Life During the 1920's & 1930's

Elise Fiscus

Life for children during the 1920's and 1930's was quite different than life of children today.  This span of time was responsible for pain, suffering, and heartache, as well as a technological explosion.  From the Great Depression, to Big Band music, the generation of my grandparents paved the way for our lives today.

Wall Street Crash

The 1930's were the beginning of pain and hardship for many Americans.  The Wall Street crash of 1929 shattered American's faith in the economy.  The crash of the NYSE caused what we know of today as the Great Depression.  Many people were forced to give up their businesses, sell their property, or be evicted from their homes.  "Over 225,000 steel workers were laid off, and over nine million savings accounts were wiped out because of the bank rushes" (Jennings).  Food was also hard to come by.  People could not afford food because jobs were scarce.  Families were lucky if they owned one automobile.

The Times of the Great Depression

The price of a car at this time was an astounding $525 ("On This Day..").  World War II was also taking place in the 30's to 40's time period, so the economy was that much more under duress.  My grandfather, Armando Aguilar stated, "We had to wait in the line at the grocery store for bread- the store may only have had ten loaves of bread.  We also had to save bacon grease.  We would take it to the grocery store and cash it in; they'd recycle it for the military" (Aguilar).

According to The Century: America's Time, "Over 100,000 people moved to the Soviet Union during the Great Depression.  This was the only time when more people were leaving the United States than entering."

Fun During Rough Times

Even though the people of this era were going through the roughest of rough times, they still managed to have fun.  Casinos, music halls, theatres, and radio programs were very popular during this time.  Swing dancing and big band era music was a great pastime at the music halls.  As for children of this era, riding "Rocket" bikes, shooting marbles, making what we now call skateboards out of roller skates, and playing with rubber guns were how they entertained themselves (Aguilar).  Mickey Mouse dolls were first introduced during this time ("On This Day..").  Children also had a great fascination with the radio.  They would listen to radio programs such as "Gangbusters", a continued radio program similar to a soap opera (Aguilar).  Frankenstein and Dracula were a couple of the most popular movies released during this generation ("America in..").

Technology

As for technology of this period, the radio is about as far as it gets.  "This generation was born before television, credit cards, tape decks, computers, refrigerators, and washer/dryer systems" (Sheehy).  People of this era had to keep coal or wood in the stove to keep warm during the winter, because furnaces didn't exist.  According to Armando Aguilar, "Big blocks of ice in ice boxes were used instead of refrigerators.  We didn't have air conditioning, just little oscillation fans.  We would also go to the local movie house to keep cool; those were air-conditioned.  Since the crime back then wasn't like it is today, we would also go to the nearby park and sleep at night to stay cool."

Groundbreaking World Events

Groundbreaking events were taking place in other parts of the world as well, not just in the United States.  Hitler had begun his reign of terror in Germany.  This was the main focus of the Americans in World War II.  American troops had begun air raids over Germany, and the displacement of German people from their homes.  According to Lore Pühler, who lived in Erlangen, Germany at this time, "There would be an air raid from the Americans almost every night.  We had to go into the basement; we weren't allowed outside.  Sometimes we would sneak and go up onto the roof and watch the planes going by"(Pühler).  She also stated, "American troops took over our house from about 1945 to 1954.  We were kicked out and weren't allowed back in until late of 1954" (Pühler).

In conclusion, this period was extraordinary for a great number of reasons.  The Great Depression will go down in history as the hardest, most unfortunate period of United States history.  The technological breakthroughs achieved since the 20's and 30's are miraculous.  Going from a society that survived without washers and dryers, to a society where DVD players are the main necessity is astounding.  Times have changed a great deal, but the legacy and foundation achieved by this generation will never be forgotten.