TO READ CHAPTER 151Causes of the DepressionStock MarketBuying on margin & stock speculationSelling at a lossBank closings

2Imagine losing all of your money in the blink of an eye. Imagine going to the bank to get your money, only to find out the bank did not have it and could not stay open. This is what happened during the Great Depression. Buying on margin (or borrowing money to invest in the market), stock speculation and investing in uncertain stocks in the hope of future windfall profits brought relative newcomers to the market in record numbers. When stock prices started to drop, people began selling at record rates. As people were forced to sell at incredible losses, they began to default on loans and banks began to struggle. As word of bank failures began to spread, people flocked to banks to withdraw their entire savings. Banks soon ran out of money and people lost their savings as the banks closed.

2. BANK FAILURES Throughout the 1930s over 9,000 banks failed. Bank deposits were uninsured and thus as banks failed people simply lost their savings. Surviving banks, unsure of the economic situation and concerned for their own survival, stopped being as willing to create new loans. This exacerbated the situation leading to less and less expendituresCAUSES OF THE GREAT DEPRESSIONAGRICULTURAL OVERPRODUCTION

POOR ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES & PRACTICE

INDUSTRIAL OVERPRODUCTION

UNEVEN DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH

OVERSPECULATION +MARGIN BUYING

EASY MONEY (CREDIT)

POOR MONETARY POLICY

POOR FISCAL POLICY

HIGH TARIFFSCauses of the Great DepressionThe global economic crisis decreased exports.Unequal distribution of income reduced the total purchasing power available in the economy.Consumer debt undermined individuals and increased economic chaos.5Market Causes of the DepressionStock MarketBuying on margin & stock speculationSelling at a lossBank closings

6Imagine losing all of your money in the blink of an eye. Imagine going to the bank to get your money, only to find out the bank did not have it and could not stay open. This is what happened during the Great Depression. Buying on margin (or borrowing money to invest in the market), stock speculation and investing in uncertain stocks in the hope of future windfall profits brought relative newcomers to the market in record numbers. When stock prices started to drop, people began selling at record rates. As people were forced to sell at incredible losses, they began to default on loans and banks began to struggle. As word of bank failures began to spread, people flocked to banks to withdraw their entire savings. Banks soon ran out of money and people lost their savings as the banks closed.

Causes of the DepressionStock Market CrashGet out while the gettings goodBlack ThursdayBlack Tuesday

CLICK TO SEE BLACK TUSEDAY VIDEO7As wise investors saw that the market could not continue to rise and rise, they began to sell their stocks. When the investors started to sell, prices started to drop. Experienced investors got out while they could; newcomers didnt know what hit them. The stock market began to crash on October 24, 1929, as the prices of stocks significantly dropped. This day was known as Black Thursday. The stocks drastic drop in worth was the beginning of a long downward spiral. The finances of investors who had not sold their stocks before Black Thursday got worse on October 29, 1929, known as Black Tuesday. Prices hit an all-time low as more than 16 million shares were sold. By the end of 1929, stock losses exceeded the total cost of U.S. involvement in World War I. Causes of the DepressionGovernment policies on businessLaissez-faire policiesUnprecedented growthWhos to blame?

Coolidge

Harding

Hoover

8So who and what was to blame for the catastrophic financial downfall of the United States? The collapse that doomed the 30s was the result of the business practices of the 20s. To stimulate the economy after the demobilization that followed World War I, the Republican presidents Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover encouraged a laissez-faire (French for hands-off) policy when it came to the economy. Less government in business and more business in government, Harding said. Coolidge carried on the practices of Harding and allowed business a free rein in continuing the unprecedented economic growth of the 1920s. Hoover often gets the blame for the Depression, but it was really the policies of the preceding president that created the conditions for the Depression.

