MY LIFE DURING THE
GREAT DEPRESSION
Ariahna Rodgers
This is my family. This was me and my
brother and sisters way back when we
were kids. We would always play school
and teach each other. We had fun, while it
lasted of course.
This is my mom she was a housewife, I mean
most women were in these times. She would
stay home, cook and clean for the family. My
dad was a banker so he would be out for
hours at a time. My mom would always have
dinner on the table waiting for him when he
came in, knowing that everyday was stressful
for him.
Business was booming! People came in
my Daddy’s bank, putting money in their
bank accounts and setting up saving
accounts. Everything was great. Money
was flowing in, Mom was happy, Dad was
happy. Life couldn’t get better. (or so I
thought)
We lived in the great city of New
Orleans, it was a busy city. There were
a lot of things to do here. It was a nice
place to live and grow up. I had a job
as a cook in one of my favorite
restaurants, Charlie’s Steakhouse. It
was a good job. (while it lasted)
ROOSEVELT FOR PRESIDENT!
1932- Roosevelt was elected for
president. He was so much better
than that horrible Herbert Hoover.
He actually tried to make things
better. He came up with something
called the New Deals.
President Roosevelt's New Deals
helped generate new jobs and
helped protect savings. During
his presidency he would do radio
talks. His voice alone gave the
people hope for the new future.
October 29, 1929
BLACK TUESDAY HIT! We
didn’t know what to do. Banks
started to close, Daddy
started to worry. He knew he
was going to lose his job.
Mama and Daddy didn’t want
to tell us what was happening.
I knew already though.
Everyone didn’t know what to
do. They were freaking out. All
their money were in the banks
and they had no access to it.
My dad and I had lost our jobs. My mom
had never worked in the first place so there
wasn’t any money coming in. They were
sending notes saying that if we don’t pay a
certain payment in a month then we have to
pack our things and get out. Next thing I
know we are on the street and BEGGING.
Ever since we got kicked out of our house we have
been living in our car. We would go to public places
to take showers and our dad would go out and find
whatever food he could find. He still was on the hunt
for a job. We would sit in our favorite restaurant and
listen to the radio and hear President Roosevelt talk.
Just hearing him made me feel like this was going to
be over soon. He lifted us just a little.
President Roosevelt passed many deals during his
presidency. He changed so many things in our life. The
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) project that he
installed helped. This project allowed 18-25 year olds
obtain a job. This helped me and my brother get a job
to at least buy some food for out family. Times were still
hard.
The National Industrial Recovery Act allowed my
brothers get a job in constructing school buildings.
They always had a little extra money on the side and
they would take us to the candy store and let us pick
out our favorite candy. That made my mom so happy to
see us smiling again.
WE MADE IT!
The Great Depression is over! My family and I are
watching the news and they began to tell us the
causes of what may have happened. The crop prices
had fell and the loans went unpaid. There was uneven
distribution of the money, there were too many goods
and not enough money, and business went
unregulated.
When President Roosevelt passed the Social Security
Act it made my dad so happy knowing that when he
and my mom retired from their jobs they would have
insurance for each other. He was happy that the
government would aid us.
Rural
The rural are was greatly affected
by the Dust Bowl. The farmers had
loosened the dirt from planting the
same crops over and over without
changing out the soil. The drought
had contributed to the devastation
as well. Farmers production had
decreased greatly.
The urban city was going through
the major crisis of the banks
closing down and the huge
percentage of unemployment.
People were worrying about their
money and about the loss of control
on where their money were.
Urban
1932~ Election of
1923 Franklin D.
Roosevelt Won
1930~ Great
Depression
1937~ Memorial
Day Massacre
1933~ FDR’s New
Deal created
1933~ 20th
Amendment passed
1933~ TVA, AAA,
CCC, and NIRA
1933~FDR’s 100
Days policy passed
1935~ Social
Security Act passed
1935~ Wagner Act
passed
1936~ Soil
Conservation and
Domestic Allotment
Act passed