[2], Tacoma's "Hollywood-on-the-Tideflats" was burned by city officials in May 1942, but was soon reoccupied and rebuilt. Click the button below to get instant access to these worksheets for use in the classroom or at a home. The shanty town was so big that people established their own community government and elected a 'mayor' as their leader to settle any disputes. In turn, a new lexicon came into being -- words like "Hoovervilles," "Hoover blankets" and "Hoover hogs." For example, one of the eight Hoovervilles in Seattle, Washington, stood from 1931 to 1941. Most were unemployed laborers and timber workers, few of whom had held any jobs in the previous two years. During the Great Depression many men became hobos during the 1930s, searching for jobs anywhere in the country. The answer to this question is practically anywhere. 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'. @media (min-width: 340px) { .adslot_1 { width: 336px; height: 280px; } } Here are ten key facts to know about Herbert Hoover, who he was as a person and his tenure as president. The decision led to the establishment of the Shack Elimination Committee by the City Council. When most of the veterans refused to leave their shacks, Hoover ordered his Chief of Staff Gen. Douglas MacArthur to drive them out. 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. It is a city built on hills and around water, in a mild marine climate that encourages prolific . Jackson was also the chairperson of the Vigilance Committee. Letter from Housing Authority to City Council (March 4, 1941) 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. Robert Longley is a U.S. government and history expert with over 30 years of experience in municipal government and urban planning. 361 lessons. In his Pulitzer Prize-winning 1939 novel, The Grapes of Wrath, writer John Steinbeck, vividly described his hardships as a young farmworker in the Weedpatch Hooverville near Bakersfield, California. Two young residents at a Hooverville shantytown in Washington, D.C. Longley, Robert. He counted 639 residents in March of that year, all but seven of them men. [1] There were hundreds of Hoovervilles across the country during the 1930s.[2]. The nickname 'Hooverville' was given to the shanty towns that sprang up across the nation during the Great Depression. 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. Throughout the country, Hoovervilles, or makeshift shanties, would spring up to provide shelter wherever possible, often near water sources or the soup kitchens operated by churches and charities. [8], One exceptional Hooverville of Seattle, Washington held a structured government and collected extensive documentation. When disaster struck, Americans looked to their President for leadership and compassion, but Hoover seemed to be short on both counts. After 1940, all of Hooverville were destroyed as the economy recovered and the unemployment rate fell eventually. In June, many of the so-called Bonus Army marched to the Capitol to request early payment of the government bonuses they had been promised for their military servicemoney that would have alleviated the financial problems of many families. The suffering in the Great Depression, from 1929 to 1941, is hard for modern Americans to wrap their minds around. After hosting several homeless settlements, the reservoir was dubbed the Hoover Valley and Depression Street. In some cases, unemployed skilled construction workers used stones and bricks from demolished buildings to build fairly solid houses. Seattle, in 2009, is currently facing a recession that may be the most serious since the Depression of the 1930s, and a community similar to Hooverville has formed. Economic disparity in the United States during the 1930s was not limited to American born individuals. "Hoovervilles," shanty towns of unemployed men, sprung up all over the nation, named after President Hoover's insufficient relief during the crisis. But they eventually returned because they had nowhere else to go, and they were soon allowed to stay, owing to public sympathy. The highly unpopular Hoover was defeated in the 1932 presidential election by Franklin D. Roosevelt, whose New Deal recovery programs eventually helped lift the United States out of the Depression. 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! In his famous novel the Joad family briefly settles into a Hooverville in California. Cardboard covering a worn-out shoe sole was 'Hoover leather,' and cars pulled by horses (since no one could afford gasoline) were 'Hoover wagons.'. Desperate for shelter, homeless citizens. A "Hooverville" dweller, Circleville, Ohio, c. 1938. https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/hoovervilles. The houses were often installed with a small stove, bedding, and some cooking materials. Absolutely anything that would provide shelter. Hoover's other problem was his own personality. "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. And hundreds of thousands--no one knows how many--took to the streets, finding what shelter they could, under bridges, in culverts, or on vacant public land where they built crude shacks. Who Were the Democratic Presidents of the United States? Among the hundreds of Hoovervilles across the U.S. during the 1930s were those in: Hoovervilles have often featured in popular culture, and still appear in editorial cartoons. What were Hoovervilles 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. The current "Nickelsville" is a nod to Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, just as "Hooverville" was a sarcastic nod to . 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. months[6] = "Uncover a wealth of facts and information on a variety of subjects produced by the Siteseen network. Hundreds of Hoovervilles were established across the country during the 1930s. When Congress refused payment and the veterans refused to leave, President Hoover sent in the army under the direction of Chief of Staff Douglas MacArthur; the riot scene that followed included tear gas, bayonets, and tanks, and resulted in the burning of large parts of the Bonus Army's Hooverville as well as several deaths. [9], Regardless of the gender of the residents, Hoovervilles served as a common ground for many different nationalities and ethnicities. Many people turned to farming, and grew the food themselves, like fruits, vegetables, cattle, chickens, sheep, and hogs. 