On Food Resources
The decade of the 1930s or "The Great Depression" saw large numbers of people who lived in poverty, desperately in need of more food, clothing, and shelter. In 1933, one in four Americans who wanted to work was unable to find a job. Due to this staggering unemployment rate, resources that could produce that food, clothing, and shelter that many people desperately needed were sitting idle, producing nothing. The Great Depression effected food production, consumption and storage for the ordinary American. Many families sought to cope by planting gardens and canning food, and despite steep decline in food prices, many families were unemployed therefore not able to buy any food.
According to www.digitalhistory.com, "food prices of the great depression in the 30s were somewhat of a paradox, when you look back and consider how everything was so cheap, and, yet, at the same time, way too expensive for many people living through those times”. Before the Great Depression many American “farmers were buying more and more goods off the farm”. In contrast, during the Depression, the ordinary American “had little money for store-bought food, clothes, and household goods”. Farmers returned to older ways of harvesting for their own tables. Instead of only cultivating crops for the market, they feed themselves with their harvest. According to www.livinghistoryfarm.com, “farms in the 1930s were diversified, growing a variety of crops in the fields, vegetables in the garden and fruit in the orchard” and “usually raised chickens, eggs, hogs, and cattle."
The 1930s were also characterized by creativity among Americans to stretch whatever food they had. New innovations in meats were important in the ordinary family during this rough economic time. Meals such as stews and soups, which could stretch a long way, made up people's principal meals in the 1930s. According to www.livinghistoryfarm.org, "home economists taught women how to stretch their food budget with casseroles and meals like creamed chipped beef on toast or waffles." The same source states that "there was no electricity to power refrigerators, so it was difficult to keep milk and other foods fresh, especially during the summer heat," to cope with this Americans learned to preserve and store food so that they could feed themselves for longer periods of time. Americans practiced and adopted new canning techniques that allowed them to preserve that food for winter.
Despite steep decline in food prices, many Americans were unemployed, therefore, not able to purchase food. According to www.digitalhistory.com, "many families did without milk consumption declined a million gallons a day." Soup-kitchens, which did without milk or meat" and "in New York City, milk consumption declined a million gallons a day." Soup-kitchens, which served mostly soup and bread because it was more economical, were set up to help feel the needy. According to www.suntimes.com, “charity kitchens ladled out soup to the unemployed. Even notorious gangster Al Capone contributed, setting up Chicago kitchens to feed 3,000 jobless people three meals a day”, because water could be added to serve more people, if necessary. Food prices weren't so much a problem for those who were employed during the great depression, as they could afford the daily essentials, but, for the unfortunate ones who were unemployed, even the every-day, basic necessities such as food were totally out of reach.
In 1933, according to the United Stated Bureau of Labor Statistics, 25 percent of the labor force was out of work. For those who had money, life during the Great Depression was undoubtedly more comfortable, even considering the times, but for those unfortunate unemployed Americans, putting food on the table was a daily struggle. Efforts like soup-kitchens were put in place to help try to relieve and feed the needy. Americans also learned to cope with these troubled times by becoming more self sufficient and creating "survival meals" such as stews, soups, and casseroles. Americans began to harvest their food not only to be sold in the market, but to feed themselves. Canning and preserving food was another important innovation that changed food resources during the Great Depression.
Works Cited:
According to www.digitalhistory.com, "food prices of the great depression in the 30s were somewhat of a paradox, when you look back and consider how everything was so cheap, and, yet, at the same time, way too expensive for many people living through those times”. Before the Great Depression many American “farmers were buying more and more goods off the farm”. In contrast, during the Depression, the ordinary American “had little money for store-bought food, clothes, and household goods”. Farmers returned to older ways of harvesting for their own tables. Instead of only cultivating crops for the market, they feed themselves with their harvest. According to www.livinghistoryfarm.com, “farms in the 1930s were diversified, growing a variety of crops in the fields, vegetables in the garden and fruit in the orchard” and “usually raised chickens, eggs, hogs, and cattle."
