Seattle's main Hooverville was one of the largest, longest-lasting, and best documented in the nation. 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. Hooverville shanties were constructed of cardboard, tar paper, glass, lumber, tin and whatever other materials people could salvage. Both times, however, the Hooverville shacks were immediately rebuilt. Americas longest lasting Hooverville in Seattle, Washington, stood for ten years, from 1931 to 1941. Mark has a Ph.D in Social Science Education. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was an ambitious employment and infrastructure program created by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1935, during the bleakest days of the Great Depression. During WWI, this area belonged to the Port of Seattle but was occupied by the Skinner and Eddy shipyard. The anger directed at Herbert Hoover didn't stop with the label given to the makeshift settlements. The effect was the virtual freezing of international trade. Early in 1941, the Seattle Health Department established a Shack Elimination Committee to identify unauthorized housing clusters and plan their removal. Economic disparity in the United States during the 1930s was not limited to American born individuals. However, the countrys 31st president, Republican Herbert Hoover, who took office in March 1929, believed that self-reliance and self-help, not government intervention, were the best means to meet citizens needs. Riverside Park, New York City: A shantytown occupied Riverside Park at 72nd Street during the depression. We are grateful to the Seattle Municipal Archives, King County Archives, and the University of Washington Library Special Collections for permission to incorporate materials in their collections. One of the important events during his presidency was the emergence of the Shanty Town during the Great Depression. Hoover was largely blamed for the ineffective federal role to that point, and Americans were largely thankful to see their government trying any policy. 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. Hoover Pullmans were rusted railroad boxcars used as dwellings. Many other names were coined by Democrats based on his opinion, including Hoover blanket, flag, leather, and wagon. Dwellings in the Hoovervilles were little more than shacks built of discarded bricks, wood, tin, and cardboard. Definition, Examples, Pros and Cons. Hoovervilles were racially integrated. WATCH VIDEO: How Artists Helped End the Great Depression. Many authorities frequently tolerated the shantytowns out of sheer necessity. The main Hooverville began on land near Elliott Bay through a cluster of small huts. But they eventually returned because they had nowhere else to go, and they were soon allowed to stay, owing to public sympathy. The quality and livability of structures built in Hooverville camps varied widely. Today the nine acre site is used to unload container ships. Petition for community bath houses in Hooverville (May 15, 1935)
It became the most widespread crisis of the twentieth century, affecting several countries worldwide. Interesting Facts About Hoovervilles During the Great Depression The Bonus Army of veterans built a large Hooverville in Washington D.C. that housed around 15,000 people. As fears grew, many Americans believed the U.S. government could and should do something to help. This began with a heated debate over the status and rights of Hooverville residents, which became more visible in petitions submitted throughout the late 1930s. This drain reservoir became the site of an informal camp established by a few homeless people, but they were quickly evicted. I highly recommend you use this site! https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/hoovervilles. President Herbert Hoover lost the election in 1932 to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Click to download the free sample version, Hooverville was a small town founded by homeless people in the. "; 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. Some squatted, either defying eviction and staying where they were, or finding shelter in one of the increasing number of vacant buildings. The Red Scare of the 1920s History & Overview | What was the First Red Scare? 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. The reaction to all of this was often characterized by a grim sort of humor, sometimes represented by popular songs like the 1930's 'Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?' Not ready to purchase a subscription? The term was coined by Charles Michelson. [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. 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. The term was coined by the publicity director of the Democratic National Committee in 1930. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. Beyond the waters lie two rugged mountain ranges, the Olympics to the west and the Cascades to the east. Residents of the previous Hooverville in Tacoma rebuilt homes on the same site they occupied throughout. During the Great Depression, other Hoovervilles were built in. Renters fell behind and faced eviction. Though Hoover later agreed that MacArthur had used excessive force, irreparable damage to his presidency and legacy had been done. A request from the city was that women and children would not be allowed to live in the shantytown. "; Homeless people were forced to live in absolute poverty in the Hoovervilles or shantytowns in the 1930s. The Seattle City Council decided to close Hooverville in May 1941, despite the increased reliance on it for shelter. Roosevelt promised to improve the country with a "new deal for the American people." "Hooverville" was a deliberately politicized label, emphasizing that