Life in the Great Depression
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The Great Depression was a relentless global economic depression, which occurred mostly in the 1930s, starting in the United States. It was the most disastrous economic downturn in the history of the United States. The Great Depression highly impacted various cities, and as a result, numerous individuals became unemployed and homeless. Multiple families lacked the money to purchase stuff, and customer demand for produced products decreased. Cities that were severely affected included port cities and every city that relied on the heavy sector, like steel and automobiles.
Farmers were also affected in that at the beginning of the 1930s, prices went down so low, which resulted in numerous farmers producing more to enable them to pay their living expenses, their taxes, and debts. As a result, farmers were unable to pay off their debts. Therefore, most of them became broke and, in return, lost their farms. Also, due to lack of finances, farmers were unable to maintain their farms, and as a result, dryness, insects, and heat damaged the crops.
The Great Depression also made worse the already hopeless African Americans’ economic situation. Racial discrimination was on the rise. As a result, individuals from various minority groups were the first ones to get dismissed from their tasks. They were highly affected by unemployment since their unemployment rate was 2-3 times higher than that of white individuals. Additionally, minority groups were generally denied job opportunities in community works plans, which were meant for every needy citizen. They also received threats at various relief centers whenever they tried to apply for jobs or assistance. Also, a few charities refused to give the minority groups food, and violence against them heightened at the time of The Great Depression. The same case was experienced by other minority groups during The Great Depression, like Mexican and Asian Americans. Therefore, life for the minority group was difficult without survival means.
Children also suffered at the time of The Great Depression. They lacked the enjoyment and freedom of being a child since they generally felt the burdens that pressured their parents. Their parents could no longer afford the fancy life, and obtaining food was an issue. Therefore, numerous children suffered from malnutrition due to a lack of food. At times, kids run away from their homes since they did not want to burden their parents, which exposed them to various risks. For instance, they had to jump on moving trains, which was dangerous if one missed a step. Children suffered both physically and mentally.
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