What did the Hoovervilles look like?

Hooverville shanties were constructed of cardboard, tar paper, glass, lumber, tin and whatever other materials people could salvage. Unemployed masons used cast-off stone and bricks and in some cases built structures that stood 20 feet high.

What was Hoovervilles during the Great Depression?

“Hooverville” became a common term for shacktowns and homeless encampments during the Great Depression. 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.

What photo represents the Great Depression?

Migrant Mother (1936)
Migrant Mother (1936) This famous photograph is searing in its depiction of the utter desperation the Great Depression brought to so many and has become a symbol of the Depression. This woman was one of many migrant workers picking peas in California in the 1930s to make just enough money to survive.

Where are Hoovervilles located?

Small shanty towns—later named Hoovervilles after President Hoover—began to spring up in vacant lots, public land and empty alleys. Three of these pop-up villages were located in New York City, the largest of which was on what is now Central Park’s Great Lawn.

What best describes Hoovervilles?

Desperate for shelter, homeless people built shantytowns in and around cities across the nation. These camps came to be called Hoovervilles, after the president. Hooverville shanties were made of cardboard, wood, tin and whatever other materials people could find.

Who took the famous Great Depression photo?

The photographer Dorothea Lange had taken the shot, along with a series of others, days earlier in a camp of migrant farm workers in Nipomo, California.

Why were pictures such a powerful tool during the Dust Bowl?

Many of the most famous Dust Bowl images were taken by professional photographers employed by the government to document the destruction and poverty of the Dust Bowl. Today, these photographs serve as an important reminder of the suffering and resilience of the country during this environmental tragedy.

How many lived in Hoovervilles?

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. Some have estimated that 500 Hoovervilles sprang up in 1929 and increased in number to over 6000 in the 1930s.

Why are communities called Hoovervilles?

The towns were named “Hoovervilles,” because of President Herbert Hoover’s ineffective relief policies. Mass unemployment was rampant among men aged 18–50, and the lack of a social safety net continued to push them down the ladder.