The Great Depression Economic Crisis World wide economic

The Great Depression

Economic Crisis World wide economic crisis unlike the world had ever seen. It began in 1929 with the crash of the American stock exchange. This Tuesday in 1929 is now infamously known as “Black Tuesday”.

By 1932, 25 – 30% of people in the U. S. lost their jobs.

Environmental Crisis At the height of The Great Depression an environmental crisis know as “The Dust Bowl” struck the United States. The Dust Bowl stretched from central Canada all the way to New Mexico. It was caused by year long droughts and intensive farming.

Dust Storms When high winds blew cities and towns were covered in dust from the prairies. The farmers who lived on these lands lost their farms, jobs and food. Thousands of people actually died from either breathing in dust, or starvation. Those who survived lost everything and were forced to work in other parts of the country. These people became migrant workers.

Migrant Workers People who lost their jobs and were forced to travel through the United States looking for work. Steinbeck's, Of Mice and Men follows the narrative of two migrant worker and their experiences during the Great Depression.

Children and Families Mothers and wives sometimes moved with their husbands in search of work. Finding a place to live was difficult. Most migrant workers either slept outside, or in temporary shacks. Children who were able often worked as well. The jobs they held were often in horrid conditions.

So How Did People Survive? “She said that they had been living on frozen vegetables from fields, and birds that the children killed. She had just sold the tires from her car to buy food. There she sat in that tent with her children around her. She seemed to know that my pictures might help her, and so she helped me. ” Dorothea Lange's Migrant Mother

What is the tone of the picture? Is it happy? Sad? Why? What do the families clothes look like? Are there any articles of clothing that tell us something about them? Why is the dog on a leash? Do you think it’s a farm dog? What does this tell us about the family? What is the father carrying? What kind of job do you think he had before? Do you think he will be able to find work? Where do you think this family slept last night?