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Great Depression


Life during the Great Depression

Angela Baker
January 1, 2009

During 1929 until early 1940, the United States went through one of the worst economic times ever recorded in history. Thousands of people were wandering around all over the world, not knowing what they should do next. This is a time known as the Great Depression. During the Great Depression, the lives of many Americans were traumatized due to the lack of jobs, food, shelter and clothing. The Great Depression is an event that took place in people’s lives that changed them for the rest of their life; these years will never be forgotten.
Families all over the United States were struggling to pay their rent. Families were being evicted from their homes by the thousands. Circumstances were not uncommon for the wives and children to move in with relatives while the husbands were searching for ways to make a living. Many times there were multiple families living in a house together.
Thousands of people were going hungry every day. Many would go days at a time without anything to eat. People could not afford to feed their families. Families were known to stand in lines waiting for the garbage trucks to dump the garbage; they could dig through garbage for food. During this time, people had to go without milk and meat. People all over the United States were deathly sick due to being malnourished.
The depression made it hard for parents to provide clothes for their children. People were known to use cotton or cardboard in the soles of their shoes because they could not afford to buy new ones. Many people went without shoes. There is a collection of letters written to Mrs. Roosevelt from children all over the United States. These children would write these letters begging for used clothing and food.
During the peak of the depression, young men and many teenagers were leaving home. They felt they were a burden to their families. They were ashamed of the conditions they were...