Reasons for the stock market crash of 1929Economic factors such as rising interest rates began to worry investors.Investors sold stocks.Stock prices dropped sharply, fueling panic.Heavy selling continued.9Reasons for the stock market crash of 1929Economic factors such as rising interest rates began to worry investors.Investors sold stocks.Stock prices dropped sharply, fueling panic.Heavy selling continued.10Causes of the DepressionStock Market CrashGet out while the gettings goodBlack ThursdayBlack Tuesday

11As wise investors saw that the market could not continue to rise and rise, they began to sell their stocks. When the investors started to sell, prices started to drop. Experienced investors got out while they could; newcomers didnt know what hit them. The stock market began to crash on October 24, 1929, as the prices of stocks significantly dropped. This day was known as Black Thursday. The stocks drastic drop in worth was the beginning of a long downward spiral. The finances of investors who had not sold their stocks before Black Thursday got worse on October 29, 1929, known as Black Tuesday. Prices hit an all-time low as more than 16 million shares were sold. By the end of 1929, stock losses exceeded the total cost of U.S. involvement in World War I. Causes of the Great DepressionThe global economic crisis decreased exports.Unequal distribution of income reduced the total purchasing power available in the economy.Consumer debt undermined individuals and increased economic chaos.12Buying on Margin VideoSingle click screen to view video

13For an explanation of what to buy on margin means, watch this video clip.Hoovers opposition to government relief during the Great DepressionPresident Hoover believed that individuals and businesses should be self-reliant and that government help would create a bureaucracy.14Radical response to Hoovers policiesstaged protestsbecame involved legallyVeterans responsegathered in Washington D.C. to demand payment of their pension bonuses15Causes of the DepressionUnstable economyStandard of living is upCreditRookie stock owners

16More, more, more!! This became the cry of the 1920s as credit became readily available and people became more greedy. The 1920s proved to be the high point of peoples economic lives. People built fancy homes. Spending on credit became popular as companies started selling things on installment plans. People saw the stock market as a chance to get rich quickthe chance to make more. Newcomers to the market were willing to buy stock, even at ridiculously high prices.Events signaling the Great DepressionBanks failed due to heavy defaults, margin calls, and heavy withdrawals.Bank failures deprived businesses of necessary resources and customers.Businesses closed and workers lost their jobs.17Psychological Impact ResponsibilitySelf-relianceMerit-based rewardsSelf blame & doubt

18You have heard of men jumping out the windows of tall buildings when realizing they had lost it all in the stock market. Why? What would cause someone to react so rashly? During the prosperity of the 1920s, many Americans believed success went to those who deserved it. Much of this attitude came from the self-reliance philosophies of President Hoover. If the economic system really distributed rewards based on merit, those who lost their money and jobs had to conclude that it was their own fault. Self blame and self-doubt became epidemic. Psychological ImpactAnxietyFactories closeInflation upForeclosuresHunger

19The spiraling effects of the stock market crash were devastating, impacting almost every facet of life. For example, when people stopped buying washing machines, washing machine factories shut down and people lost their jobs. Prices went up as store owners tried to make more money per sale to keep their shops open. As people began to default on loans, they started to lose their homes because they couldnt make mortgage payments. Families became homeless and hungry as unemployment continued.Psychological ImpactDepressionHumiliationBrother, Can You Spare a Dime?ExpectationsHelp???

Single click speaker to hear audio clip >>>>

20For previously proud working men, being forced to ask for assistance was humiliating. For many men, who had thought of themselves as self-sufficient and breadwinners for their families, being reduced to charity brought on bouts of depression. Because society expected a man to provide for his family, the psychological trauma of the Great Depression was often more severe for men than women. Services for both adults and children alike were rudimentary at best and oftentimes not available to the bulk of those in need. Listen to this clip of Bing Crosby singing the popular Depression song, Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?Psychological ImpactSuicideNumbers climbMostly malesWar effects

21Can you imagine despair so bad that people resort to killing themselves rather than enduring it? Those hurt the most were more stunned than angry. The suicide rates increased from fourteen to seventeen per one-hundred thousand, with the highest rate in 1933. Most of those who committed suicide were males dealing with deep feelings of failure about their inability to provide for their families. By 1938 males were twice as likely to commit suicide as females. While suicide rates did rise during the Depression, perhaps they look abnormally high because of the world wars before and after the Depression. Suicide rates are usually lower in times of war as young men, particularly, find a cause for which to devote their lives. Physical ImpactHunger & DietPoor eating = bad healthMalnutrition is prevalent

