Homemade Bed On The Floor. Many Children Also Did Not Wash

As a consequence of the industrialisation in Britain, the mobilisation of masses started. Working class families migrated from other cities seeking for better job opportunities and life. However, industrialised cities became affected by this phenomenon and soon became overcrowded. These families used to dwell in tenements, in rather poor sanitary conditions due to the lack of hygiene and artificial feeding in children. Children and their parents struggled to cope with freezing temperatures during the winter since they could not afford to pay for heating. However, summer did not mean that poor conditions improved, on the

The father’s job was to be the head of the household, with the mother as his main assistant. Under the father's authority, she took care of the house and the children. Most of the men along with their sons spent days in the fields working while younger children were in school. People who had more money could send their children to school, but the people with less money were forced to make their sons/children work. On the other hand, mothers in more rural areas (where poorer people lived) farmed with the men, while richer woman stayed home and took care of the household along with their children. No matter what social class the mothers were, they all knitted and sewed. Their husbands were chosen by their parents. Children had few toys in their homes and boys played sports with their family. During their free time the girls played with dolls. The wealthier families had enough money to buy their daughter's porcelain

During The Great Depression, farmers worked hard to produce crops and livestock. “Prices began to drop quickly and the farmers struggled to produce even more to pay their debts, taxes, and provide for their families.” (Morain 1) Farmers grew their crops and kept a garden to provide food. In many families, the “children would stop attending to school to help out on the farm.” (“Life During the Great Depression 1) Most farming families had been renting their land and machinery, so when the Depression hit they couldn't afford to pay for the equipment anymore. Only one in ten families had electricity and running water. “If they lived in the middle portion of the country then they were being hit with the Dust Bowl.” (Reinhardt and Ganzel 1) On top of not having money they

During these times, minimizing was the key for most families. Often this meant that items such as “shoes, socks and underwear were accessories” if any at all (Gentry 138). Due to this lack in appropriate clothing, many times “the family was held back from ‘social doin’s’ because of their unkempt appearance” (Corder and Miller 42). Along with the emotional embarrassment of their personal appearance, sharecroppers and their families suffered physical consequences. Often a lack of inadequate clothing left them more susceptible to illness, and in their circumstances, that was a risk they could not afford to take.

As a consequence of the industrialisation in Britain, the mobilisation of masses started. Working class families migrated from other cities seeking for job opportunities and a better life. However, industrialised cities became affected by this and soon became overcrowded. Working class families used to dwell in tenements in rather poor sanitary conditions due to the lack of hygiene and artificial feeding in children. Children and their parents struggled to cope with freezing temperatures during the winter since they could not afford to pay

Usually children have the role of just playing, studying, and maybe some chores to help around the house. While this is the case of many households, during this time of stock crash, children had the equal role of an adult. Infact there were cases where, “the male figure in the family lost his job, and other family members such as the wife or children often attempted to obtain work” (Stull) Although working at a child’s age may not surprise many as it may already be a custom to others, the reversed roles of the children nonetheless affected the way children viewed their life. It is said that,“during the Great Depression an estimated 250,000 youths left home to search for work”(Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information) Children that started off with a no money life, may have not even had a childhood filled with games and laughter, but instead filled with cries and pleads for jobs. Typically, “they often began washing dishes and doing other chores around the house and/or on the farm by the age of five and were able to do most jobs like adults by the time they were teens.. they often worked alongside their parents, helping with gardening, canning, cleaning, ironing, cooking, chopping wood, farming and performing many other different jobs. It was a natural way of life as they grew older.” (Stull). Like cause and effect, the strain from child labor, causes the children to have bad health, and poor health prevents them to have time for education. Within the strict schedule the children have, the word play or rest, hardly exists. The child labor they go through does not provide any time for rest, therefore impacting the childhood as it creates only

Living in a poorhouse in the 1800’s was considered normal because poor families couldn’t support themselves. “They are believed to have slept six people to one bed,” (Document 6) which is very disturbing because there aren’t any showers back then or even hospitals. It is a huge negative because of how horrible pollution and illnesses were commonly spread easily and killed off more people. Furthermore children were affected during this time because they had to stay at home in dangerous living situations with no protection. Luckily, this is a positive affect because child labor laws were passed. A huge defect is while they sat home, they weren’t being educated. Another main key point in this writing is children not being able to have an education. Instead of going to school and learning children were forced to work laboriously for a long amount of time. “From six in the morning till seven at night,” (Document 7). I acknowledge the suffering the children had to go through because they didn’t have a regular childhood. They were brought up in the world believing that working just to get by is normal

