The homeless clustered in shanty towns close to free soup kitchens. As elsewhere in the country, Washington State's Communist Party helped to organize the unemployed into active political and social formations. Businesses made huge profits, but average workers wages did not rise at the same rate. 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. The camps, dubbed Hoovervilles after Republican President Hoover, often sprang up near charity operated soup kitchens and rivers for drinking water and limited sanitary needs. The Hooverville in Seattle was one of the few with detailed documentation. Facts about Shantytowns and HoovervillesThe following fact sheet contains interesting facts and information on Shantytowns and Hoovervilles. 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. Others were simply holes dug in the ground covered with pieces of tin. Many felt that the government had to help those who lost work in the 1930s. Many other names were coined by Democrats based on his opinion, including Hoover blanket, flag, leather, and wagon. They usually had a small stove, bedding and a couple of simple cooking implements. By 1932, Herbert Hoovers last full year in office, the U.S. unemployment rate had soared to 25%, with more than 15 million people without jobs or homes. In "The Grapes of Wrath" the camp is described as filthy, filled with hopeless, despairing residents. Courtesy Tacoma Public Library. Hooverville was a small town founded by homeless people in the United States 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. Early Hooverville was burned down twice by Seattle police, but its residents continued to rebuild small houses. 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. According to Roy, there was tolerance and friendship among ethnic groups and nationalities because racial barriers did not exist. Each Hooverville was unique. Whenever possible, Hoovervilles were built near creeks, streams, and rivers to provide a source of water. [2] Donald Francis Roy, a citizen of Seattles Hooverville, took detailed recordings of the population during his time there. Thousands of Hoovervilles began to appear all over the country. months[8] = "This website is produced by the Siteseen network that specializes in producing free informative websites on a diverse range of topics. months[6] = "Uncover a wealth of facts and information on a variety of subjects produced by the Siteseen network. Hooverville shanties were constructed of cardboard, tar paper, glass, lumber, tin and whatever other materials people could salvage. The Great Depression caused social upheaval and political unrest. An error occurred trying to load this video. The government refused to pay, citing Depression-era budgetary restrictions. Who lived in a Hooverville or Shanty Town? here to see more photographs of Hoovervilles and homeless encampments in Seattle and Tacoma. Because of the lack of government, it took a lot of work. 19. By 1932, between one and two million American people were homeless. 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. In the aftermath of that event, sometimes read more. Life in these Hoovervilles was difficult and caused many people to migrate throughout the United States in search of better opportunities elsewhere. Hoovervilles were hundreds of makeshift homeless encampments built near large cities across the United States during the Great Depression (1929-1933). months[1] = "Find information about the instructive websites produced by international publisher Siteseen Ltd. "; months[3] = "Check out the interesting and diverse websites produced and created by the international publisher in the Siteseen network. Riverside Park, New York City: A shantytown occupied Riverside Park at 72nd Street during the depression. Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. He counted 639 residents in March of that year, all but seven of them men. It stood for ten years, 1931 to 1941. President Herbert Hoover did not do much to alleviate the crisis: Patience and self-reliance, he argued, were all Americans read more, The Great Depression was the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world, lasting from 1929 to 1939. @media (min-width: 340px) { .adslot_1 { width: 336px; height: 280px; } } Exhibit C: Physical Conditions and Occupancy of Shacks (March 5, 1941) Absolutely anything that would provide shelter. The camp began when an unemployed lumberjack Spread over nine acres; it housed a population of up to 1,200. Click the Edit button above to get started. A request from the city was that women and children would not be allowed to live in the shantytown. People were expected to fend for themselves. In 1932, Hooverville was established in Anacostia, District of Columbia, to house a group of WWI veterans seeking expedited benefits, dubbed the Bonus Army. 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. These settlements were often trespassing on private lands, but they were frequently tolerated or ignored out of necessity. The current "Nickelsville" is a nod to Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, just as "Hooverville" was a sarcastic nod to . 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. We spend less time wondering what we'd do if we lost it all and had to make do with virtually nothing. The highly unpopular Hoover was defeated in the 1932 presidential election by Franklin D. Roosevelt, whose New Deal recovery programs eventually helped lift the United States out of the Depression. Lessons from Hooverville still have not been learned today. University of Washington: The Great Depression in Washington State.Hoovervilles in Seattle. The primary cause was rapid economic growth, which was accompanied by excessive risk-taking at the aggregate level in the market. Tacoma hosted a large encampment near the city garbage dump that residents called "Hollywood-on-the-Tideflats." Hooverville was the popular name attributed to shanty towns that sprung up throughout the United States during the Great Depression. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. Billions of dollars were lost, wiping out thousands of investors. The photograph dates from about 1932 to 1937. President Herbert Hoover & the Great Depression, America During the Great Depression: The Dust Bowl, Unemployment & Cultural Issues, End of WWI, the Treaty of Versailles & the League of Nations, Ku Klux Klan Nativism & Eugenics | Movement & History. Click the button below to get instant access to these worksheets for use in the classroom or at a home. A "Hoover wagon" was an automobile with horses hitched to it, often with the engine removed. Interesting Facts About Hoovervilles During the Great Depression The Bonus Army of veterans built a large Hooverville in Washington D.C. that housed around 15,000 people. Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. The easiest way to travel across the country was by train and Shantytowns, nicknamed 'Hobo Jungles' sprang up by most city railroad stations. 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. But they eventually returned because they had nowhere else to go, and they were soon allowed to stay, owing to public sympathy. City of Seattle.Americans React to the Great Depression. Most people, however, resorted to building their residences out of wood from crates, cardboard, scraps of metal, or whatever materials were available to them. They cut down dramatically on their purchases, but less buying meant fewer goods needed, so companies didn't need so many employees. The effect was the virtual freezing of international trade. In 1932, Hooverville was established in Anacostia, District of Columbia, to house a group of. Many were established near rivers, as the above picture shows, or ponds - it helped to have access to some water. Bootleggers were becoming rich on the profits of illegal alcohol sales and violence was on the rise. During the Great Depression, Hoovervilles provided shelter to many of the homeless population of America. Homeless people were forced to live in absolute poverty in the Hoovervilles or shantytowns in the 1930s. "; One-fourth of all workers were unemployed. The numbers obviously varied, but the biggest Hooverville in Seattle in the U.S. state of Washington served as the home to 1200 people. (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images). 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. Back to History for Kids. months[11] = "A vast range of highly informative and dependable articles have been produced by the Siteseen network of entertaining and educational websites. KidsKonnect is a growing library of high-quality, printable worksheets for teachers and homeschoolers. There was no work, people were starving and the local police repeatedly burned down the camp. Public reaction to the Hoovervilles added to President Hoovers general unpopularity, leading to his landslide defeat by Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1932 presidential election. It was headed by the Commissioner of Health, the Superintendent of Buildings, the Chief of Police, and the Chief of the Fire Department, tasked to draft a plan on how to proceed with the elimination of Hooverville. Thesis, University of Washington, 1935), pp.42-45. This was supervised by Mayor Jackson, who also led the Vigilance Committee. Second New Deal Purpose & Programs | What was the Second New Deal? Divided into distinct sectors, the racially integrated and cohesive encampment was home to as many as 8,000 destitute people. However, some countries retaliated by raising their tariffs, and international trade was hampered. The Depression increased the demand for such assistance exponentially. 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