22We see the random homeless man or woman these days begging for food or searching through trash cans, but in the 1930s, dire straits forced much of the population to do the same. Some people searched garbage dumps for food or ate weeds. Malnutrition took a toll: a study conducted in eight American cities found that families with all members unemployed had thirty-three more illnesses than the families with at least one person working full-time. While starvation was not that prevalent an issue, malnutrition was. Those unemployed and homeless who could find food often found food that was poor in nutrition.Physical ImpactInadequate medical careLuxury?Long-term effectsLow priority

Picture from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration. 23Like taking a trip to Cancun or buying a Dodge Viper nowadays, medical care was a luxury most could not afford during the Great Depression. Children were hit especially hard. While adults have built up immunity to common illnesses, children are much more susceptible to them. And, while minor illnesses can be an annoyance, we rarely think about their long-term effects. Illnesses that go untreated in children can have serious repercussions for those children later in their lives. With food and shelter oftentimes being insufficient, such luxuries as health care took low priority.

Impact on the FamilyWomen forced to workThe argument versus the realityWomen were less likely to lose jobsWomen actually gained jobs

24Since family life became so unhinged during the Great Depression, womens roles were forced to shift and change as well. Many men argued that women should not be hired while they went unemployed. In spite of this argument, the percentage of women in the workforce actually increased slightly during the Depression as women took jobs to replace their husbands lost paychecks or to supplement spouses reduced wages. Since women rarely worked factory jobs, which were hardest hit by the Depression, they were less likely than men to be laid off. Jobs that had been defined as women's work, such as clerical, teaching, and social-service jobs, actually grew.Children and teens forced to workTeenage workersRole reversalImpact on the Family

25The Depression affected children and teenagers very differently from their parents. During the Depression, many children and adolescents took on greater responsibilities at an earlier age than later generations did, reversing the normal roles of provider and dependent. The depression that weakened the self-reliance of many adult men strengthened that quality in many children.President Hoovers PhilosophyNo government helpBureaucracy Work ethicHomerville's

26So what is, or should be, the role of the government when a nationa societysuffers so mightily? President Hoover was hesitant to help those struggling with unemployment. His utilitarian background taught him that hard work could overcome any difficulty. The problem was that men could not find jobs at which to work hard. Hoover based his hesitancy on two main reasons. First, he believed that government programs to aid the unemployed would simply create a government bureaucracy that was too large and unwieldy. Remember, Hoover favored a laissez-faire approach. He assumed that since society had created the wealth of the 20s, it could do so again. Secondly and perhaps more importantly, Hoover believed that by giving a man a handout, his desire to work would be destroyed. He passed programs to feed starving horses but would not allocate food for starving humans. To show their derision for Hoover, homeless people nicknamed the towns of tents and shacks hastily thrown together as Hoovervilles.Hoover VideoSingle click screen to view video

27For a more personal look at Hoover, watch this video clip.President Hoovers ActionsRaising import taxesPublic worksprogramsReconstruction Finance Corporation

28When President Hoover did act, his actions had disastrous effects. He raised import taxes hoping to generate more income. That tax increase actually had the reverse effect because European countries raised the taxes of American imports. Trade between Europe and the U.S. virtually stopped. Hoover supported several public works programs, the largest of which was the Boulder Dam project on the Colorado River. More than 800 public buildings and 37,000 miles of highway were constructed. Overall, he approved more than 800 million dollars in public works projects. It was, however, too little too late. Finally, Hoover created the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) to lend money to banks, railroad companies, insurance companies and other enterprises.Farm Problems Farmers suffer tooThree main causes