President Herbert Hoover and the Republican Party were to be held responsible for the economic crisis and its miseries. The state described as 'absolute poverty' has been described as "a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information". Between 1929 and 1932, the value of world trade declined by more than half. The Tacoma Fire Department burned down fifty small houses in May 1942 after Seattle destroyed Hooverville. At 81, He does Tell History Firsthand", Photos of a new father figure in Hooverville in Portland, Oregon, Great Depression in Washington State Project, Photos and details of a Hooverville in Seattle, Washington, Photographs of California Hoovervilles (Sacramento, Kern County), Presidential transition of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Birthplace and childhood home National Historic Site, Presidential Library, Museum, and gravesite, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hooverville&oldid=1139613330, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from May 2017, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. succeed. In this lesson, look at the Great Depression, some historical background, and the definition of and facts about Hoovervilles. It maintained itself as a free-standing community until 1936, when it was razed. These settlements were often trespassing on private lands, but they were frequently tolerated or ignored out of necessity. Usually built on the edges of larger cities, hundreds of thousands of people lived in the many Hooverville camps. Cardboard covering a worn-out shoe sole was 'Hoover leather,' and cars pulled by horses (since no one could afford gasoline) were 'Hoover wagons.'. This pattern became associated with Oklahoma because that state provided a plurality of migrants from 1935 to 1940, the peak of the phenomenon. Roy documents a unique spirit of tolerance and amiability between ethnic groups. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. 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! 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. Most were unemployed laborers and timber workers, few of whom had held any jobs in the previous two years. The smaller camps tended to come and go, while the larger Hoovervilles proved far more permanent. Absolutely anything that would provide shelter. Although a common factor among Hooverville residents was unemployment, inhabitants took any work that became available, often laboring at such backbreaking, sporadic jobs as fruit picking or packing. A Tarpaper Carthage: Interpreting Hooverville, by Joey Smith,
KidsKonnect is a growing library of premium quality educational materials, printable worksheets and teaching resources for use in the classroom. Longley, Robert. Many features of life during the Great Depression were given bitter connotations with Hoover's name. Because of the lack of government, it took a lot of work. READ MORE:Did New Deal Programs Help End the Great Depression? Businesses made huge profits, but average workers wages did not rise at the same rate. Built with all over the world Copyright 19992023This site uses cookies to improve your experience. 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. 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. Roy found the relaxed social atmosphere remarkable, describing "an ethnic rainbow" where men of many colors intermingled "in shabby comraderie. Herbert Hoover was president during the start of the Great Depression. Check out the Siteseen network of educational websites. Early Hooverville was burned down twice by Seattle police, but its residents continued to rebuild small houses. "; "Hoovervilles: Homeless Camps of the Great Depression." 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. 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. Families who had lost their homes lived in shacks in temporary settlements known as "Hoovervilles," named after the current president, Herbert Hoover. University of Washington: The Great Depression in Washington State. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); By 1932, between one and two million American people were homeless. The nation turned to Herbert Hoover expecting help, but he had none to give. 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See the fact file below for more information on the Hoovervilles, or alternatively, you can download our 20-page Hooverville worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment. It was a highly diverse population. The Depression was blamed on President Herbert Hoover, after whom the town was named after, as coined by Charles Michelson. In his estimation, prosperity would return if people would simply help one another. Hundreds of Hoovervilles were established across the country during the 1930s. 19. St. Louis, Missouri, and Seattle, Washington, were home to two of the countrys largest and longest-standing Hoovervilles. Hoover later claimed that MacArthur had used excessive force, but his words meant little to most of those affected. https://www.thoughtco.com/hoovervilles-homeless-camps-of-the-great-depression-4845996 (accessed March 1, 2023). Source for information on Okies: Encyclopedia of the Great Depression dictionary. The majority of the homeless chose to live in small towns where they could easily access free soup kitchens. This was supervised by Mayor Jackson, who also led the Vigilance Committee. Many squeezed in with relatives. Hoovervilles In the 1930s, Hoovervilles (shantytowns) formed coast to coast in cities of the United States. Some shelters were little more than holes in the ground covered with tin or cardboard. The Great Depression (1929-1940): Tutoring Solution, Franklin D. 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