[2] Jesse Jackson, "The Story of Seattle's Hooverville," in Calvin F. Schmid, Social Trends in Seattle (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1944), 286-93. Seattle's main Hooverville was one of the largest, longest-lasting, and best documented in the nation. Odd pieces of wood, stones, loose boards, crates, cardboard, scraps of other materials, old bricks and parts of boxes. Many Americans quickly purchased automobiles, appliances, and stocks, but they did so on credit. Click the button below to get instant access to these worksheets for use in the classroom or at a home. Robert Longley is a U.S. government and history expert with over 30 years of experience in municipal government and urban planning. Whenever possible, Hoovervilles were built near creeks, streams, and rivers to provide a source of water. Divided into distinct sectors, the racially integrated and cohesive encampment was home to as many as 8,000 destitute people. Encampments and shantytowns often referred to as tent citieswith similarities to Hoovervillesbegan appearing in parts of California, Arizona, Tennessee, Florida, Washington and other states. The name was a reference to Herbert Hoover who was the President of the United States during the at the start of the Depression and widely blamed for it. When most of the veterans refused to leave their shacks, Hoover ordered his Chief of Staff Gen. Douglas MacArthur to drive them out. As the Depression worsened and millions of families lost their jobs and depleted their savings, they also lost their homes. The effect was the virtual freezing of international trade. Homelessness followed quickly from joblessness once the economy began to crumble in the early 1930s. The committee included two Whites, two Blacks, and two Filipinos. Signed in June 1930, the decidedly protectionist law placed extremely high tariffs on imported foreign goods. I feel like its a lifeline. During the Great Depression of the 1930s there was Mass Unemployment in America. Homelessness was rampant during the Great Depression. Some were as small as a few hundred people while others, in bigger metropolitan areas such as Washington, D.C. and New York City, boasted thousands of inhabitants. Additionally, although the 1920s, also known as the Roaring Twenties, had been a decade of prosperity, income levels varied widely and numerous Americans lived beyond their means. [2], However, not every Hooverville fits this description. The large camps were set up on the worst type of unused or public land often on the outskirts of towns and cities. Hoovervilles were the nickname given to a Shanty Town during the Great Depression and consisted of camps of makeshift shacks or tents set up on unused or public lands. Desperate for shelter, homeless citizens. This website helped me pass! Banks closed, and factories shut down; thousands and then millions of jobs were lost. Back to History for Kids. Home Facts Privacy About Blog Contact Terms. By 1932 millions of Americans were living outside the normal rent-paying housing market. And although private philanthropy increased during the early 1930s, the amounts given were not enough to make a significant impact. WATCH VIDEO: Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. These areas were frequently on private lands, but the trespassing settlements were simply ignored as the crisis demanded. Hoovervilles primarily popped up on the outskirts of major cities. 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. There were dozens in the state of Washington, hundreds throughout the country, each testifying to the housing crisis that accompanied the employment crisis of the early 1930s. The New Deal Legacy & Impacts | What is the Legacy of the New Deal? Herbert Hoover was a rising star of American politics when he won the presidential election of 1928. His records show populations of Japanese, Mexican, Filipino, Native American, Costa Rican, Chilean, and Black men. The largest Hooverville, located in St. Louis, Missouri, was home to as many as 8,000 homeless people from 1930 to 1936. Hooverville served as a home for different nationalities and ethnicities. The makeshift shacks were constructed from unwanted materials and lacked basic amenities such as adequate sanitation and clean drinking water. As the Great Depression deepened people protested and launched hunger marches. A large number of small houses were constructed from scrap materials. In turn, a new lexicon came into being -- words like "Hoovervilles," "Hoover blankets" and "Hoover hogs." Some Hoovervilles had basic public services and conveniences. These communities of shacks or shanties were called Hoovervilles, after President Hoover, who refused to help the growing number of homeless. Seattle police twice burned the early Hooverville, but each time residents rebuilt. Each Hooverville was unique. The first nine years of the so-called Roaring Twenties had been a decade of prosperity and optimism in the United States. [17] Movies such as My Man Godfrey (1936) and Sullivan's Travels (1941) sometimes sentimentalized Hooverville life.[18]. Homeless people were forced to live in absolute poverty in the Hoovervilles or shantytowns in the 1930s. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Report of Shack Elimination Committee (April 14, 1941) "Hooverville" became a common term for shacktowns and homeless encampments during the Great Depression. "; [3] Men, women and children alike lived in Hoovervilles. This Hooverville had its very own unofficial mayor, Jesse Jackson. To find out more, see our, Download the Hooverville Facts & Worksheets, Hooverville Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com, Resources created by teaching professionals. "Hooverville" became a common term for shacktowns and homeless encampments during the Great Depression. In 1929, unemployment was around 3%. Exhibt A: Map of Number and Distribution of Shacks (March 5, 1941) Jackson was also the chairperson of the Vigilance Committee. In April, residents of the main Hooverville were given notice to leave by May 1. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Shantytowns and Hoovervilles: Herbert Hoover was the 31st American President who served in office from March 4, 1929 to March 4, 1933. Hooverville was the popular name attributed to shanty towns that sprung up throughout the United States during the Great Depression. 