29The Great Depression was also tough for farmers. Why bother farming vegetables and grain if there is no one to buy it? Lack of buyers was the horrible reality of the life of the farmer in the 1930s. While the residents of urban areas suffered greatly during the Depression, economic hardship was not limited to them. A whole different set of problems plagued those citizens of the rural areas of the country. Three main problems beset these farmers. First, the overseas markets, that had provided so much income during World War I, had dried up during the 1920s and into the early parts of the 1930s. As the overseas markets struggled to get their own economies moving forward, they stopped buying from the U.S.Farm ProblemsWhat a pest...Boll weevilIrresponsibleSingle-crop farming

30Second, a small beetle called the boll weevil was destroying crops, particularly the cotton crop of the South. An effective insecticide had not been developed, so farmers struggled to compete with the destructive pest. Finally, generations of single crop farming had depleted the soil of vital nutrients. What farmers had once thought was an endless supply of nutrients and fertile soil had become useless.Dust BowlNo more rainDust stormsPoor plowing techniquesLost topsoil

31Have you ever felt the effects of a serious droughtone so devastating that the grass scorches to a sickly yellow? In the summer of 1931, the rains stopped. A circular area covering parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico became known as the Dust Bowl. In 1932 there were fourteen dust storms recorded; in 1933 there were thirty-eight. Poor plowing techniques brought about by the invention and use of the tractor, drought and overgrazing of farm animals caused much of the topsoil to be blown away during the early 1930s. By 1934, one-hundred million acres of cropland had lost most or all of its topsoil.Dust Bowl Map

32Heres a map of the most severely affected area. Although the effects of the drought could be felt from Canada to Mexico, the worst area was made up of parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico. Dust StormsBlack BlizzardsBlack SundayDust Pneumonia

33Dust storms were called Black Blizzards. The worst of the storms came on April 14, 1935; it was known as Black Sunday. The storm was clocked at sixty miles per hour. Houses were buried to the tops of the windows by drifts of dust. People had to dig their way out of their houses and dig their cars out of dust piled up to the roof. People died from Dust Pneumonia as dirt infected their lungs. People coughed up clods of dirt as big around as a pencil and three to four inches long.Conservation EffortsLast Mans ClubHugh BennettThe Plow that Broke the PlainsThe ultimate visual aid

Bennett

34All truly seemed lost. No crops, no rain, sick lungs...what were the farmers to do? John McCarty of Texas formed the Last Mans Club to encourage people to stay and continue to hold out. Hugh Bennett, founder of the Soil Conservation Service, encouraged farmers to try new farming techniques to conserve the soil. A movie titled The Plow that Broke the Plains was made to show farmers what had been done wrong and how to correct it. While Bennett was addressing Congress, trying to convince them of the need for this program, a dust storm from the plains hit Washington D.C. OkiesHeadin WestCalifornia the Promised Land?Route 66The Grapes of Wrath

35As things got worse, many families simply gave up and headed west. These people came to be known as Okies. Their trip was long, difficult, and dangerous because they had to cross mountains and deserts in makeshift old trucks with the whole family and everything they owned packed in and on them. California had been billed as the Promised Land. To get to California, the Okies traveled the famous road Route 66. John Steinbecks famous novel, The Grapes of Wrath, chronicles the struggles of families who had lost their farms as they traveled through the Dust Bowl and deserts to search for jobs.

Route 66 Map

36Look at this map of Route 66. As you can see, it covered eight states of plains, rivers, deserts and mountains. Although the trip along this famous stretch of American highway offered some hope to people, it was anything but a vacation. There are many songs, poems, and artwork available about this famous highway.Okie ProblemsUnwantedPickers

37An unexpected reaction awaited many Okies when they reached the west coast. California did not want them, and those who did manage to make it to California found that life was no better there. They owned no land and worked as pickers for large farms earning as little as one dollar a daybarely enough to keep them alive. When the job was finished, the farmers chased them off the land.

