The Red Scare of the 1920s History & Overview | What was the First Red Scare? OKIESOkies is a term applied generally to people from the American Southwest who migrated to the Pacific Coast, particularly to California, during the Great Depression. Today the nine acre site is used to unload container ships. Hoovervilles and Homelessness. The anger directed at Herbert Hoover didn't stop with the label given to the makeshift settlements. Hoovervilles In the 1930s, Hoovervilles (shantytowns) formed coast to coast in cities of the United States. Hooverville housed about 10,000 veterans and their families in ramshackle shelters built from old lumber, packing boxes, and scrapped tin from a nearby junk pile. WATCH VIDEO: How Artists Helped End the Great Depression. During the Great Depression, which began in 1929 and lasted about a decade, shantytowns appeared across America as unemployed people were evicted from their homes. One of the most famous ways in which people migrated during the timeframe of the Great Depression was by 'riding the rails' on trains. Small camps and sites in towns sprang up in any available space. New York City: Depression shacks "Hoover Village" in the old Central Park reservoir. The committee included two Whites, two Blacks, and two Filipinos. Absolutely anything that would provide shelter. He had first achieved fame during World War I when he ran the U.S. Food Administration, and his. [6], After 1940, the economy recovered, unemployment fell, and shanty housing eradication programs destroyed all the Hoovervilles. 361 lessons. They cut down dramatically on their purchases, but less buying meant fewer goods needed, so companies didn't need so many employees. Some Hoovervilles had basic public services and conveniences. The Great Depression saw the collapse of the United States' economy, rampant unemployment and a broad sense of hopelessness. Although people would often use castoff lumber and building materials, more often than not Hooverville structures were built with cardboard, tar paper, and other comparatively flimsy elements. He explained that the population was fluid, as men sold their shacks to newcomers and moved on, and at its maximum during the winter months when it reached as hight as 1,200. Along with Hoovervilles, other derogatory terms aimed at President Hoovers continued refusal to initiate welfare programs became common in both the homeless camps and newspapers. As fears grew, many Americans believed the U.S. government could and should do something to help. Usually built on vacant land, the camps were largely tolerated by city authorities. This sample is exclusively for KidsKonnect members!To download this worksheet, click the button below to signup for free (it only takes a minute) and you'll be brought right back to this page to start the download! months[0] = "Discover the vast range of useful, leisure and educational websites published by the Siteseen network. Homelessness was rampant during the Great Depression. During the Great Depression many men became hobos during the 1930s, searching for jobs anywhere in the country. Residents of the previous Hooverville in Tacoma rebuilt homes on the same site they occupied throughout. A Brief Look at the U.S. Department of Labor. A Tarpaper Carthage: Interpreting Hooverville, by Joey Smith, These camps came to be called Hoovervilles, after the president. Some cities allowed squatter encampments for a time, others did not. In 1932, Hooverville was established in Anacostia, District of Columbia, to house a group of. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. months[5] = "Explore the interesting, and fascinating selection of unique websites created and produced by the Siteseen network. In May 1942, shortly after Seattle destroyed its Hooverville, the Tacoma Fire Department burned fifty of the "Hollywood" shacks. These areas were frequently on private lands, but the trespassing settlements were simply ignored as the crisis demanded. During WWI, this area belonged to the Port of Seattle but was occupied by the Skinner and Eddy shipyard. Hoover leather referred to cardboard or newspaper used to replace worn-out shoe soles. University of Washington: The Great Depression in Washington State. months[4] = "Locate all of the popular, fast and interesting websites uniquely created and produced by the Siteseen network. The government refused to pay, citing Depression-era budgetary restrictions. Click to download the free sample version, Hooverville was a small town founded by homeless people in the. READ MORE:Did New Deal Programs Help End the Great Depression? Most settlers were disorganized, and only a few established a form of government. [8], One exceptional Hooverville of Seattle, Washington held a structured government and collected extensive documentation. Farming in 1935 . Many of us spend a great deal of time imagining what we'd do if we had a lot of money--if we won the lottery, for example. Some families were fortunate enough to stay with friends and family members that hadn't been evicted yet, but homeless men, women and children were forced to take up residence in shacks as a result of the Great Depression. The largest Hooverville, located in St. Louis, Missouri, was home to as many as 8,000 homeless people from 1930 to 1936. There was no work, people were starving and the local police repeatedly burned down the camp. Shanty towns built during the Great Depression, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Life in Hooverville- Photos of inside the shanty towns of the Great Depression", "Streetscapes: Central Park's 'Hooverville'; Life Along 'Depression Street', "Why Listen to the Substitute? In late 1935, the city Health Department estimated that 4,000 to 5,000 people were