Life in the Great Depression

The years after the Stock Market Crash of 1929 were full of poverty, bitterness and just harsh times. There were massive cut in wages and employment; the rich were poorer, the poorer were barely hanging, many have lost it all and the country was waiting for the government for solutions but none were permanent.

In contrast there was uplift in the arts.

•           The Works Progress Administration, where unemployed artist were hired to paint murals on federal buildings.
•           The Farm Security Administration, where unemployed photographers where hired to document the lives of homeless families, unemployed workers, and southern tenant farmers.
•           Some of these great camera artists were: Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans and Ansel Adams.

The arts revealed the human suffering in the clearest way calling for reform.

Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal were programs created in response to the Great Depression.

•    The "First New Deal" (1933–34) dealt with diverse groups, from banking and railroads to industry and farming, all of which demanded help for economic survival.
•     The "Second New Deal" in 1935–38 included the Wagner Act to promote labor unions, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) relief program (which made the federal government by far the largest single employer in the nation), the Social Security Act, and new programs to aid tenant farmers and migrant workers.

Wikipedia

For these week’s movies you surely know Annie, this one is the 1999 version.

There are as well documentaries of video and people's experiences about living during the 1930'3, reflecting different parts of what was going on during the time.

Rioting Across America - The Great Depression

Stories of the Great Depression: The Family Table

Raymond and Anna Marie McIntyre

For a complete video about the great depression and why it was caused I would suggest this video 1929: The Great Crash. It is the complete history of the two decades, 1920’s and 1930’s, filled with videos from the time and historians words; a really interesting and completely informative documentary.

The roaring 20’s: Flappers and Joe Louis

Time Line

¯        In 1920 women get the right to vote.

¯        From 1921 to 1929 was the Roaring 20’s.

¯        On October 29, 1929 the Stock Market Crash.

¯        The Great Depression was from the crash of ‘29 to mid-1943.

The 1920’s

o   The 1920’s was a good decade if you had the money. If not you could still buy stuff on credit in the stores.

o   Some of the bad things were that there was less taxes. That meant less money for schools and to hire police men and all those other services provided by government.

People’s unavailability to pay their debts contributed to the crash of ’29.

Flappers

Flappers were the modern women of the time. They were very controversial: they would cut their hair shorter, though not all of them; they would wear shorter dresses, which back then showing any skin was very scandalous due to the Victorian style of the past; they would hang out with the boys, smoked in public and drink too, though drinking was still illegal.

It was a very materialistic society, kind of like it is today. Though back then it led to the Stock Market Crash.

Check out these videos: It’s a bunch of films from the 20’s involving mostly the fabulous life of flappers and you might notice some similarities between then and today’s society.

·         Flappers - The Roaring Twenties – check out minute 4:22, does it seem familiar with teen's clothing problems and their parents.

·         To live in the 1920’s – check out minute 1:20 for the foldable car.

The other video that is as well very remarkable is Joe Louis - America's Hero Betrayed. It’s an inspiring documentary about an African American boxer at the time that held the World Heavyweight Champion from 1937 to 1949. He created an uproar of the African American community and the American society, despite the color of his skin.

Monument to Joe Louis at Detroit

The Other Side of WWI

On 1914  Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated which lead to the start of WWI.

The US remained neutral.

In 1915 the Lusitania was sunk by a German submarine, killing over 120 Americans which lead to the US entering the war on 1917.

US joined the Allies in 1917. The Allies were: England, France, Russia and China. Russia leaves in 1917 because of its Communist Revolution or Civil War.

The Central powers were: Germany, Austria, Hungary, Turks and Japan.

WWI ended on 1918 with the signing of an armistice.

The Treaty of Versailles was signed on 1919 were Britain, France and Italy charged Germany with severe economic penalties.

Germany is:

·         Blamed for starting the war.

·         Demilitarized.

·         Must pay fines to France, reparations.

USA:

·         Is seen as the great power.

·         Britain wanted President Wilson to be governor of the world in the League of Nations, which is like the early UN.

o   Wilson wanted the US to join the League of Nations but the Senate refused.

In the film Johnny Got His Gun (1971) we see Johnny who joins the Army but he is severely injured and he lies in a hospital bed narrating his thoughts and remembering his life.

This film was not popular because it was highly controversial at the time. The film became popular when parts of it were used for the Metallica One music video.

Another movie related to WWI were Legends of the fall which takes tome from before WWI to the 1930’s.