The 1930s were also characterized by creativity among Americans to stretch whatever food they had. New innovations in meats were important in the ordinary family during this rough economic time. Meals such as stews and soups, which could stretch a long way, made up people's principal meals in the 1930s. According to www.livinghistoryfarm.org, "home economists taught women how to stretch their food budget with casseroles and meals like creamed chipped beef on toast or waffles." The same source states that "there was no electricity to power refrigerators, so it was difficult to keep milk and other foods fresh, especially during the summer heat," to cope with this Americans learned to preserve and store food so that they could feed themselves for longer periods of time. Americans practiced and adopted new canning techniques that allowed them to preserve that food for winter.
Despite steep decline in food prices, many Americans were unemployed, therefore, not able to purchase food. According to www.digitalhistory.com, "many families did without milk consumption declined a million gallons a day." Soup-kitchens, which did without milk or meat" and "in New York City, milk consumption declined a million gallons a day." Soup-kitchens, which served mostly soup and bread because it was more economical, were set up to help feel the needy. According to www.suntimes.com, “charity kitchens ladled out soup to the unemployed. Even notorious gangster Al Capone contributed, setting up Chicago kitchens to feed 3,000 jobless people three meals a day”, because water could be added to serve more people, if necessary. Food prices weren't so much a problem for those who were employed during the great depression, as they could afford the daily essentials, but, for the unfortunate ones who were unemployed, even the every-day, basic necessities such as food were totally out of reach.
In 1933, according to the United Stated Bureau of Labor Statistics, 25 percent of the labor force was out of work. For those who had money, life during the Great Depression was undoubtedly more comfortable, even considering the times, but for those unfortunate unemployed Americans, putting food on the table was a daily struggle. Efforts like soup-kitchens were put in place to help try to relieve and feed the needy. Americans also learned to cope with these troubled times by becoming more self sufficient and creating "survival meals" such as stews, soups, and casseroles. Americans began to harvest their food not only to be sold in the market, but to feed themselves. Canning and preserving food was another important innovation that changed food resources during the Great Depression.
Works Cited:
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-worldwar/5826
- by Yesenia D.
Unemployment
The great depression yielded many countries in moving forward economically and socially. The worst distinguishing aspect of the great depression was the case of unemployment. During the decade between 1930 and 1940, large numbers of people lived in poverty, in much need and want of food, shelter, and even clothing. All of the normal survival modes were not working because of the economic downturn of the economy. In 1933 it took a turn for the worst as one in four Americans who wanted to work was unable to find a job. There were few government programs like what we have today in such as food stamps, designed to help the poor or those in temporary difficulty. It was a man's world in that time so to add to the difficulty in finding a job, most women didn't work. If the husband had no job, the family would be under strife. Many people thought that the day the stock market crashed in 1929 (black Thursday) marked the start of the great depression.
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| http://simpledebtfreefinance.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/depression-unemployment.g |
http://ingrimayne.com/econ/EconomicCatastrophe/GreatDepression.html
http://www.todaysteacher.com/TheGreatDepressionWebQuest/BriefOverview.htm
- by Michelle M.
Entertainment
During the Great Depression, you would have thought there was nothing to do since everything seems to have been going downhill, but that wasn't the case. Remember hearing about people gathering together chances are after a meal as a family, heading to the den or living room hurrying, sitting, and waiting for a program to come on over the radio? Well, that was a major part of the entertainment during this time, listening to the radio. Shows such as "fireside chats," when President Roosevelt would come on the air reassuring the Country of what was going on with the economy and how it was progressing. It was also used for storytelling, advertisement for companies who wanted to get their products known, and entertainment like soap operas. It was something like the soaps you see on television nowadays, but without the sight, just sound. They did seem to keep you coming back to hear what would happen next. Some of the shows included:" Our Girl Sunday, Just Plain Bill, MS Perkins, and many more." The television was not around at this time, but the movies were and they to were a form of entertainment. Some of the movies during that time period were "Tom Sawyer, Hell's Angel, Animal Crackers, and etc…" There was also plenty of reading done at this time, which some of the books were: "the 42nd Parallel, The Maltese Falcon, (one of my favorites), The Secret of the Old Clock, and etc..." Although movies picked up a few years later, so did the stars at that time, they included the great dancers, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (also some of my favorites), John Wayne, Clark Gable and the Marx Brothers, etc… were top box office hits. Although I haven't seen it in my quest for the entertainment of that time period, I believe that was also the time when stick ball, concentration with pop bottle tops started as a form of entertainment.
Works Cited:
http:/popculture2.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/1474034
- by Sybil C.