living in the various shacktowns. He had first achieved fame during World War I when he ran the U.S. Food Administration, and his managerial skills, relentless work ethic, and ability to feed both the troops and the homefront simultaneously won him enormous praise. KidsKonnect uses a secure SSL connection to encrypt your data and we only work with trusted payment processors Stripe and PayPal. The current "Nickelsville" is a nod to Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, just as "Hooverville" was a sarcastic nod to . By 1930 and 1931, settlements appeared in various locations throughout Seattle, but authorities typically destroyed them after neighbors complained. The nickname 'Hooverville' was given to the shanty towns that sprang up across the nation during the Great Depression. Divided into distinct sectors, the racially integrated and cohesive encampment was home to as many as 8,000 destitute people. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 84,000 These are ready-to-use Hooverville worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Hooverville, which was a small town founded by homeless people in the United States during the Great Depression. Both his parents were dead by the time he was nine. Most people, however, resorted to building their residences out of wood from crates, cardboard, scraps of metal, or whatever materials were available to them. He described the population as fluid in 1938, owing to men selling their homes to newcomers and moving on. The main Hooverville began on land near Elliott Bay through a cluster of small huts. Library of Congress. In Seattle, Washington, stood one of the country's largest, longest-lasting, and best-documented Hoovervilles, standing for ten years between 1931 and 1941.Though several were located about the city, this Hooverville was on the tidal flats adjacent to the Port of Seattle. Click the Edit button above to get started. A Hoover blanket was a pile of old newspapers used as bedding. Throughout the country, Hoovervilles, or makeshift shanties, would spring up to provide shelter wherever possible, often near water sources or the soup kitchens operated by churches and charities. Roosevelts recovery program, known as the New Deal, eventually reduced unemployment, regulated banking and helped turn the ailing economy around with public works projects and other economic programs. As the Depression deepened, the sheer number of homeless people became overwhelming. Many other names were coined by Democrats based on his opinion, including Hoover blanket, flag, leather, and wagon. Covering nine acres of public land, it housed a population of up to 1,200, claimed its own community government including an unofficial mayor, and enjoyed the protection of leftwing groups and sympathetic public officials Black and white men would share homes out of convenience and, likewise, exemplify camaraderie and friendship. Although a common factor among Hooverville residents was unemployment, inhabitants took any work that became available, often laboring at such backbreaking, sporadic jobs as fruit picking or packing. Police officers doused the little structures with kerosene and lit them as spectators watched. @media (min-width: 340px) { .adslot_1 { width: 336px; height: 280px; } } We are grateful to the Seattle Municipal Archives, King County Archives, and the University of Washington Library Special Collections for permission to incorporate materials in their collections. Some homes were not buildings at all, but deep holes dug in the ground with makeshift roofs laid over them to keep out inclement weather. When the government failed to provide relief, President Herbert Hoover was blamed for the intolerable economic and social conditions, so the shantytowns that cropped up became known as Hoovervilles. There were dozens in the state of Washington, hundreds throughout the country, each testifying to the housing crisis that accompanied the employment crisis of the early 1930s. The term was coined by Charles Michelson. [4] Most of these unemployed residents of the Hoovervilles relied on public charities or begged for food from those who had housing during this era. The Depression increased the demand for such assistance exponentially. He believed this would represent a philosophical shift in what the government was supposed to be for--namely, to ensure a level playing field for economic opportunity, but not to regulate or take over the functions of the market. Facts about Shantytowns and HoovervillesThe following fact sheet contains interesting facts and information on Shantytowns and Hoovervilles. Roosevelt promised to improve the country with a "new deal for the American people." Interesting Facts About the Great Depression The stock market lost almost 90% of its value between 1929 and 1933. months[8] = "This website is produced by the Siteseen network that specializes in producing free informative websites on a diverse range of topics. KidsKonnect is a growing library of high-quality, printable worksheets for teachers and homeschoolers. Each Hooverville was unique. MacArthurs troops set fire to the Hooverville and drove the group from the city with bayonets and tear gas. This download is exclusively for KidsKonnect Premium members!To download this worksheet, click the button below to signup (it only takes a minute) and you'll be brought right back to this page to start the download! In 1938, Jackson wrote a short, vivid description of the community that we reproduce here. [2] Among the white population, nationalities included English, Irish, Polish, Spanish, Italian, and Russian. "; Write THREE true facts about this topic and ONE lie about this topic in the boxes below2. