Hoovervilles

Description: 

Hooverville began in 1929. President Herbert Hoover was blamed for the economic and social conditions. He would soon be not reelected and president. Theodore Roosevelt would become president who reveals war once called shantytowns. They were usually constructed out of cardboard, tarp, paper, glass, lumber 10 and whatever people could find Structures were made with cast off stone and bricks that stood 20 feet high. Some shanties were less functioning than others. Usually, they would dig holes and make roofs over their heads. Washington DC and New York City were home to largest shanties St. Louis and Washington were home to the largest and longest standing Hoovervilles. They were usually set up near a water source in New York City. They were set up along the east and Hudson rivers. They were also set up with vegetable gardens. Some individual shacks even contained furniture for a family that had managed to take it away upon eviction, unfortunately, due to the circumstances, Hooverville was grim and unsanitary, they were multiple health risks for living in a Hooverville. Unfortunately, though there was not much that local government could do, sometimes they must be raided. Unfortunately, though there was not much that local government could do, sometimes they must be raided. In some Hoover bills, they would have a spokesperson to talk to the community one. Hooverville was funded by private donations, and managed to stay until 1936 due to unemployment people who lived in Hooverville would find jobs wherever they could these could be backbreaking, fruit or more similar to the dust bowl John Steinbeck, who wrote the grapes of wrath, included Hooverville in his book as well, the name Hoover comes from former president, Herbert Hoover. This name was used in multiple scenarios newspapers that would shield. The homeless in the cold were called Hoover blankets pants with empty pockets pulled out demonstrating no coins in a pocket were called Hoover flags when souls were used, and cardboard was made to replace them. This was dubbed as Hoover leather. Gas was not affordable, so cars were pulled by horses. Those were called Hoover wagons Hoover, signed the Hawley- smoot, tariff act which was extremely confidential. This act imposed a high tariff on foreign goods in television shows. Today we still see Hoovervilles, these include Doctor Who, O'Sullivan's travel and more. The poem that I have chosen is "let America be America again" by Langston Hughes. "Let America be America again let it be the dream used to be let it be the pioneer on the plain. Seeking a home where he himself is free." (Hughes) in this poem, Hughes is saying about how he would like things to be the same. Once again, the line, let it be the dream it used to be,speaksn volumes. The American dream is a worldwide phenomenon at this state. The dream was not there. The economic status was in shambles. People did not have homes and were living with a piece of cardboard over their heads O, let it be a land where liberty is crowned with no false patriotic read but opportunity is real, life is free equality is the air we breathe." (Hughes) he uses symbolic imagery with the Statue of Liberty. He wants there to be no patriotic rates that are real. He does not want it to be faux. He says opportunity is real, and life is free. Equality is the air we breathe now. People were not getting the opportunities like they used to and looking at from an economic standpoint. Life is free is saying that jobs are unable to be had. Equality is the air we breathe African Americans equality does not come as easy then white Americans white Americans have more privilege and more opportunity African American peopled. in conclusion Hooverville were not an ideal situation, but people made do. Langston Hughes talked about how it feels to be in America when economic changes and social changes are always happening. 

 Works Cited 

Hoovervilles https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/hoovervilles

Hoovervilles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooverville#Population_of_Hoovervilles

Langston Hughes "Let America Be America Again" https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/147907/let-america-be-america-again

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