How Did The Great Depression Affect People In The 1930s

The Great Depression was a time of large economic struggle that took a toll on the lives of many American people. The depression affected the people of the United States in many different forms such as the Dust Bowl, homelessness, and the failure of banks. Each of these aspects reflect how it was to experience the Great Depression in the 1930s. The collapse of the United States economy affected everyone farmer or businessman in different ways.

After the fall of the economy in 1930 many lost their jobs and were evicted from their homes. With nowhere to go some fled to Hoovervilles, a town of shacks thrown together throughout towns. These shack towns were named after President Herbert Hoover, who many believed was to blame for the economic despair the U.S. was facing. Some Hoovervilles, for example one in Seattle, Washington, created a form of self-ruling for themselves. In pictures of the Seattle Hooverville the shacks spread for miles, hardly able to support themselves because they are so run down (Gregory, 2009). There were elected rulers and it was men only, women and children were not allowed in these Hoovervilles. Many men liked the alternative of living in these ramshackle towns because it allowed them some independence that they could not have otherwise. A majority of the men left their homes out of

During these runs large crowds would go to the bank and request that their money be returned to them as they knew it would be lost. Banks running on reserves after large masses would request loans from other banks, many of these requests went unanswered (Federal Reserve, 2013). Throughout the depression an estimated 9,000 banks were forced to close during the decade of the 1930s. The loss of trust in banks resulted in many banks closing throughout the country which pushed America even deeper into the Great