Blog discussion.
First Bruns told us about the Hobo language. They used symbols to communicate to each other sometimes and to warn each other about things.
Sarah talked about the Dust Bowl. She said it lasted about as long as the Great Depression. It happened in the Great Plains area. People over farmed the area so there weren't any roots to hold down the soil and this layer of dust settled on the ground and there would be these dust storms that were like blizzards except with dust everywhere (Black Blizzard). People had to wear masks outside so they wouldn't breath it in. Many farmers lost their jobs because the soil was so bad. People started heading toward California to get away from the dust storms (called Okies). Also there were sand drifts.
Heather talked about Men in the Streets. There were a lot of men during the Great Depression who were just trying to find jobs to provide for their families and they were really embarassed about this. Some cities gave out welfare checks to families. New York gave 2.39 a week per family.
Justice talked about Women Taking Action. Women had to step up when their husbands lost their jobs. They would try to find odd jobs anywhere. They were discriminated against in the workfield during the Great Depression because they didn't think that it was right for them to have jobs if the men didn't have jobs. But they still tried to help out by sewing and planting and things like that.
Bri talked about Children Suffering Hardships. Some older kids felt bad about staying in their families because they were another mouth to feed so they would leave and catch a train to somewhere (Wild Boys). Many kids died on these little journeys. Many kids were out of school because schools were shutting down. They would try to find jobs. Many hospitals had to close down to so there wasn't a lot of health care for kids and also they were getting enough food either. Many kids got Rickets which is the softening of their bones and caused disfiguration.
Minden talked about Social and Psychological Effects. Many people who were from that generation are very careful with their money and even if they have a lot of money they won't spend a lot of it. Also they would keep a good chunk of money on them because they didn't trust the banks so they would hide it in there houses. Also the kids who didn't recieve healthcare grew up and weren't as healthy as they should be and still have health problems. Many people's families were split up and many people committed suicide so that effected the people who were left.
Ryan talked about Hoover's background. He was born in 1874. He was the only president from Iowa. His father was a blacksmith. Both his parents died when he was young. He was one of the first people to attend Stanford Univ. when it first opened. He was a quaker which is a really strict christian religion. He was a trained engineer. He was involved in WWI but wasnt a soldier.
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