I WILL SURVIVE
Family Life During the Great Depression 1929-1939
A wonderful and informative page designed by
Mike Smith and Sean Flaherty
Northern Kentucky University
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The roaring Twenties, and the Depression of the 1930's -- "It was the best of times and the worst of times." America and much of the world prospered during this grand 20's yet lurking just over the horizon was the worst depression the world has ever seen. America was blinded by the economic windfall of the Twenties. They carelessly over extended themselves leaving the country open to the worst depression the nation and world has ever seen. Despite Popular belief most Americans did not lose their savings in the the Stock Market Crash of 1929, they lost their money later when banks started to fold because they did not have the money needed to cover the the rush on the banks following the crash. The next ten years would be the most trying times in over sixty years in the United States. |
| The page below has some wonderful links where you can learn about the Great Depression and FDR. Through the links on this page you can learn about his programs and policies. Have fun and enjoy our web page. |
Quotes about the depression
| "When the depression hit and everyone lost their
jobs those renters were unable to keep up with their payments. Without
the monthly rent coming in from those people he could not afford to keep
paying the bank. Eventually he lost everything including his wife."
- Stephanie Kreimborg
"But as far as money went, my family never had much to begin with therefore wasn't really affected." - Bethany Lancaster
"My grandmother says it was very rare to have oranges and bananas during this time." - Courtney Pflum
"My family relied on themselves to sew their own clothes, grow their own vegetables, and raise their own chickens." - Jennifer Drewes
"My grandmother sewed all of the children's clothing and my grandmother didn't buy her first dress until her last year of high school." - Amie Prewitt
"Steve committed suicide by taking 'rough on rats,' (I'm not certain what this actually is, but I assume some type of rat poisoning). Steve's brother John also committed suicide, but my aunt wasn't sure why or how." - Jennifer Drewes
"The only entertainment my family had during the Depression was church and visiting relatives. They also listened to the radio, of course, and played cards and other games. At Christmas, the only thing they received was fruit." - Jennifer Drewes
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Analysis of quotes
| The depression has often been thought of as one of the most difficult times in history. The quotes on this page amplify the reality of the depression. The people who have written these quotes were talking about their families' stories. If you were to look at your family history, you could find similar stories. Try asking your parents or grandparents about the depression and see what they come up with. You may be able to share many interesting stories with them. |
| Even though these quotes suggest that this time period was difficult to live through, there were some people which the depression had little or no effect on. An example of such a person would be someone who had little or nothing to do with the stock market or banks. These such people did not lose a lot of their money so they made it through with little trouble. |
| Another example of people not affected by the depression were the poor. Since the depression was caused by financial crisis, people who didn't have much to begin with did not lose much. It was really the people with credit or debts which suffered. Credit in the stock market was worth almost nothing and many banks closed. Banks were not federally regulated at that time so they could use the money of their clients however they wanted. Many banks invested in the stock market and were consequently bankrupt when the stock market crashed. |
| Today, the stock market and banks have federal restrictions and regulations which are supposed to prevent future problem of depression. However, such safety valves are not necessarily fool-proof or guaranteed in any way. Many theories exist of future depressions and only time will tell if one will occur. Since the depression was difficult for many people, hopefully it will not reoccur. |
LINKS
Inflation
Calculator: This page lets you calculate inflation during the depression.
FDR's
policy: This page includes information on CCC which was implemented
by FDR.
Song
Lyrics: Follow this links to see some song lyrics about the great depression.
The
Crash and the Great Depression: Click here to go to college lecture page
for American History.
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