Socialism???EmigrationHuey LongShare the WealthEvery Man a King

Long

38Would you flee your country and its belief system if your family were starving? With capitalism seemingly failing, many people turned to socialism and communism. One hundred thousand people left the U.S. for what was then called the Soviet Union, making this the only time in U.S. history that more people have left the U.S. than have come to it. Senator and former Louisiana governor Huey Long, known as The Kingfish, used his position to organize a Socialist system in the state and divide the states money evenly among all citizens. The Kingfish led the Share the Wealth party and promised the people of Louisiana that Every Man could be a King. He also used his position to take kickbacks, which made him rich. He was assassinated in 1935 by a disillusioned member of his own party before he could run for president.The Peoples ResponseBonus Army1932 election

39Poverty, no jobs, and despair once again added up to violence and death. In May 1932, more than 10,000 World War I veterans, known as the Bonus Army, descended upon Washington D.C. to support a bill that would grant early payment of their World War I bonuses. The bill failed and 2,000 Bonus Army members refused to leave. The military, which at that time included Major George S. Patton and future president Dwight D. Eisenhower, and was led by General Douglas MacArthur, was called in to drive the veterans off, killing three people including an 11-week-old baby. In the 1932 election, Hoover ran against Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who promised a New Deal for Americans. FDR won the electoral vote 472 to 59, and Democrats won decisive majorities in both houses of Congress. Hoover would forever be blamed for the Great Depression.FDRThe Common ManHappy Days are Here Again!PolioContact with farmersChampion of the Common ManThe only thing we have to fear is fear itselfSingle click speaker to hear audio clip >>>>

FDR

40Being struck by a crippling disease might have slowed down or even stopped a less ambitious man, but it only fueled President Roosevelts drive. The 1932 election saw Franklin Roosevelt elected as he promised Happy Days are Here Again. What seemed like an end to his political career, being struck by polio in 1921, actually helped it when he met the common man. Roosevelt set up a hotel/spa in Warm Springs, Georgia, open to polio victims to help treat their illness. His lack of mobility forced him to ride in a car or wheelchair through the countryside of Warm Springs to talk to the farmers who were suffering from boll weevil infestation and the lack of markets. In spite of his familys wealth, Roosevelt became the champion of the common man. His inaugural address included one of the most famous quotes in presidential history. Have a listen...Fireside ChatsReassuranceRestoring trustWeekly addresses

41An early part of Roosevelts job was to reassure the country that things would be okayto restore their confidence in themselves and trust in the country. He instituted weekly radio addresses called Fireside Chats to the country to inform citizens of new successful programs that were helping to reduce the suffering. From the comfort of his office chair, with a roaring fire behind him, Roosevelt could broadcast his chats without having to stand with help or sit in his uncomfortable wheelchair.The New DealReforms to put America back to workAlphabet Soup governmentShort-term solutionBrings government into business

42As a campaign promise, Roosevelt promised Americans a New Deal. Tired of waiting for business to put Americans back to work, he let the government do it. He created numerous new government agencies to put America back to work. These agencies came to be known individually by their initials and collectively as the Alphabet Soup government. Such national landmarks as the Lincoln Tunnel, Mt. Rushmore, and the Golden Gate Bridge were New Deal projects. This was essentially a short-term solution and brought the government into traditional areas of business.New DealBanks are Back!Restoring bank confidenceOne-week bank holidayFederal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

43Roosevelts savvy business ideas and his efforts to win back the citizens paid off. The next step in reassuring the public was to get people to invest in the country again. In February of 1933, FDR declared a one-week bank holiday to stop massive bank withdrawals and asked Congress for almost complete presidential authority. Along with the creation of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which insured each bank deposit up to twenty-five thousand dollars, the bank holiday served to restore confidence in the banks.New Deal ProgramsTennessee Valley Authority (TVA)Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

44Three of the most well-known and successful New Deal programs were the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA), and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The TVA financed the hiring of workers to build dams, canals, and hydroelectric facilities to provide electricity to rural homes in the Appalachian Mountain region. The AAA paid farmers to actually reduce the amount of crops they grew and animals they raised. This Act was passed in the hopes that less farming would give the soil a chance to recover from the drought conditions that had ravaged it. The CCC took teenage boys from the city into the country. They replanted the forests, built cabins and trails in the national parks and roads into the forests.New Deal ProgramsFederal Arts Program (FAP)Works Progress Administration (WPA)

