The Great Depression and Social Inequality

The first page details the complex social and economic challenges during the Great Depression era. The period saw massive unemployment, environmental disaster, and widespread discrimination across various social groups.

Definition: The Dust Bowl was a seven-year drought (1931-38) that devastated farming communities and forced mass migration.

Example: Migrant workers, driven by economic necessity, traveled to California seeking agricultural work, though many were turned away due to fears of overpopulation.

Highlight: The Jim Crow Laws (1876-1965) institutionalized racial segregation, affecting everything from employment to public services.

Quote: James Truslow Adams (1931) defined the American Dream as "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone."

Vocabulary: "Hoovervilles" were makeshift settlements of homeless people during the Great Depression, named mockingly after President Herbert Hoover.

The text also addresses various forms of discrimination:

• Women faced significant workplace discrimination, earning 50% less than men and often being restricted to domestic roles
• African Americans experienced segregation in the South and discrimination in the North
• The elderly were particularly vulnerable, losing savings and struggling to find employment
• Mental health patients faced cruel treatment in institutions, including physical abuse and controversial practices like electroshock therapy

The Social Security Act of 1935 emerged as a crucial reform, providing retirement benefits based on earning history and offering some financial security to elderly Americans.