ipl-logo

Essay On African Americans During The Great Depression

725 Words3 Pages

In the 1930s, something extremely unexpected occurred and caught everyone off guard. The Great Depression made the southern residents have to face many difficult challenges in addition to the other worries they might've had. The Great Depression caused many southern citizens to lose their jobs and be neglected based on the color of their skin, which resulted in a variation of different living conditions and lifestyles. The Great Depression made it extremely burdensome and harsh on African Americans, jobs and wages were often cut, and there was always a constant need of finding new ways to survive. First, the African American race probably faced the most challenges and difficulties during the Great Depression. When the Great Depression hit the south it caused a major disturbance among the residents that have already built up a foundation and family in the region. Finding a decent job during the Great Depression was hard but it was even harder when race became an issue; African Americans had the highest unemployment percentage (Trotter). Jobs, as mentioned before, had become …show more content…

Everyone equally experienced living conditions that weren't very homey or comfortable. There would be times when there wouldn't be any electricity, water, or indoor restrooms in the house you were living in (Jamil S. Zainaldin). Health problems were very common and reoccurring during the Great Depression. There wasn't enough health facilities to treat the illnesses that were starting to spread from one person to another (Jamil S. Zainaldin). Working and livestock conditions weren't that much better than health or living conditions. Often than not, equipment was scarce in a working field that needed it in order to properly trim or tear a certain object (Jamil S. Zainaldin). Livestock was switched with cotton because of the drastic change in the economy (Jamil S.

Show More
Related
927 Words | 4 Pages

But unfortunately the reality was that the minorities had much harder times than white Americans. In 1933, the general unemployment rate in the United States was over 25 percent; at the same time, unemployment rates for various American minorities ranged up to 50 percent or more (“Great Depression and the New Deal Reference Library”1). Racial discrimination was high and minorities were the first to loose their jobs during the Great Depression. They were denied to work. They were often denied employment in public works programs, they were sometimes threatened at relief centers when applying for work or assistance, and even some charities refused to provide food to needy minorities, especially to blacks in the South.

Read More
913 Words | 4 Pages

During the time of the Great Depression, African Americans struggled the most already being the poorest people in America, but this changed with The Second World War which brought jobs and more rights to African Americans. In Chapters 10 and 11 of the book Creating Black Americans: African-American History and its meanings, 1619 to the present by Nell Irvin Painter, the author outlines the struggle for African Americans during the Great Depression, and even after during the New Deal era, then shows how they came out of it and became more successful and powerful during The Second World War. The Great Depression started with the crash of the stock market, and led to 25% of all American workers losing their jobs, most of which were African Americans.

Read More
351 Words | 2 Pages

During the 1930’s the great depression took place, while there was little to no work, there were laws being passed, and the African Americans were being separated not only in their work, but also their schooling, and the places they went while getting the leftovers from everything. While there was very little work during this time.1890-1980 is the only decade where the average earnings declined. Every white person that wanted to work had to have a job before any business where to hire an african american person. They were not allowed to work with the whites they often had to work in the fields, but were soon replaced by machines.

Read More
979 Words | 4 Pages

The percentage of Americans that were losing jobs was outrageous “25 percent of all workers and 37 percent of all nonfarm workers were completely out of work. ”(Great Depression) and that only increased. The people moved and were kicked out of their lands feed to find work elsewhere but work was scarce and was no where to be found. The african americans also had a harder time finding work as the whites were given unfair priority. Their was a substantial gap between the rich and the poor and the poor was the lowest percentage of people in the Americas.

Read More
301 Words | 2 Pages

By Nevaeh Gray 7A. Do you know about the Great Depression and how it affected African Americans? This event affected people crucially and especially African Americans. At this time the economy was already very bleak, but when this terrible event happened it just made it worse for African Americans. For example, black people were the first to get laid off and some people even excluded black people from their soup kitchens. Black people would shop at stores but they would only hire white people.