45Roosevelt did not stop at business. He made sure that cultural venues and creative folk were also given opportunity. Two other popular New Deal programs included the Federal Arts Program (FAP), which employed musicians, painters, sculptors, singers, writers, and actors, and the Works Progress Administration (WPA), so that these artists had a place to practice their art. The WPA ran its own radio stations, theaters, and concerts. Labor IssuesPower to the ownersAFL-CIO splitPresidential support for workersAccomplishments

46Despite these strides, labor struggles still ensued, and it seemed once again hopeless. Labor struggled as unemployment gave owners the power. Workers used militant tactics and force to get the owners to meet their demands. John Lewis of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) suggested they should support industrial workers, not craft or trade workers. The AFL disagreed: Lewis left and founded the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). Its membership would eventually dwarf that of the AFL. Roosevelt supported labor in these ordeals. The New Deal included pro-labor and pro-safety legislation: Social Security in 1935, while the National Labor Relations Board guaranteed workers the right to arbitration, tougher child labor laws, Workmans Compensation, minimum wage, a five-day work week and a forty-hour work week.Prohibition Repealed21st AmendmentViolation of personal libertyRevenue sourcePolitical leanings

47In the midst of the Depression, people needed something to take their minds off of their problems. So, what types of activities did the people engage in to pass the time? In December 1933, America decided it was ready for a legal drink again. Prohibition ended with the passage of the twenty-first Amendment. Most saw prohibition of alcohol as a violation of personal liberty, forced on the nation by religious moralists. Alcohol was also a source of revenue for the local and national governments. The effort to elect legislators who favored ending prohibition was as grand as the effort in favor of prohibition had been almost two decades earlier.RadioWar of the WorldsSwing musicEvangelists

McPherson

WellesSingle click speakers to hear audio clips >>>>

48Alcohol wasnt the only thing that occupied people during the Great Depression. The power of the radio was astonishing in the 1930s. The aliens are coming! On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater convinced the public that the earth was being invaded by aliens in a national radio broadcast of War of the Worlds. Calls flooded local police stations as people thought the radio program was real and that the planet was actually being invaded. Heres a clip from the broadcast.Swing music became all the rage as new tunes and new dances took the country by storm. Evangelists began to use radio to their advantage as they reached a large audience.RadioGossip columnistsComedyAuto advertisingSingle click speakers to hear audio clips >>>>

Winchell

BennyAdvertisement Benny Burns

49Gossip columnists, such as Walter Winchell, thrived on the publics desire to know about the personal lives of their favorite radio and movie stars. In comedy, Vaudevillians Jack Benny and George Burns and Gracie Allen began their long-running radio shows. Listen first to the clip of Jack Benny. Now listen to the clip of George Burns and Gracie Allen. Auto makers found radio to be a very effective advertising medium; Chevrolet, Ford, Buick and Dodge sponsored major network programs. Listen to the clip of a Dodge radio advertisement.

Big Band Music of the 30sSwing musicBand leaders

DorseySingle click speakers to hear audio clips >>>>

MillerMillerEllington

50Anyone with access to a radio in the 1930s could enjoy the decades music. Music changed from the hot jazz of the 1920s to swing music in the 1930s. This new swing music quickly led to the evolution of swing dances. One such dance, called the Jitterbug," featured partners throwing each other over ones partners head and through his or her legs. Legendary bandleaders of this era include Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Harry James, Glenn Miller, and Artie Shaw. Listen to the classic from Glenn Miller called In the Mood. Then listen to another classic, It Dont Mean A Thing (If It Aint Got That Swing) released by Duke Ellington in 1932.Combo Bands of the 30sCombo bandsBenny Goodman

