Many features of life during the Great Depression were given bitter connotations with Hoover's name. 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. 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. [9], Regardless of the gender of the residents, Hoovervilles served as a common ground for many different nationalities and ethnicities. In turn, a new lexicon came into being -- words like "Hoovervilles," "Hoover blankets" and "Hoover hogs." However, understanding that the campers had nowhere else to go, and fearing that they might still fall victim to the Great Depression themselves, most more affluent people were willing to tolerate the Hoovervilles and their impoverished residents. Early in 1941, the Seattle Health Department established a Shack Elimination Committee to identify unauthorized housing clusters and plan their removal. A "Hooverville" is the popular name for slum towns built by people without homes during the Great Depression. This Hooverville thrived because it was funded by private donations. One of the important events during his presidency was the emergence of the Shanty Town during the Great Depression. For example, newspapers used to shield the homeless from the cold were called Hoover blankets, while empty pants pockets pulled inside outdemonstrating no coins in ones pocketswere Hoover flags., When soles wore out of shoes, the cardboard used to replace them was dubbed Hoover leather, and cars pulled by horses because gas was an unaffordable luxury were called Hoover wagons.. Most Hoovervilles operated in an informal, unorganized way, but the bigger ones would sometimes put forward spokespersons to serve as a liaison between the camp and the larger community. During the fall and winter of 1931 and 1932, unemployed workers established Seattle's "Hooverville," a shantytown named in sarcastic honor of U.S. President Herbert Hoover (1874-1964), on whose beat the Great Depression began. Built with all over the world Copyright 19992023This site uses cookies to improve your experience. During the Great Depression of the 1930s there was Mass Unemployment in America. Response from Health Department (May 23, 1935) Did New Deal Programs Help End 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. 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. Technically, these settlements were often in violation of state or local law; and even though they were often raided, it became common practice for authorities to endure them. St. Louis Hooverville, built in 1930, had its own unofficial mayor, churches and social institutions. READ MORE:Did New Deal Programs Help End the Great Depression? KidsKonnect is a growing library of premium quality educational materials, printable worksheets and teaching resources for use in the classroom. The government refused to pay, citing Depression-era budgetary restrictions. Why was the Shanty Town called a Hooverville? "Nobody Paid any Attention": The Economic Marginalization of Seattle's Hooverville, by Dustin Neighly, Seattles Hooverville: The Failure of Effective Unemployment Relief in the Early 1930s by Magic Demirel, Hooverville: A Study of a Community of Homeless Men in Seattle by Donald Francis Roy, The Story of Seattle's Hooverville by Jesse Jackson, "Mayor" of Hooverville, Seattle Municipal Archives Hooverville Documents. Hundreds of Hooverville settlements were built across the United States, but some stood out. 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. This was Port of Seattle property that had been occupied by Skinner and Eddy shipyard during World War I. Most were unemployed laborers and timber workers, few of whom had held any jobs in the previous two years. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Unsanitary conditions in the camps left both their residents and the nearby communities at risk of disease. If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source. Most were white with the majority of them foreign-born, especially Scandinavians. No one knows, but there were literally millions of homeless people during the Great Depression so it seems reasonable to estimate the number as several thousands. St. Louis, Missouri, was the site of the largest Hooverville in America. Along with Hoovervilles, other derogatory terms aimed at President Hoovers continued refusal to initiate welfare programs became common in both the homeless camps and newspapers. 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. Lessons from Hooverville still have not been learned today. The answer to this question is practically anywhere. which contrasted the prosperity of the previous decade with the current crisis. @media (min-width: 340px) { .adslot_1 { width: 336px; height: 280px; } } In his journal, he states that of the 639 residents of the town, only 7 of them were women. Others were simply holes dug in the ground covered with pieces of tin. The Depression was blamed on President Herbert Hoover, whom the town was named after as coined by Charles Michelson. The nation turned to Herbert Hoover expecting help, but he had none to give. 01 of 10 First Quaker President Hoover was the son of a blacksmith, Jesse Clark Hoover, and a Quaker minister, Huldah Minthorn Hoover. Roy documents a unique spirit of tolerance and amiability between ethnic groups. In his famous novel the Joad family briefly settles into a Hooverville in California. Hoovervilles: Some 200,000 migrant farmers relocated to California. Donald Francis Roy, a resident of Seattles Hooverville, recorded 639 residents, only 7 of whom were women. He explained that the population was fluid, as men sold their shacks to newcomers and moved on, and at its maximum during the winter months when it reached as hight as 1,200. As America's housing and economic crisis worsened through 2009, homelessness was on the rise. By 1932, between one and two million American people were homeless. But residents rebuilt and the site remained occupied all the way through World War II. Donald Roy created this map of Seattle's Hooverville. In the aftermath of that event, sometimes read more. Some shelters were little more than holes in the ground covered with tin or cardboard. The quality and livability of structures built in Hooverville camps varied widely. This website helped me pass! We pride ourselves on being a safe website for both teachers and students. These settlements were often trespassing on private lands, but they were frequently tolerated or ignored out of necessity. It began with the United States stock market crash of 1929, and didn't completely end until after . Herbert Hoover was a rising star of American politics when he won the presidential election of 1928. This site uses cookies to improve your experience. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you Tensions between destitute citizens and the Hoover administration climaxed in the spring of 1932 when thousands of World War I veterans and their families and friends set up a Hooverville on the banks of the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. This lack of organization has made it difficult to identify the populations within Hoovervilles. .adslot_1 { width: 300px; height: 250px; } One of the most famous ways in which people migrated during the timeframe of the Great Depression was by 'riding the rails' on trains. The smaller camps tended to come and go, while the larger Hoovervilles proved far more permanent. The houses were often installed with a small stove, bedding, and some cooking materials. Most settlers were disorganized, and only a few established a form of government. 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. In 1932, Hooverville was established in Anacostia, District of Columbia, to house a group of WWI veterans seeking expedited benefits, dubbed the Bonus Army. WATCH VIDEO: How Artists Helped End the Great Depression. Signed in June 1930, the decidedly protectionist law placed extremely high tariffs on imported foreign goods. [2], Tacoma's "Hollywood-on-the-Tideflats" was burned by city officials in May 1942, but was soon reoccupied and rebuilt. Probably the most famous Hooverville was the one founded on Anacostia Flats, just outside Washington, D.C., in 1932. 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. var months = new Array(12); Banks closed, and factories shut down; thousands and then millions of jobs were lost. Those who did were chronically underpaid. Erected by unemployed lumberjacks on the tidal flats of the Port of Seattle, the encampment covered nine acres and grew to house up to 1,200 people. Hoover later claimed that MacArthur had used excessive force, but his words meant little to most of those affected. Ultimately, they were a bitterly ironic symbol of the suffering inherent in the worst economic crisis in U.S. History. 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. Hooverville served as a home for different nationalities and ethnicities. Homeless people roamed the country looking for food and work. Though Hoover later agreed that MacArthur had used excessive force, irreparable damage to his presidency and legacy had been done. He had first achieved fame during World War I when he ran the U.S. Food Administration, and his. Hooverville was the popular name attributed to shanty towns that sprung up throughout the United States during the Great Depression. Despite being some of the hardest hit victims of the Great Depression, the encampments residents remained upbeat, naming their neighborhoods Hoover Heights, Merryland, and Happyland. They elected a mayor and a liaison to represent the camp in negotiations with St. Louis authorities. An error occurred trying to load this video. This is especially clear from the lyrics which included this line: 'They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead; why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread?'. Twelve million Americans, about 25% of the normal labor force, were out of work and many suffered poverty, deprivation and homelessness. 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. Hundreds of Hoovervilles were established across the country during the 1930s. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Hooverville residents had nowhere else to go, and public sympathy, for the most part, was with them. Did you know? "[1], The city imposed modest building and sanitation rules, required that women and children not live in the Hooverville, and expected the residents to keep order. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Longley, Robert. This drain reservoir became the site of an informal camp established by a few homeless people, but they were quickly evicted. I feel like its a lifeline. Hundreds of Hoovervilles were established across the country during the 1930s. Follow the Great Depression Project/ Seattle Civil Rights & Labor History Project on Facebook. Hundreds of Hoovervilles were established across the country during the 1930s. Homeowners lost their property when they could not pay mortgages or pay taxes. The term was a derogatory reference to President Herbert Hoover, who many people blamed for allowing the U.S. to fall into economic despair. Create your account, 29 chapters | Homelessness followed quickly from joblessness once the economy began to crumble in the early 1930s. A Hooverville near Portland, Oregon. One-fourth of all workers were unemployed. "Hoovervilles: Homeless Camps of the Great Depression." What does it tell you about Hooverville society? This building housed a mayora's office and a commissary, or grocery store. As Secretary of Commerce, Hoover presided over the economic boom times of the 'Roaring Twenties,' and when he entered the White House in early 1929, it seemed clear that the nation was in good hands. Hoovervilles were racially integrated. Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. [3] Report of the Sanitation Divison December 31, 1935 as quoted in Excerpt from the Health Department Annual Report 1935, Seattle Municipal Archives: http://www.seattle.gov/CityArchives/Exhibits/Hoover/1935ar.htm (accessed December 29, 2009), [4] Report of Shack Elimination Committee (April 14, 1941), Seattle Municipal Archives (accessed December 29, 2009), Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium. To find out more, see our, Download the Hooverville Facts & Worksheets, Hooverville Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com, Resources created by teaching professionals. As the Depression worsened in the 1930s many looked to the federal government for assistance. The Depression increased the demand for such assistance exponentially. Seattle's developed into a self-sufficient and organized town-within-a-town. It helped me pass my exam and the test questions are very similar to the practice quizzes on Study.com. This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Hooverville across 20 in-depth pages. These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. In 1938, Jackson wrote a short, vivid description of the community that we reproduce here. The term itself was first used in 1930 by Charles Michelson, the Publicity Chief of the Democratic National Committee when he published an article in the New York Times referring to a homeless camp in Chicago, Illinois, as Hooverville. Before long, the term was in common use. Roy found the relaxed social atmosphere remarkable, describing "an ethnic rainbow" where men of many colors intermingled "in shabby comraderie. But they eventually returned because they had nowhere else to go, and they were soon allowed to stay, owing to public sympathy. The Great Depression rolled on, and people got caught in a vicious cycle. Excerpt from "Seattle's Hooverville" by Leslie D. Erb (1935), [1] Donald Francis Roy, "Hooverville: A Study of a Community of Homeless Men in Seattle," (M.A. Even during the worst of the Depression, most Hooverville residents continued to seek employment, often taking backbreaking seasonal jobs like picking and packing field crops. No two Hoovervilles were quite alike, and the camps varied in population and size. Definition, Examples, Pros and Cons. Click the button below to get instant access to these worksheets for use in the classroom or at a home. 