About the Homeless Population During the Great Depression
During the Great Depression the homeless rate in America became the highest in the nation's history. The stock market collapse of 1929 created high unemployment, and the Dust Bowl led many into shantytowns called Hoovervilles. Migrant workers began riding the rails, giving rise to the hobo culture, while military veterans, demanding their money from fighting in World War I, marched on Washington.
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Time Frame
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Most historians and economists believe the Great Depression began with the Black Tuesday collapse of the New York Stock Exchange on Oct. 29, 1929. The exact causes of the collapse have been debated for decades; however, a lack in confidence is the primary reason for the massive sell-offs. Because of the crash, industry and banking communities were heavily hit and many businesses were forced to lay off employees or close their doors entirely.
Another factor in the rise of unemployment during the period was the Dust Bowl, which began in 1930 and lasted for many years. After decades of mismanaged farming techniques and a sustained drought, the topsoil in the Southwest and Midwest eroded into massive dust storms. Farming families across the country were devastated, being forced to relocate and finding themselves unemployed.
The conditions that led to high unemployment and homelessness during the Great Depression were sustained through much of the 1930s until the onset of World War II boosted industry again.
Significance
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During the Depression unemployment rates skyrocketed, leading to massive homelessness and increased poverty rates. Some figures put the height of unemployment at nearly 25 percent during the 1930s. It wasn't until 1940 that the rate would drop back down to 10 percent. This expansive joblessness caused many families to go without food, clothing or shelter necessary for simple day-to-day living. Suicide rates climbed, leaving mothers alone to tend to children and with no income. Soup lines sprouted up around the country in an effort to combat the growing number of migrant workers and starving families.
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Features
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One of the enduring images of the Great Depression came to be known as Hoovervilles, named after President Herbert Hoover, who many felt did little to stem the tide of rising homelessness. Shantytowns, often constructed of wood and cardboard or tents, sprouted up across the country. Although never officially recognized by the government, these makeshift towns were tolerated due to the massive amounts of people who inhabited them. One of the most famous Hoovervilles was located in Central Park, while the largest was built in St. Louis and held a population of more than 1,000.
Effects
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Beyond the massed populations of homeless, a hobo culture developed around the railroad lines. The idea of homeless people riding freight trains had been around since the Civil War, but during the 1930s, with the sharp rise in unemployment, migrant workers began to use the railroads as a way to move from location to location to secure work. Large numbers of homeless men traveled west to California in search of labor only to find that the Depression had enveloped the entire country.
The hobo culture had its own language and mores, as well as a certain image that became synonymous with railroading. The idea of riding the rails was dangerous, however. The railroad companies hired security, which often was violent with individuals it encountered. In addition, extreme weather conditions led to many homeless freezing to death or dying of heat exhaustion. Also dangerous was the practice of jumping onto and from trains, resulting in the deaths of thousands.
Considerations
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Perhaps the greatest tragedy to befall the homeless population during the Great Depression was an incident with marchers that became known as the Bonus Army. Assembling in Washington, D.C., in 1932 were 17,000 veterans and their families who requested bonuses promised by the federal government for their service in World War I. Not having the money to pay out bonuses to the returning troops, Congress supplied the veterans bonds which would mature in 1945. With the Depression firmly entrenched in America, many veterans found themselves unemployed and living in Hoovervilles.
President Hoover and the Republican Congress knew that issuing the bonuses to the veterans would damage the already precarious situation in the federal budget and chose not to act. The president ordered the removal of the homeless veterans, and on July 28, the U.S. Army led by General Douglas MacArthur charged the encampment with fixed bayonets and forcibly evacuated the Bonus Army. Hundreds were injured and many were killed.
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Resources
- Photo Credit poor house image by Alexey Klementiev from Fotolia.com