Even having sufficient clothing at all was a struggle for the family. The clothing that they did have was "coarse, crude, and not warm enough" (Gentry 138). The typical attire for men was "denim overalls", and women wore "dresses made out of cheap cotton goods" (Gentry 138). With children constantly growing and maturing, having suitable clothing for them was demanding. During these times, minimizing was the key for most families. Often this meant that items such as "shoes, socks and underwear were accessories" if any at all (Gentry 138). Due to this lack in appropriate clothing, many times "the family was held back from ‘social doin's' because of their unkempt appearance" (Corder and Miller 42). Along with the emotional embarrassment of their personal appearance, sharecroppers and their families suffered physical consequences. Often a lack of inadequate clothing left them more susceptible to illness, and in their circumstances, that was a risk they could not afford to take.

The Great Depression was a horrible time in American history, with as much as one-fourth of the population out of work. One of the hardest hit areas of the population was the agricultural center of the United States in the area that would come to be known as the Dust Bowl. The problems that the people of the Dust Bowl dealt with however were not a result of the Depression as a whole but instead were the result of a combination of bad farming decisions and a horrible drought. Even though the timing makes it seem like the Dust Bowl experience in the 1930’s was a part of the Great Depression as a whole it was a totally different disaster that was occurring at the same time. The experience of the families that lived in the Dust Bowl during the 1930’s cannot be described in any way but as horrible, depressing, and almost hopeless.

Due to this loss, houses became very overcrowded to the point where families had to live in a single room. This would be where they would cook, eat, sleep and socialise. Rooms to rent became very popular.

In the early days of Colonial America life was harsh and “difficult, the colonists faced conflicts with natives, starvation, and difficulties finding stable sources of food and support” (Jaffee). The culture at first was a struggle for those settlers who had to cross the Atlantic by contract. Most of these people were bound by their contracts for four to seven years. As for most women in the early days of Colonial America they were “expected to grow up, get married, have children, and take care of a home (Peck).

(Ofer 5). The families weren’t in their normal “habitat” and at their own homes with all of their stuff and their normal family routine, therefore, the lack of normality, caused family situations to change, some for the good, and some for the bad. An example of a “good” change, was that it drew families closer together, literally, and figuratively speaking. Women also had their own sacrifices to make “in some households, the husband fled at the announcement of war, knowing they would have to fight and were in greater danger than the women” (Ofer 5) leaving the women to do the “dirty work” and become the income-earners. “Some parents who couldn’t afford medication for their sick children, sold part of their bread ration” (Ofer 6) and let their children end up starving to death before they could get medications, because all of their bread was being sold to buy the meds so the kids could get better. Most, if not all, families lived in poor living conditions, such as, cramped living spaces with multiple people, or even cramped transportation, in the cattle cars to get from one camp to another (Weinstock

Living standards as described by Blainey (2000) were bleak. Most people lived in one roomed, small stone houses, often with four or more sharing one bed. Homes often remained unheated due to scarcity of wood (Blainey 2000, p. 423). People were largely uneducated and knew little about healthcare. Sewerage was disposed of in the same rivers that were used to drink and wash from. These contaminated rivers were used to supply water to the growing crops. This had a huge impact on health, causing infection in around two out of every three people in rural areas (Blainey 2000, p. 415). Lack of hygiene and knowledge of healthcare led to shorter lifespans.

Housing was deemed a necessity as people were living in poor conditions, families were overcrowded and there was families living in tenements that shared toilet amenities. Also there were homeless people living in the streets.

The lowborn workers toiled away for hours in physically exhausting jobs only to afford apartments that were sterile and cold. “There were some nine cots in the place . . . he was sick of the bareness and privation connected with his venture” (Dreiser, 304). The pay affected the men and woman’s own mode of life. They were forced to share living spaces with other families and more often than naught, had to bunk with complete strangers. The very comforts associated with a home, such as wood and furniture, were often too large of an expense. Even with Governmental/ Charity handouts the citizens had no money in which they could afford better living conditions. The rooms they were given to stay in were cold and sterile, and they were not guaranteed a place to stay every night.