Hoovervilles
What is a Hooverville?
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As the Great Depression continued, the term “Hooverville” became well known. It “became a common term for shacktowns and homeless encampments during the Great Depression” (Gregory 3). Hundreds of Hoovervilles were scattered throughout the country, each resembling the extreme housing crisis that occurred because of the incredibly high unemployment rates of the 1930s. These Hoovervilles were people’s only homes, and they barely resembled living spaces. Made out of scraps of plastic and other trash, they were only mere shelters to protect homeless citizens from the elements.
Why Was the Name “Hooverville” Affiliated with President Hoover?
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Because of Hoover’s lack of success during his presidency, he and the rest of the government were blamed for America’s poverty. President Hoover was the leader of the country through the worst of the Great Depression — It only seemed to improve after FDR was elected president. The citizens in poverty were angry at Hoover and therefore named the groups of shacks they lived in “Hoovervilles”. Living in poverty, “Like human pack rats, ordinary people were forced to carry, wheel and drag bits of lumber, tin, cardboard, tar paper, glass, composition roofing, canvas, and other materials to the sites of America's new real estate boom” (UShistory.com 2). Evidently they named them “Hoovervilles” in an effort to get the government’s attention and receive help and aid.
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Because of Hoover’s lack of success during his presidency, he and the rest of the government were blamed for America’s poverty. President Hoover was the leader of the country through the worst of the Great Depression — It only seemed to improve after FDR was elected president. The citizens in poverty were angry at Hoover and therefore named the groups of shacks they lived in “Hoovervilles”. Living in poverty, “Like human pack rats, ordinary people were forced to carry, wheel and drag bits of lumber, tin, cardboard, tar paper, glass, composition roofing, canvas, and other materials to the sites of America's new real estate boom” (UShistory.com 2). Evidently they named them “Hoovervilles” in an effort to get the government’s attention and receive help and aid.
In this political cartoon, homeless men in a Hooverville are looking at Hoover's speech about the nation approaching its highest point of prosperity.
Were Hoovervilles Associated With Violence?
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People who lived in Hoovervilles were naturally frustrated and angry at the government. Some Hoovervilles went on marches to voice their opinions. One major march was the Bakersfield march. On “February 10, 1932, The Bakersfield Unemployed Workers Union of California organized a march on Bakersfield” (Gilworth 4). The march was done to give momentum to the rest of the town to focus their attention towards getting the government’s attention. If they could receive the government’s attention, they would most likely receive some relief.
More common were outsiders imposing violence on the Hoovervilles. The extreme poverty in Hoovervilles caused them to be very unsanitary. Nearby Health Department would tend to shut down Hoovervilles in fear that their griminess would spread throughout the town. “Hoovervilles were raided by order of parks departments or other authorities, [but] the men who carried out the raids often expressed regret and guilt for their actions” (History.com 3). While some Hoovervilles were shut down, most people sympathized with those who lived in Hoovervilles and would therefore tolerate them.
What Was it Like to Live in a Hooverville?
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While all Hoovervilles were unorganized, some massive ones set up a community-like system. The “St. Louis Hooverville, built in 1930, had its own unofficial mayor, churches and social institutions” (history.com 2). An ideal Hooverville would be built next to a river so that there was an infinite supply of water. A Hooverville might have had a few vegetable gardens depending on the climate and resources available. Inside a shack, one might have found a piece of furniture that the family carried with them from their old home. Those who did not live in Hoovervilles were lucky enough to move in with a relative or close friend.
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While all Hoovervilles were unorganized, some massive ones set up a community-like system. The “St. Louis Hooverville, built in 1930, had its own unofficial mayor, churches and social institutions” (history.com 2). An ideal Hooverville would be built next to a river so that there was an infinite supply of water. A Hooverville might have had a few vegetable gardens depending on the climate and resources available. Inside a shack, one might have found a piece of furniture that the family carried with them from their old home. Those who did not live in Hoovervilles were lucky enough to move in with a relative or close friend.
The video below gives a the audience a feeling of what it was really like to live in Hoovervilles during the Great Depression.