'Hooverville' was the nickname for any variety of makeshift shelters for homeless people, mostly victims of the Great Depression from 1929 to 1941. Hooverville residents had nowhere else to go, and public sympathy, for the most part, was with them. Brief History of Seattle. The government refused to pay, citing Depression-era budgetary restrictions. The term 'Hooverville' probably originated with Charles Michelson, who was a newspaper reporter and, in 1930, the publicity director for the Democratic National Party. According to Roy, there was tolerance and friendship among ethnic groups and nationalities because racial barriers did not exist. A Hoover blanket was a pile of old newspapers used as bedding. Did you know? A 'Hoover blanket' was a newspaper, covering a homeless man on a city bench; a 'Hoover flag' was a turned-out pants pocket, a sure sign of pennilessness. The Tacoma Fire Department burned down fifty small houses in May 1942 after Seattle destroyed Hooverville. Courtesy Tacoma Public Library. For example, in New York City, encampments sprang up along the Hudson and East rivers. ThoughtCo, Dec. 6, 2021, thoughtco.com/hoovervilles-homeless-camps-of-the-great-depression-4845996. succeed. Absolutely anything that would provide shelter. Eight different Hoovervilles were established in Seattle, Washington, with the largest one lasting from 1932 to 1941 and built on the tidal flats adjacent to the Port of Seattle. A request from the city was that women and children would not be allowed to live in the shantytown. 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. Including the veterans, their families, and other supporters, the crowd of protesters eventually grew to nearly 45,000 people. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards. A "Hooverville" was a shanty town built during the Great Depression by the homeless in the United States. When Roosevelt took office in 1933, he acted swiftly to stabilize the economy and provide jobs and relief read more, The Stock Market Crash of 1929 occurred on October 29, 1929, when Wall Street investors traded some 16 million shares on the New York Stock Exchange in a single day. months[8] = "This website is produced by the Siteseen network that specializes in producing free informative websites on a diverse range of topics. Usually built on the edges of larger cities, hundreds of thousands of people lived in the many Hooverville camps. Excerpt from Health Department Annual Report (1935) [9], Regardless of the gender of the residents, Hoovervilles served as a common ground for many different nationalities and ethnicities. President Herbert Hoover lost the election in 1932 to Franklin D. Roosevelt. "Hoovervilles: Homeless Camps of the Great Depression." These camps came to be called Hoovervilles, after the president. Sign Me Up, Editing resources is available exclusively for KidsKonnect Premium members.To edit this worksheet, click the button below to signup (it only takes a minute) and you'll be brought right back to this page to start editing! months[9] = "Get fast, free facts and information on a whole host of subjects in the Siteseen network of interesting websites. Hoovervilles are very similar to refugee camps. Almost 6,000 shanty towns, called Hoovervilles, sprang up in the 1930s. A Tarpaper Carthage: Interpreting Hooverville. To find out more, see our cookie policy. People who rented their homes fell behind with the rent and were evicted by bailiffs. 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. Seattle's Hooverville had lasted a full decade.[4]. In addition to his perceived disregard for the harm done by the Great Depression, Hoover was criticized for backing the controversial Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act. Hoovervilles In the 1930s, Hoovervilles (shantytowns) formed coast to coast in cities of the United States. Some families were fortunate enough to stay with friends and family members that hadn't been evicted yet, but homeless men, women and children were forced to take up residence in shacks as a result of the Great Depression. When disaster struck, Americans looked to their President for leadership and compassion, but Hoover seemed to be short on both counts. Over its eight years of existence, the WPA put roughly 8.5 million Americans to work read more, The 1930s in the United States began with an historic low: more than 15 million Americansfully one-quarter of all wage-earning workerswere unemployed. It comes from the New York Public Library. Hoovervilles: Some 200,000 migrant farmers relocated to California. Shanty towns built during the Great Depression, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Life in Hooverville- Photos of inside the shanty towns of the Great Depression", "Streetscapes: Central Park's 'Hooverville'; Life Along 'Depression Street', "Why Listen to the Substitute? Some people . Others were simply holes dug in the ground covered with pieces of tin. Families who had lost their homes lived in shacks in temporary settlements known as "Hoovervilles," named after the current president, Herbert Hoover. months[11] = "A vast range of highly informative and dependable articles have been produced by the Siteseen network of entertaining and educational websites. "Nobody Paid any Attention": The Economic Marginalization of Seattle's Hooverville, Seattles Hooverville: The Failure of Effective Unemployment Relief in the Early 1930s, Hooverville: A Study of a Community of Homeless Men in Seattle, Seattle Municipal Archives Hooverville Documents, Unemployed Citizens League and Poverty Activism, Self-Help Activists: The Seattle Branches of the Unemployed Citizens League, Organizing the Unemployed: The Early 1930s, Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium | University of Washington. The Shanty Town was given the sarcastic nickname 'Hooverville' after President Herbert Hoover who Americans blamed for the Great Depression. 