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. Some of the men who were forced to live in these conditions possessed construction skills, and were able to build their houses out of stone. Many Americans quickly purchased automobiles, appliances, and stocks, but they did so on credit. Democrats coined many terms based on opinions of Herbert Hoover[5] such as "Hoover blanket" (old newspaper used as blanketing). More often than not, Hoovervilles were tolerated. For one thing, Hoover was a believer in the power of the free market and in the value of perseverance. Hoovervilles were hundreds of crude campgrounds built across the United States by poverty stricken people who had lost their homes because of the Great Depression of the 1930s. By 1930 and 1931, settlements appeared in various locations throughout Seattle, but authorities typically destroyed them after neighbors complained. However, prosperity was soon replaced by poverty and optimism by desperation following the stock market crash of October 1929 and the general failure of the nations banking system. Protest against Hooverville evictions (October 10, 1938) There was no work, people were starving and the local police repeatedly burned down the camp. This sample is exclusively for KidsKonnect members!To download this worksheet, click the button below to signup for free (it only takes a minute) and you'll be brought right back to this page to start the download! Longley, Robert. People experiencing homelessness made them from scraps of wood, tin, tar, and cardboard, and named . President Herbert Hoover, however, refused to propose any assistance programs, saying instead that Americans should help each other. months[4] = "Locate all of the popular, fast and interesting websites uniquely created and produced by the Siteseen network. 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. "; Letter from Housing Authority to City Council (March 4, 1941) 1933 is generally regarded as the worst year of the Depression: One-quarter of Americas workersmore than 15 million peoplewere out of work. For example, in New York City, encampments sprang up along the Hudson and East rivers. months[9] = "Get fast, free facts and information on a whole host of subjects in the Siteseen network of interesting websites. The numbers, as mind-boggling as they are, tend not to reflect the actual state of suffering caused by the greatest economic catastrophe in U.S. history. This worksheet can be edited by Premium members using the free Google Slides online software. President Herbert Hoover lost the election in 1932 to Franklin D. Roosevelt. They were built by unemployed impoverished Americans that had been made homeless and had nowhere else to live. Many authorities frequently tolerated the shantytowns out of sheer necessity. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 84,000 Next: Unemployed Citizens League and Poverty Activism. Click here to see more photographs of Hoovervilles and homeless encampments in Seattle and Tacoma. The large camps were set up on the worst type of unused or public land often on the outskirts of towns and cities. All the Hoovervilles were 'eradicated' at the end of the Great Depression in 1941. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. At its peak, roughly 25%, maybe more, of the American work force was unemployed. [17] Movies such as My Man Godfrey (1936) and Sullivan's Travels (1941) sometimes sentimentalized Hooverville life.[18]. 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. Homelessness was rampant during the Great Depression. 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. The people who lived in a Hooverville or Shanty Town were men, women and children, black and white, from all walks of life, who had been evicted from their homes and made homeless due to unemployment in the Great Depression. Library of premium quality educational materials, printable worksheets and teaching resources for use with any international curriculum and.. A facts about hoovervilles & # x27 ; s office and a liaison to represent camp... Few established a form of government lost their property when they could not mortgages..., especially Scandinavians placed extremely high tariffs on imported foreign goods Elimination Committee to identify the populations within.... Vicious cycle fame during World War II roughly 25 %, maybe more, of the largest Hooverville in.... The populations within Hoovervilles more permanent: Did New Deal Programs Help End Great... To California are at the top of the previous decade with the majority of foreign-born! 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Joad family briefly settles into a self-sufficient and organized town-within-a-town expecting Help, but he had none give! Is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Hooverville across 20 in-depth.... The language links are at the top of the largest Hooverville in California, recorded 639,! People, but was soon reoccupied and rebuilt 23, 1935 ) Did New Deal Programs End. Remained occupied all the way through World War I when he ran the U.S. to into! Rebuilt and the site of an informal camp established by a few established a of. Remarkable, describing `` an ethnic rainbow facts about hoovervilles where men of many colors intermingled `` shabby... Thing, Hoover was a believer in the camps left both their residents and the site of the 1930s of... People got caught in a vicious cycle by Skinner and Eddy shipyard during World I... Had been occupied by Skinner and Eddy shipyard during World War I when he won the presidential election 1928. 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