great depression 6

In chapter 23 you learned about the Great Depression and the toll it took on Americans during the 1930s. Working-class Americans experienced the brunt of the Depression, but even amongst the working class, there was a subset of Americans who were arguably hit the hardest by the Depression: minorities, especially women.

The primary source Women on the Breadlines provides a vivid glimpse of the lives of American women during the Great Depression. The primary source focuses on several women who attempt to gain employment in a Minneapolis employment bureau in 1932, during the height of the Depression.

In this assignment, please respond to the bolded questions below by 6:00 PM on Tuesday, Nov. 26. Click the “Submit Assignment” button above to type in your response.

  • Identify two different types/groups of women from the reading.
    • What hardships did they experience?
    • How did these women deal with these hardships?
    • What resources, if any, were available to help these women?
  • Why do you think these women continued to daily sit in the employment office if they knew there were no jobs available?