Question
It's 1929 and the Twenties are still roaring. People are spending tons of money on hot new technology. They're snapping up Model Ts, washing machines, and radios. President Herbert Hoover, who took office in March, has instructed the government to begin a "hands-off" economic policy. He reasons that if the 1920s have been good, then the 1930s are bound to be even better.
Unfortunately, Hoover would turn out to be wrong.
On October 24, 1929, the stock market crashed. People now call that day Black Thursday. It marked the beginning of the Great Depression. Essentially, the 1929 stock market tumble created one of the worst domino effects ever. Banks failed and prices fell. Businesses went bankrupt. Many, many people lost their jobs. Within four years, more than 12 million people were out of work. The unemployment rate rose to a record 24.9 percent. That's one out of every four people!
People struggled to make ends meet throughout the 1930s. Basic necessities like food and shelter were hard to come by. Millions of homeless men, women, and families had no place to go. Emotions ranged from anger to despair that President Hoover wasn't doing more to stop the economic crisis from getting worse. Thousands upon thousands of people who had lost their homes had to live in makeshift shantytowns. But most people called them by another name. They were known as Hoovervilles.
Hoovervilles went up all over the United States, in New York, Seattle, and all areas in between. In larger urban areas, they were typically somewhere near a soup kitchen and a river or other water source so residents would have something free (although probably not so tasty) to drink. The most basic form of lodging, believe it or not, was a simple hole dug into the ground. It was covered with a makeshift roof, like a piece of cardboard or tin. These materials weren't much, but they did the trick. They shielded folks from the sun and kept out the weather, for a while, anyway. The fanciest accommodations were over 20 feet (6 meters) tall and contained furniture that people were able to take from their former homes. But most Hooverville "homes" were somewhere in between. They were ramshackle structures made of a combination of plywood, tin, tarps, cardboard, and whatever resources people could find. Of course, there wasn't any running water, plumbing, or electricity.
Some Hoovervilles were tiny—a collection of just a few structures. Others became almost city-like. They had names like Hardlucksville, Tinkersville, and Hollywood-on-the-Tideflats. At least some residents seemed to keep their sense of humor.
The largest Hooverville was in St. Louis, Missouri. Its population was somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 residents. It had a self-proclaimed mayor. The people who lived there organized and labeled busy walkways the same way ordinary cities name streets. This particular Hooverville even had a church made out of orange crates.
Many Hooverville residents invented their own lingo. The unpopular president served as inspiration again. Newspapers that people used to cover themselves for warmth in Hoovervilles were called "Hoover blankets." When a shoe wore out, people would use "Hoover leather" to line the bottom. That was a piece of cardboard. A "Hoover wagon" was the name for an automobile that was pulled by horses because the owner couldn't afford gas. There were also plenty of "Hoover flags," unfortunately. That was when someone's empty pocket was pulled inside out and flapped in the wind.
Amazingly for the era, Hoovervilles were racially integrated. It was a time of almost complete segregation in many parts of the country, with Jim Crow laws keeping Black people apart from White people. But most Hoovervilles were "come one, come all." People of all races lived next door to each other. They worked together trying to find a way to survive. Historians say that may be the one silver lining in the historic dark cloud that was the Great Depression.
QUESTION 1
1 / 8
Which is most important to include in a summary of this Article?
During the Great Depression, many Americans had to live in shantytowns called Hoovervilles.
A "Hoover wagon" was the name for a car pulled by horses when the owner couldn't buy gas.
A "Hoover flag" was the name of an empty pocket that flapped when it was pulled inside out.
During the Great Depression, the largest Hooverville in the country had a self-proclaimed mayor.
Unfortunately, Hoover would turn out to be wrong.
On October 24, 1929, the stock market crashed. People now call that day Black Thursday. It marked the beginning of the Great Depression. Essentially, the 1929 stock market tumble created one of the worst domino effects ever. Banks failed and prices fell. Businesses went bankrupt. Many, many people lost their jobs. Within four years, more than 12 million people were out of work. The unemployment rate rose to a record 24.9 percent. That's one out of every four people!
People struggled to make ends meet throughout the 1930s. Basic necessities like food and shelter were hard to come by. Millions of homeless men, women, and families had no place to go. Emotions ranged from anger to despair that President Hoover wasn't doing more to stop the economic crisis from getting worse. Thousands upon thousands of people who had lost their homes had to live in makeshift shantytowns. But most people called them by another name. They were known as Hoovervilles.
Hoovervilles went up all over the United States, in New York, Seattle, and all areas in between. In larger urban areas, they were typically somewhere near a soup kitchen and a river or other water source so residents would have something free (although probably not so tasty) to drink. The most basic form of lodging, believe it or not, was a simple hole dug into the ground. It was covered with a makeshift roof, like a piece of cardboard or tin. These materials weren't much, but they did the trick. They shielded folks from the sun and kept out the weather, for a while, anyway. The fanciest accommodations were over 20 feet (6 meters) tall and contained furniture that people were able to take from their former homes. But most Hooverville "homes" were somewhere in between. They were ramshackle structures made of a combination of plywood, tin, tarps, cardboard, and whatever resources people could find. Of course, there wasn't any running water, plumbing, or electricity.
Some Hoovervilles were tiny—a collection of just a few structures. Others became almost city-like. They had names like Hardlucksville, Tinkersville, and Hollywood-on-the-Tideflats. At least some residents seemed to keep their sense of humor.
The largest Hooverville was in St. Louis, Missouri. Its population was somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 residents. It had a self-proclaimed mayor. The people who lived there organized and labeled busy walkways the same way ordinary cities name streets. This particular Hooverville even had a church made out of orange crates.
Many Hooverville residents invented their own lingo. The unpopular president served as inspiration again. Newspapers that people used to cover themselves for warmth in Hoovervilles were called "Hoover blankets." When a shoe wore out, people would use "Hoover leather" to line the bottom. That was a piece of cardboard. A "Hoover wagon" was the name for an automobile that was pulled by horses because the owner couldn't afford gas. There were also plenty of "Hoover flags," unfortunately. That was when someone's empty pocket was pulled inside out and flapped in the wind.
Amazingly for the era, Hoovervilles were racially integrated. It was a time of almost complete segregation in many parts of the country, with Jim Crow laws keeping Black people apart from White people. But most Hoovervilles were "come one, come all." People of all races lived next door to each other. They worked together trying to find a way to survive. Historians say that may be the one silver lining in the historic dark cloud that was the Great Depression.
QUESTION 1
1 / 8
Which is most important to include in a summary of this Article?
During the Great Depression, many Americans had to live in shantytowns called Hoovervilles.
A "Hoover wagon" was the name for a car pulled by horses when the owner couldn't buy gas.
A "Hoover flag" was the name of an empty pocket that flapped when it was pulled inside out.
During the Great Depression, the largest Hooverville in the country had a self-proclaimed mayor.
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
The most important information to include in a summary of the article is:
"During the Great Depression, many Americans had to live in shantytowns called Hoovervilles."
This statement captures the central theme of the article, which discusses the struggles faced by individuals during the Great Depression and the emergence of Hoovervilles as a response to widespread unemployment and homelessness. The other options provide specific details or anecdotes but do not convey the overall significance of the situation.
"During the Great Depression, many Americans had to live in shantytowns called Hoovervilles."
This statement captures the central theme of the article, which discusses the struggles faced by individuals during the Great Depression and the emergence of Hoovervilles as a response to widespread unemployment and homelessness. The other options provide specific details or anecdotes but do not convey the overall significance of the situation.
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