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This was supervised by Mayor Jackson, who also led the Vigilance Committee. Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images. As the Depression deepened, the sheer number of homeless people became overwhelming. 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. Hoovervilles were not fancy or well-constructed. This worksheet can be edited by Premium members using the free Google Slides online software. He was proud of the self-built community, saying "Hooverville is the abode of the forgotten man." Black and white men would share homes out of convenience and, likewise, exemplify camaraderie and friendship. months[2] = "Learning made easy with the various learning techniques and proven teaching methods used by the Siteseen network. Protest against Hooverville evictions (October 10, 1938) Inadequate sanitation, lack of clean drinking water and poor nutrition lead to a variety of diseases and illnesses such as tuberculosis, diphtheria, diarrhea, rickets, influenza, pneumonia and skin diseases. Democrats coined many terms based on opinions of Herbert Hoover[5] such as "Hoover blanket" (old newspaper used as blanketing). On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 10 Facts About the Great Depression. Homelessness followed quickly from joblessness once the economy began to crumble in the early 1930s. 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. I feel like its a lifeline. Economic disparity in the United States during the 1930s was not limited to American born individuals. Some homes were not buildings at all, but deep holes dug in the ground with makeshift roofs laid over them to keep out inclement weather. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 84,000 [3], The city tolerated Hoovervilles until the eve of World War II. We spend less time wondering what we'd do if we lost it all and had to make do with virtually nothing. His records show populations of Japanese, Mexican, Filipino, Native American, Costa Rican, Chilean, and Black men. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Report of Shack Elimination Committee (April 14, 1941) Anyone who has seen the famous old Civil War movie ' Gone with the Wind' might remember the Shanty Town on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia that was occupied by freed slaves and poor whites. Central Park Hooverville with Central Park West in the Background in 1932. It was headed by the Commissioner of Health, the Superintendent of Buildings, the Chief of Police, and the Chief of the Fire Department, tasked to draft a plan on how to proceed with the elimination of Hooverville. This was Port of Seattle property that had been occupied by Skinner and Eddy shipyard during World War I. 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. Unsanitary conditions in the camps left both their residents and the nearby communities at risk of disease. Credit was extended to many so that they could enjoy the new inventions of the day, such as washing machines, refrigerators and automobiles. Residents of the previous Hooverville in Tacoma rebuilt homes on the same site they occupied throughout. Hoover later claimed that MacArthur had used excessive force, but his words meant little to most of those affected. The Hooverville in Seattle was one of the few with detailed documentation. Hundreds of Hoovervilles were established across the country during the 1930s. Covering nine acres of public land, it housed a population of up to 1,200, claimed its own community government including an unofficial mayor, and enjoyed the protection of leftwing groups and sympathetic public officials "; "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. These camps came to be called Hoovervilles, after the president. until the land was needed for shipping facilities on the eve of World War II. The new mayor allowed the towns Hooverville to thrive and grow, even granting it some official tolerance. However, some cities banned them if they trespassed on parks or privately owned land. President Herbert Hoover lost the election in 1932 to Franklin D. Roosevelt. 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. Donald Roy created this map of Seattle's Hooverville. This was handled by an elected Vigilance Committee-- consisting of two whites, two blacks, and two Filipinos-- led by a white Texas native and former lumberjack named Jesse Jackson, who came to be known as the unofficial "Mayor" of Hooverville. 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. The peak of the Great Depression was from 1932 to 1933. The Great Depression was the most severe and enduring economic collapse of the 20th century, and included abrupt declines in the supply and demand of goods and services along with a meteoric rise in unemployment. Reasons for Homelessness: Homeowners lost their houses when they could not pay mortgages or pay taxes. 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. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); By 1932, between one and two million American people were homeless. Around 15,000 men joined the movement, many of whom came from far away and arrived in the area by illegally riding on railroad freight trains. Source for information on Okies: Encyclopedia of the Great Depression dictionary. Many features of life during the Great Depression were given bitter connotations with Hoover's name. The camp began when an unemployed lumberjack Spread over nine acres; it housed a population of up to 1,200. 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.. Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images/Getty Images. By 1932 millions of Americans were living outside the normal rent-paying housing market. Who lived in a Hooverville or Shanty Town? City officials alternately tolerated and tried to eradicate the shack town. Roy found the relaxed social atmosphere remarkable, describing "an ethnic rainbow" where men of many colors intermingled "in shabby comraderie. Hooverville shanties were constructed of cardboard, tar paper, glass, lumber, tin and whatever other materials people could salvage. [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. Other Hoovervilles also developed: one on the side of Beacon Hill where today I-5 passes; one in the Interbay area next to where the city used to dump its garbage; and two others along 6th Avenue in South Seattle. 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