GoodmanSingle click speaker to hear audio clip >>>>

51While big bands consisted of fifteen to twenty players, combo bands were typically made up of a piano, bass, and drums with two to four melody players on instruments such as the clarinet, trumpet, saxophone, vibraphone, or guitar. Benny Goodman led a very influential combo band that was racially mixed, an unusual idea in segregated America at a time when most bands were either only African American or only European American. Listen to this clip of Benny Goodman and His Orchestra playing Sing, Sing, Sing.Folk Music of the 30sFolk musicWoody GuthrieHuddie Ledbetter

Ledbetter

GuthrieSingle click speaker to hear audio clip >>>>

52A product of its time, music became a means of expression of the difficulties faced by folks in the Depression. Folk music became extremely popular and important during the 1930s as songwriters traveled the country chronicling the hardships of depression-stricken families. A guitar player from Oklahoma named Woody Guthrie became the countrys best known folk singer. His most famous songs included So Long, Its Been Good to Know Yuh, Goin Down the Road Feelin Bad, Hard Travelin, and Roll On, Columbia. Listen to this clip from So Long, Its Been Good To Know Yuh. Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Leadbelly, was an African American singer who wrote songs about the experiences of African Americans in the 1930s. Some of his best-known songs are Cotton Fields, Rock Island Line, Take This Hammer and Goodnight Irene.Pop Music of the 30sAndrews SistersBing CrosbyShirley Temple

Temple & Crosby

Andrews SistersSingle click speaker to hear audio clip >>>>

53Popular singers of the 1930s included the Andrews Sisters, Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Ginger Rogers, Shirley Temple, and Ethel Waters. In 1934, Shirley Temple sang Baby Take A Bow in the hit musical Stand Up and Cheer. Listen to the clip.Musical Movies of the 30sMovie musicalsSinging cowboys

Rogers

Porgy and BessSingle click speakers to hear audio clips >>>>

54Many people use movies as a form of escapism, and the folks of the Depression were no exception. Many composers wrote for movies and Broadway musicals in the 1930s. Two popular film categories were the movie musical and the singing-cowboy film. Popular movie musicals included The Wizard of Oz, Porgy and Bess and Going Places. Listen to the famous clip of Judy Garland singing Somewhere Over The Rainbow in the 1939 musical The Wizard Of Oz.Singing cowboys Gene Autry, Sons of the Pioneers, and Roy Rogers, King of the Cowboys, turned westerns into musical adventures. MoviesGolden Age of HollywoodTechnicolorFull-length animationDrive-in theaters

55Whereas the United States was striving to get back on its financial feet, Hollywood was already racing forward with entertainment. The 1930s decade, and most of the 1940s as well, has been nostalgically labeled The Golden Age of Hollywood. It was the decade of the sound and color revolutions and the advance of the talkies. Hollywood's first full-length feature film photographed entirely in three-strip Technicolor was Becky Sharp, released in 1935. In the late 30s, two beloved films, The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind, were expensively produced in Technicolor. In 1937 the Disney-produced Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs was the first feature-length animated film. The world's first drive-in theatre opened in Camden, New Jersey, in June 1933. Theater Video

56Watch this clip to learn more about the role of theater during the Depression.

Movie StarsJean Harlow and Greta GarboJohn WayneJohnny WeissmullerShirley TempleThree Stooges/Laurel and Hardy

HarlowSingle click speakers to hear audio clips >>>>

57Young, blonde star Jean Harlow appeared in her first major role in Howard Hughes World War I aviation epic, Hells Angels; the Blonde Bombshell was signed by MGM in 1932 and soon became a major star. Another bombshell, Swedish star Greta Garbo, attempted a not-so-successful transition to talkies in Anna Christie. Originally a B-actor, John Wayne made his debut in a 1930 western, The Big Trail. It was a complete flop. Wayne did not become a star until 1939 in the movie Stagecoach. In 1932 Olympic swimming champion Johnny Weissmuller made his screen debut as the vine-swinging ape-man in Tarzan, the Ape-Man. Curly-topped, child star Shirley Temple appeared in a series of shorts titled Baby Burlesks. In comedy circles the Three Stooges and Laurel and Hardy made their film debuts. Listen to this clip and say hello to the Three Stooges.African-American AdvancesJesse OwensJoe LouisBenny Goodmans OrchestraMarian Anderson

