The Political Pressure And Other Reasons That Caused The Great Depression

There was a great deal of human suffering during the Great Depression. People had no money for food, so children went hungry and were malnourished. Children often shared the burden their parents had with money. Since there was such a shortage of jobs and the unemployment rate was so high, that is what caused so many to go hungry. If there is no money, then how can you get food and the children suffered. The living conditions were unique and different from the way society lives now. Teens were free roaming and went long ways from home, trying to find jobs to help their families. Conditions also worsened as farmers lost their jobs and their land. There was a great deal of people on the move during the Great Depression. People who lost their homes went from town to town and built houses and stayed at different towns for periods of time. People that were on the move made homes out of anything they could find. “The house is about 10 feet by 10 feet.” (Steinbeck). Even people who had substantial money before the Great depression los everything. So, it affected everyone not just poor or rich people. Families didn’t have money for soap because it was all being spent on food for the family. The smell was awful, and nothing could be done about it. “The house is about 10 feet by 10 feet.” (Steinbeck). Many people jot a numerous amount of diseases and viruses along their journeys. Many adults and children got pneumonia when cold weather came. Children were dying all over the country from hygiene issues and malnutrition. There were no toilets in the houses, so the nearest tree became the public restrooms. Children with malnutrition had lots of health problems. Mothers and Fathers became depressed watching their children suffer and not being able to fix it. Lots of children got hookworm which is a parasite caused by human waste mixed with water. The most common of the diseases were typhoid, scarlet fever, dysentery, whooping cough, measles, and mumps. People didn’t even have money for medicine or medical bills. Married women became more active in the workforce. Those women got lots of criticism for being able to work even when men couldn’t. Womens jobs varied from teachers to nurses or even telephone operators. Any job they could find and took. Many people had been given financial aid to help them get by. People also viewed the government differently some supported it, but some hated it and refused welfare. “The national suicide rate rose to an all-time high in 1933” ( ) . Instead of divorce among marriages, the men abandoned their families or killed themselves. Teens often left home to go and find work to help support their families. A lot of people who were on the move illegally rode freight trains to be transported from place to place.

Hooverville's were camps of homeless people who had lost their homes and had nothing or nowhere else to live. Hooverville’s started to appear all over the United States and the government wouldn’t give out relief to help the people who were homeless. Since, the government wasn’t giving out help that caused hatred toward the government and the president. Most of the shanty towns or Hooverville were located on the outskirts of major cities. People inside these Hooverville's made homes out of anything they could find like boards, old carpet, old mattresses and even tree limbs and branches.