The Great Depression
Monica, Thomas, Jaime, Bella
Overview from 1929-1940
The Great Depression started in October 1929 when all the stock markets crashed. In March 1930, more than 3.2 million people were unemployed, up from the 1.5 million that already had no jobs from October. Over 6,000 unemployed people covered the streets of New York in November 1930 because they were selling apples for only five cents a piece, trying to make any money they can. Food riots began to break out in February 1931 meaning people would break into stores and steal fruits, canned goods, and meats. People started to get jobs in October 1933 when the Civil Works Administration was established. They employed up to 4 million people by building bridges, schools, hospitals, airports, playgrounds, and parks. In 1934, a three day dust storm blew an estimated 350 million tons of soil off the ground. That same year in Nebraska, they only got 14.5 inches of rain that whole year, meaning there wasn’t many crops grown causing less work, money, and food. In 1939, the Great Depression ended and WW2 started.
Personal Stories
"We ate so many black eyed peas that I never wanted to see another black eye pea. We even slept on ʼem, laid out pallets on the pods of black eyed peas and hay."
- Nettie Featherston
#2
“Grandma would make an Italian dish called ‘minestra’—made with the cut-up left over bread, beans, ham hocks and dandelion greens. This was a poor man’s meal, but very nourishing. Mom and Grandma would walk to Interlake field to pick the dandelions used in this dish.”
- Mary Rose DeMaria, 83, Oregon