Louis

Owens58During President Roosevelts tenure, sports and entertainment proved to be two areas in which African Americans could make advances. The 1936 Berlin Olympics were supposed to be Hitlers chance to show the world that the Aryan race was superior. However, African American Jesse Owens ended up winning four gold medals in track and field events. In addition, African American heavyweight contender Joe Louis knocked out the German champion Max Schmeling in a rematch between the two boxers. Orchestra leader Benny Goodman was the first to have an integrated band as he had two Black musicians in his orchestra. In 1939, African American opera singer Marian Anderson was not allowed to sing a concert at Constitution Hall because the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) protested and shut it down. Eleanor Roosevelt, President Roosevelts wife and a great humanitarian and leader in her own right, took up the cause, resigned from the DAR, and organized a performance for Anderson at the Lincoln Memorial.Notable NamesAmelia EarhartLindbergh baby kidnapping

Lindbergh

Earhart59She was the United States first fly girl. Amelia Earhart became a celebrity as she equaled Lindberghs feat in crossing the Atlantic solo, non-stop. She flew from Newfoundland, Canada, to Ireland in 1932. In 1937 Earhart and her navigator disappeared while flying over the South Pacific. The baby of Charles Lindbergh and his wife was kidnapped and held for ransom. Charles Junior was found dead from exposure and starvation in a grassy area five miles from the Lindberghs home. Police arrested illegal German immigrant and ex-convict Bruno Hauptmann when he was found to be in possession of the remainder of the marked ransom money. Hauptmann was convicted and later executed in 1936. Notable NamesLou GehrigHindenburg

Gehrig60Lou Gehrig, baseballs Iron Horse, set a Major League record by playing in 2,130 consecutive games. He was stricken with a fatal disease in the prime of his career by an illness that would eventually bear his name. Another notable name belonged not to a person or an animal, but a thinga dirigible named the Hindenburg. The German airship had just arrived in Lakehurst, New Jersey, from Europe on May 6, 1937, when it caught fire while landing. The hydrogen-filled zeppelin quickly burst into flames.Hindenburg VideoSingle click screento view video

61Watch this famous clip of the Hindenburg tragedy.

Horse RacingGambling addictionsTriple CrownSeabiscuit

62Money problems continued to plague people, and they were looking for quick fixes for their difficulties. With people struggling to make ends meet, they often gambled what little money they did have in the hopes of making more. One of the most popular forms of gambling in the 30s was horseracing. To drum up support for the horseracing industry, a newspaper writer coined the term Triple Crown to denote the winner of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont. Also, drumming up support was an undersized, overachieving horse named Seabiscuit. In spite of winning numerous races, many doubted his winning ability until he beat the unbeatable War Admiral in a challenge race. Many people beaten down by the Depression could identify with the underdog Seabiscuit.Hardships during the depressionpovertydiminished expectationslow prices or lack of market for farm productsfarm foreclosureshunger homelessnessdeportation for aliens63

Great Depressions effects on family life and attitudes of Americansfractured some families, forced others to band together for survivaldivorce rates upbirth rates downmany psychological problems64Seabiscuit VideoSingle click screento view video

65Watch this clip of Seabiscuit defeating War Admiral.

Concluding ThoughtsHow depressing!Alphabet SoupPop culture iconsStrengthened nation

66Certainly, there was much to be depressed about in the 1930s. The crash of the stock market and the effects of the Dust Bowl are just two of many causes of hardship for Americans living in that era. As has often been noted, however, adversity breeds opportunity and a nation struggling to rebuild itself was open to many new practices and programs. The effects of FDRs alphabet soup programs had a lasting impact on the American government and economy. Perhaps no other decade better reflects the concept of laughing to keep from crying. Desperation for diversion and technological advances helped launch the careers of many pop culture icons that changed the face of the entertainment industry. America endured a rough ride through the thirties, but emerged as a stronger nation with a renewed faith in the spirit of endurance.Hard time killing floor blues (1931)

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