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Ultimately, they were a bitterly ironic symbol of the suffering inherent in the worst economic crisis in U.S. History. "Hooverville" became a common term for shacktowns and homeless encampments during the Great Depression. They posed health risks to their inhabitants as well as to those living nearby, but there was little that local governments or health agencies could do. Not ready to purchase a subscription? Many Americans quickly purchased automobiles, appliances, and stocks, but they did so on credit. These settlements were often trespassing on private lands, but they were frequently tolerated or ignored out of necessity. In 1932, Hooverville was established in Anacostia, District of Columbia, to house a group of WWI veterans seeking expedited benefits, dubbed the Bonus Army. One of the important events during his presidency was the emergence of the Shanty Town during the Great Depression. This is especially clear from the lyrics which included this line: 'They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead; why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread?'. Reasons for Homelessness: Homeowners lost their houses when they could not pay mortgages or pay taxes. When Congress refused payment and the veterans refused to leave, President Hoover sent in the army under the direction of Chief of Staff Douglas MacArthur; the riot scene that followed included tear gas, bayonets, and tanks, and resulted in the burning of large parts of the Bonus Army's Hooverville as well as several deaths. St. Louis, Missouri, and Seattle, Washington, were home to two of the countrys largest and longest-standing Hoovervilles. Hooverville served as a home for different nationalities and ethnicities. Hoovervilles: Some 200,000 migrant farmers relocated to California. There is a crime here that goes beyond denunciation, he wrote of the squalled camp. Donald Roy created this map of Seattle's Hooverville. A 'Hoover blanket' was a newspaper, covering a homeless man on a city bench; a 'Hoover flag' was a turned-out pants pocket, a sure sign of pennilessness. Some were as small as a few hundred people while others, in bigger metropolitan areas such as Washington, D.C. and New York City, boasted thousands of inhabitants. This began with a heated debate over the status and rights of Hooverville residents, who became more visible in petitions submitted throughout the late 1930s. For example, one of the eight Hoovervilles in Seattle, Washington, stood from 1931 to 1941. The effect was the virtual freezing of international trade. months[6] = "Uncover a wealth of facts and information on a variety of subjects produced by the Siteseen network. "; Hooverville residents had nowhere else to go, and public sympathy, for the most part, was with them. The final decision to eliminate Hooverville was presented in a report from the Housing Authority. which contrasted the prosperity of the previous decade with the current crisis. Two young residents at a Hooverville shantytown in Washington, D.C. Longley, Robert. Additionally, although the 1920s, also known as the Roaring Twenties, had been a decade of prosperity, income levels varied widely and numerous Americans lived beyond their means. Named for President Herbert Hoover, the ramshackle settlements ranged in size and were set up across the nation. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Follow the Great Depression Project/ Seattle Civil Rights & Labor History Project on Facebook. Hooverville shanties were constructed of cardboard, tar paper, glass, lumber, tin and whatever other materials people could salvage. Petition for community bath houses in Hooverville (May 15, 1935) This worksheet can be edited by Premium members using the free Google Slides online software. Seattle was also the location of seven other shantytowns. Democratic National Committee publicity director and longtime newspaper reporter Charles Michelson is credited with coining the term, which first appeared in print in 1930. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was an ambitious employment and infrastructure program created by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1935, during the bleakest days of the Great Depression. Other Hoovervilles also developed: one on the side of Beacon Hill where today I-5 passes; one in the Interbay area next to where the city used to dump its garbage; and two others along 6th Avenue in South Seattle. These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. Excerpt from "Hooverville: A Study of a Community of Homeless Men in Seattle" by Donald Francis Roy (1935) Unsanitary conditions in the camps left both their residents and the nearby communities at risk of disease. The term was coined by the publicity director of the Democratic National Committee in 1930. Even before the Great Depression, there were homeless people, but most large cities were able to build municipal lodging houses for the homeless. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! "; A "Hooverville" dweller, Circleville, Ohio, c. 1938. Grade Level. The New Deal Legacy & Impacts | What is the Legacy of the New Deal? Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. Seattle is fortunate to have the kind of detailed documentation of its Hooverville that other cities lack, and we have compiled these unique resources here. Come learn about Hoovervilles, how they got their name, and. University of Washington: The Great Depression in Washington State.Hoovervilles in Seattle. Excerpt from Health Department Annual Report (1935) Did New Deal Programs Help End the Great Depression? copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Jackson was also the chairperson of the Vigilance Committee. Report of Shack Elimination Committee (April 14, 1941) Response from Health Department (May 23, 1935) Some claim to have been made up of men, women, and children, while others claim to only have had men. Riverside Park, New York City: A shantytown occupied Riverside Park at 72nd Street during the depression. Signed in June 1930, the decidedly protectionist law placed extremely high tariffs on imported foreign goods. The numbers, as mind-boggling as they are, tend not to reflect the actual state of suffering caused by the greatest economic catastrophe in U.S. history. It is just west of Qwest Field and the Alaska Viaduct. As the Depression worsened in the 1930s many looked to the federal government for assistance. Hundreds of Hoovervilles were established across the country during the 1930s. Democrats coined many terms based on opinions of Herbert Hoover[5] such as "Hoover blanket" (old newspaper used as blanketing). All Rights Reserved. In June, many of the so-called Bonus Army marched to the Capitol to request early payment of the government bonuses they had been promised for their military servicemoney that would have alleviated the financial problems of many families. [2], However, not every Hooverville fits this description. A survey located 1687 shacks in five substantial colonies and many smaller ones. Around 15,000 men joined the movement, many of whom came from far away and arrived in the area by illegally riding on railroad freight trains. Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images/Getty Images. Longley, Robert. He was proud of the self-built community, saying "Hooverville is the abode of the forgotten man." After 1940, all of Hooverville were destroyed as the economy recovered and the unemployment rate fell eventually. Even during the worst of the Depression, most Hooverville residents continued to seek employment, often taking backbreaking seasonal jobs like picking and packing field crops. Inside Hoovervilles were houses called shanties . Most of them did not find work. In 1932, a new mayor was elected based on his support for the Unemployed Citizens League. One of the important events during his presidency was the emergence of the Shanty Town during the Great Depression. Renters fell behind and faced eviction. As the optimism of the 1920s gave way to fear and desperation, Americans looked to the federal government for relief. Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. With such a well-developed social order, the camp maintained itself as a functional separate community from 1930 to 1936, when President Franklin D. Roosevelts New Deal sweeping economic recovery plan allocated federal funds for its removal. The Hoovervilles varied in size from just a few shacks clustered together to communities of over 1000 rickety shacks covering acres of unused or public lands. Hoover also didn't think it would work and that a crisis such as this one would have to blow over on its own. Many felt that the government had to help those who lost work in the 1930s. Seattle police twice burned the early Hooverville, but each time residents rebuilt. At 81, He does Tell History Firsthand", Photos of a new father figure in Hooverville in Portland, Oregon, Great Depression in Washington State Project, Photos and details of a Hooverville in Seattle, Washington, Photographs of California Hoovervilles (Sacramento, Kern County), Presidential transition of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Birthplace and childhood home National Historic Site, Presidential Library, Museum, and gravesite, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hooverville&oldid=1139613330, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from May 2017, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Economic disparity in the United States during the 1930s was not limited to American born individuals. Many were established near rivers, as the above picture shows, or ponds - it helped to have access to some water. It began after the stock market crash of October 1929, which sent Wall Street into a panic and wiped out millions of investors. On two occasions, the Seattle Health Department ordered the residents to leave and burned their shanties when they refused. A large number of small houses were constructed from scrap materials. Beyond the waters lie two rugged mountain ranges, the Olympics to the west and the Cascades to the east. As the Depression worsened and millions of families lost their jobs and depleted their savings, they also lost their homes. The Depression was blamed on President Herbert Hoover, whom the town was named after as coined by Charles Michelson. Hoover Pullmans were rusted railroad boxcars used as dwellings. Trade policies made the Great Depression worse. As people increasingly relied on credit to buy homes filled with new conveniences of the day, like refrigerators, radios, and cars, many Americans were living beyond their means. The nation turned to Herbert Hoover expecting help, but he had none to give. Who Were the Democratic Presidents of the United States? [9], Regardless of the gender of the residents, Hoovervilles served as a common ground for many different nationalities and ethnicities. One-fourth of all workers were unemployed. [1] There were hundreds of Hoovervilles across the country during the 1930s.[2]. Source for information on Okies: Encyclopedia of the Great Depression dictionary. 1933 is generally regarded as the worst year of the Depression: One-quarter of Americas workersmore than 15 million peoplewere out of work. The reaction to all of this was often characterized by a grim sort of humor, sometimes represented by popular songs like the 1930's 'Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?'
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