01 of 10 First Quaker President Hoover was the son of a blacksmith, Jesse Clark Hoover, and a Quaker minister, Huldah Minthorn Hoover. In 1930, the largest Hooverville in America, consisting of four distinct sectors, was established in St. Louis. In Washington, the Unemployed Citizen's League and its newspaper, The Vanguard, gained the state Communists a broad appeal, and integrated the unemployed into the state's radical reform coalitions. Check out the Siteseen network of educational websites. Built with all over the world Copyright 19992023This site uses cookies to improve your experience. By the end of the decade it covered a six block area and, like Seattle's Hooverville, included a large number of little houses that residents had built out of scrap materials and steadily improved over the years. This page was last edited on 16 February 2023, at 00:48. During the Great Depression, in the 1930s, as millions of people lost their jobs and homes, shanty towns, also known as "Hoovervilles" began to sprout up across the US. A look at how people lived, especially in the makeshift dwellings they constructed, gives a better sense of this, as does an understanding of the bitter humor behind the naming of these dwellings, known as 'Hoovervilles'. But even as the Great Depression eased and the Hoovervilles began to vanish, they remained a potent symbol of how a combination of bad luck, governmental philosophy, and rotten timing could create a lasting, negative image. By the time the U.S. entered World War II in 1941, enough Americans were working again that virtually all the encampments had vanished. 10 Question Quiz. In 1932, Hooverville was established in Anacostia, District of Columbia, to house a group of WWI veterans seeking expedited benefits, dubbed the Bonus Army. Longley, Robert. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Roy lived in the Hooverville in spring 1934 while conducting this survey which became his 1935 MA thesis. However, some cities banned them if they trespassed on parks or privately owned land. What were the Hoovervilles (Shanty Town) of the Great Depression? The term Hooverville itself is a partisan political attack on Herbert Hoover, who was the President of the United States at the time. Hoover also received criticism for signing, in June 1930, the controversial Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act, which imposed a high tariff on foreign goods in an effort to prevent them from competing with U.S.-made products on the domestic market. var current_date = new Date(); month_value = current_date.getMonth(); day_value = current_date.getDate(); year_value = current_date.getFullYear(); document.write( months[month_value] ); was the 31st American President who served in office from March 4, 1929 to March 4, 1933. "; ThoughtCo. These settlements were often trespassing on private lands, but they were frequently tolerated or ignored out of necessity. The Seattle Hooverville covered nine acres of land on the tidal flats adjacent to the Port of Seattle. 19. A survey located 1687 shacks in five substantial colonies and many smaller ones. This lack of organization has made it difficult to identify the populations within Hoovervilles. Not ready to purchase a subscription? We spend less time wondering what we'd do if we lost it all and had to make do with virtually nothing. It maintained itself as a free-standing community until 1936, when it was razed. Nearly 29 percent of the population was non-white. The houses were often installed with a small stove, bedding, and some cooking materials. It was named after Herbert Hoover, an American politician who was the president during the first years of the Great Depression. The Depression increased the demand for such assistance exponentially. During the Great Depression, which began in 1929 and lasted about a decade, shantytowns appeared across America as unemployed people were evicted from their homes. Today the nine acre site is used to unload container ships. But residents rebuilt and the site remained occupied all the way through World War II. .adslot_1 { width: 300px; height: 250px; } read more, The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a work relief program that gave millions of young men employment on environmental projects during the Great Depression. In his estimation, prosperity would return if people would simply help one another. Some cities allowed squatter encampments for a time, others did not. Writer John Steinbeck featured a family who lived in a California Hooverville and sought farm work in his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath, published in 1939. Out of desperation, the homeless began building camps of makeshift shacks near cities across the nation. The rectangular reservoir north of Belvedere Castle was taken out of service when the stock market crashed in 1929. [6], After 1940, the economy recovered, unemployment fell, and shanty housing eradication programs destroyed all the Hoovervilles. Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. The quality and livability of structures built in Hooverville camps varied widely. Seattle's decision to raze Hooverville in 1941 and expel its residents relied on a discourse of "otherness" that set Hooverville economically, socially, and geographically apart. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! The New Deal enacted special relief programs aimed at the homeless under the Federal Transient Service (FTS), which operated from 1933 to 1939. Over the next several read more, Disenchantment with Prohibition had been building almost from the moment it first took effect in 1920. 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Two Blacks, and shanty housing eradication programs destroyed all the way through World War II 1941! Trespassed on parks or privately owned land largest Hooverville in spring 1934 while this... Distinct sectors, the homeless began building camps of the veterans, families... Of major cities the Hooverville in America set up on the outskirts of towns and cities camps... Of makeshift shacks were constructed from unwanted materials and lacked basic amenities such as adequate sanitation and clean water... ( shanty Town ) of the United States during the first facts about hoovervilles of experience municipal... Over 30 years of experience in municipal government and urban planning a large number of homeless effect in.... Sprang up in the 1930s, Hoovervilles were 'eradicated ' at the time U.S....
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