Read More
145 Words | 1 Pages

The Great Depression and the Jim Crow south affected Maycomb Alabama, and other communities across America in many ways in the book To Kill A Mockingbird for example it says that, Maycomb was a “tired old town... there was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see...” and this sentence shows what really happened during The Great Depression. The Great Depression changed the United States of America in many ways one of which is the economy and in maycomb this affected everyone especially the Cunninghams who were afraid to take anything because they knew they couldn’t pay it back. It also affected the Ewells a lot as they have absolutely nothing left not only because of the depression because

Read More
503 Words | 3 Pages

Life in the Great Depression The Great Depression was a time of economic downturn that devestated millions of people; this impacted people economically, socially, and emotionally. Due to the economic blows, many families had difficulty affording for luxuries, even necessities. Social classes in the US were changed signifigantly during this time. The lives of everyday people were much different during the depression, which subsequently impacted family life.

Read More
574 Words | 3 Pages

The great depression was a moment of complete turmoil for all who lived in the United States. Throughout a course of four years over thirteen million Americans found themselves jobless, homeless, and doing anything they could to attempt to provide their families with a single meal. Forced out of their homes, tents and cars became the new family dwelling, popping up wherever the slightest hope for work could be found. The idea of a future disappeared as marriages and children were no longer a conceivable object. Men once the bread winners of the family were overcome with shame and humiliation as providing for their families became nearly impossible.

Read More
1529 Words | 7 Pages

People became mentally ill and emotionally unjust trying to find different alternatives to money, leaving many to their last resorts of giving up on life. The Great Depression not only affected people economically wise but it also affected them

Read More
941 Words | 4 Pages

The shortage of labor can be attributed to the trickle of European immigrants coming into to American as a result of the war. The Military Conscription Act also diminished the available labor pool in America which if left unchecked could cripple the capitalistic giant. Soon northern industries started to look to the African Americans living to the south for help. By 1930, it is estimated that nearly one-third of a million African Americans left the south for employment in the industrial North of Detroit, Chicago, and the Midwest of St.

Read More
1102 Words | 5 Pages

The trials and tribulations of simply living during the Great Depression bonded the country together. After a decade of partying and overall leasure the nation got hit with one of the worst depressions yet. In 1929 the stock market crashed, sending many families away from their homes to try and look for work since they had no money. The Great Depression changed the country as a whole, everyday life turned into finding ways to get by and sharing what you can with your community. During that time simply age could be a liability, and living in a rural or an urban area could be the difference between how people ate and how they lived.

Read More
476 Words | 2 Pages

Everyday life during the Great Depression was hard for most everyone. “The Great Depression transformed American social and political institutions and the ways individual people thought about themselves and their relationship to the country and the world.” Says my source. Though no two people had the same understanding of the Depression, everyone felt challenged and changed by the experience. This was an important time in history, that caused tragedy and growth.

Read More
473 Words | 2 Pages

Post Civil War, African Americans started to gain rights to gain rights, and soon gain rights equal to whites. While there were some people/things standing in their way (KKK, Black Codes), in the end they got what they needed; Equality. Many acts and laws were passed to aid the new rights now held by African Americans, as well as the numerous people willing to help. New Amendments were added to give African Americans rights after the war, all giving them some equal rights to whites. The first of the three added was the Thirteenth Amendment, it gave African Americans freedom from slave owners, and stated that no one could be kept as a slave in the U.S..

Read More
2263 Words | 10 Pages

1930s life for black people was difficult due to racism. Racial discrimination was not illegal in 1930s America, therefore racism was still rampant at the time. Whites and blacks were segregated in 1930s America and blacks were considered as 2nd class citizens. Black people were paid less than their white counterparts and they had to work harder than everyone else, often given the more 'dirty work'. The lynching (hanging) of black people was common in 1930s

Read More
764 Words | 4 Pages

African Americans were the hardest hit during the Great Depression, and were often the first to get laid off. The unemployment rate rose above 25%, which meant less spending on goods. When people lost their jobs they couldn’t pay for items they had bought through installment, therefore, their items were repossessed. The people who had lost their jobs and had no money would ride on railroad cars to travel. It was estimated nearly 50% of children during the Great Depression did not have food, shelter, or medical care.

Read More

More about Essay On African Americans During The Great Depression

Related Topics

Open Document