Lester Maota Topic: America during the 1920s Key Essential Question: How did economic hardships during the Great Depression impact the roles and opportunities available to women, African Americans, farmers, and workers? Overview The period of economic hardship in America is generally renowned as the Great Depression. This was the time between 1930-1940. Historically this period was challenging for many people, as the stock market had crashed causing an enormous amount of social, cultural and economic hardship. Many groups suffered severely as a result of this crash, including women, African Americans and those in the workforce. These groups were heavily impacted and significant change occurred within society, as prices of everyday items increased …show more content…
That quickly changed as the Great Depression began, The New Deal, a political motion saw a change in women’s roles within the workforce as unemployment increased; women saw this as an opportunity to join the workforce. The New Deal programs of the 1930s, such as the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), provided employment opportunities for Women. Though women did find employment, they often fought for equal pay and working conditions whilst learning how to multitask between looking after their household along with work. By the 1930’s women moved from having primarily domestic roles to being active members of society, this is shown through the statistical increase in women employment as it saw women’s workforce participation increase from 24.3% to 29.9% (study.com - US History). This significant increase saw many women as the primary breadwinners for their families as male-dominated industries became less productive. This period challenged traditional gender norms and paved the way for acceptance of women in the workforce, contributing to economic empowerment and independence. Furthermore, showing change in society’s views on women and their traditional