The Great Depression was arguably America’s darkest hour. Looking back, modern day Americans cannot fathom the despair and hopelessness that covered America like an itchy woolen blanket throughout the 1930s. How bad were those days? What kept American families alive? Where was God? Now, imagine if another Great Depression happened tomorrow. Could America recover? As a student flips through his history textbook, he spots a photo of men lined up around a block waiting for bread at a soup kitchen. For a moment he ponders the picture, wondering why they couldn’t go to a McDonald’s or the grocery store. Then, he notices a picture of a World War 2 bomber on the next page and moves on. Simply put, today’s generation lacks comprehension of that kind
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There was little to no work, no way to support a family, and seemingly no way out. Whole families were being thrown out on the streets because they could not afford their rent. Many had to live without electricity. Eating at soup kitchens was not just for the homeless. Most importantly, the sudden change from the wealth and materialism of the 1920s to the poverty and desperation of the 1930s, sent a shockwave through the American people. Fear and utter hopelessness smothered everyone and everything. People who had lived the high life in the 20s, awoke to find themselves on the bottom rung. Being well-educated did not protect people. One out of every four workers lost their job during the Great Depression. Many Americans were so poor they did not have two pennies to rub together. The constant question was: where will my next meal come …show more content…
People got creative and everyone pitched in. Women opened their homes to boarders. Men found work anywhere they could. Everyone saved everything. If a plate broke, it was saved away to make a mosaic later. Flour sacks were used to make everything from dresses to underwear. Food supplies were stretched. Recipes were altered to accommodate cheaper ingredients (like an “apple pie” made with crackers instead of apples that still tasted like the real thing). They planted gardens. They moved in with relatives or had their relatives move in with them. Overall, everyone pitched in to help one another out. Those who had enough for their family often gave to less fortunate families. Old fashioned seeds of determination sprung up amongst the dead weeds of the past and were watered by the will to live and the hope of better days to come. Yet, with the rekindling of the human spirit mixed with the initial fear and alarm that occurred during the Great Depression, many would ask: where was God? He was right there. The 1920s were filled with depravity and the need for material things. Self-centeredness and vanity reigned in the hearts of people. Life was all about being successful and success was measured by the amount of things a person owned and how much money they made. People were proud and saw no need for God. After all, they were living proof that a person could make their own way in the
There was little to no work, no way to support a family, and seemingly no way out. Whole families were being thrown out on the streets because they could not afford their rent. Many had to live without electricity. Eating at soup kitchens was not just for the homeless. Most importantly, the sudden change from the wealth and materialism of the 1920s to the poverty and desperation of the 1930s, sent a shockwave through the American people. Fear and utter hopelessness smothered everyone and everything. People who had lived the high life in the 20s, awoke to find themselves on the bottom rung. Being well-educated did not protect people. One out of every four workers lost their job during the Great Depression. Many Americans were so poor they did not have two pennies to rub together. The constant question was: where will my next meal come …show more content…
People got creative and everyone pitched in. Women opened their homes to boarders. Men found work anywhere they could. Everyone saved everything. If a plate broke, it was saved away to make a mosaic later. Flour sacks were used to make everything from dresses to underwear. Food supplies were stretched. Recipes were altered to accommodate cheaper ingredients (like an “apple pie” made with crackers instead of apples that still tasted like the real thing). They planted gardens. They moved in with relatives or had their relatives move in with them. Overall, everyone pitched in to help one another out. Those who had enough for their family often gave to less fortunate families. Old fashioned seeds of determination sprung up amongst the dead weeds of the past and were watered by the will to live and the hope of better days to come. Yet, with the rekindling of the human spirit mixed with the initial fear and alarm that occurred during the Great Depression, many would ask: where was God? He was right there. The 1920s were filled with depravity and the need for material things. Self-centeredness and vanity reigned in the hearts of people. Life was all about being successful and success was measured by the amount of things a person owned and how much money they made. People were proud and saw no need for God. After all, they were living proof that a person could make their own way in the