Why so many young people leave home during the Great Depression

Sample Solution

The Great Depression was a period of unprecedented economic hardship in American history, and it profoundly impacted families, especially young people. Here's a breakdown of the reasons and experiences related to the film you're referencing (likely "Riding the Rails" or a similar documentary):

Why did so many young people leave home during the Great Depression?

Many young people left home during the Great Depression due to a confluence of desperate circumstances:

• Economic Burden on Families: With widespread unemployment (reaching 25% of the workforce by 1933) and drastically reduced wages, families struggled immensely to provide even basic necessities like food, shelter, and clothing. Many young people, often teenagers, felt like a burden on their already struggling parents. Leaving home was sometimes a selfless act to alleviate the financial strain on their families, making one less mouth to feed.
• Search for Work: The primary motivation was the desperate search for jobs that simply didn't exist in their hometowns. Stories circulated (often exaggerated) of opportunities in other parts of the country, particularly in the West or larger cities. Young people hoped to find any kind of work, even temporary or low-paying, to survive and perhaps send money back home.
• Shame and Embarrassment: For many young men, especially, there was a deep sense of shame and emasculation associated with unemployment and inability to contribute to their families. Leaving home was a way to escape this feeling of failure and regain a sense of purpose or dignity.
• Lack of Alternatives: Schools often closed or had limited resources, and opportunities for education or vocational training were scarce. With no immediate prospects at home, hitting the road seemed like the only viable option.The Great Depression was a period of unprecedented economic hardship in American history, and it profoundly impacted families, especially young people.@

• Adventure and Escape (for some): While born out of desperation, for a smaller subset, particularly younger teens, there might have been an element of adventure or a desire to escape difficult home situations. The romanticized image of riding the rails, as depicted in some contemporary media, could also have played a role, though the reality was far harsher.

What were some of the dangers of train-hopping/hobo life that were recounted in the film?

The film likely brought to light the brutal realities of train-hopping and hobo life, far from any romanticized notions:

• Physical Injury and Death:
  • Falling off trains: Jumping on and off moving freight trains was incredibly dangerous, especially when trains were gaining or losing speed. Many lost limbs (arms or legs) or their lives by falling onto the tracks and being run over.
  • Exposure to elements: Riders were exposed to extreme weather conditions—bitter cold, scorching heat, rain, and snow—often without adequate clothing or shelter, leading to frostbite, heatstroke, and illness.
  • Malnutrition and Disease: Constant hunger and unsanitary conditions in hobo camps ("jungles") made them highly susceptible to diseases like tuberculosis, pneumonia, and various infections.
• Violence and Exploitation:
  • Railroad "Bulls" (Security Guards): Railroad police were notoriously brutal, often beating, arresting, or shooting hobos to keep them off trains. They saw them as trespassers and a liability.
  • Criminals and Predators: The road was a dangerous place. Hobo jungles could be rife with crime, including robbery, assault, and sexual exploitation. Young, vulnerable individuals were particularly at risk.
• Lack of basic necessities: Constant struggle for food, clean water, and shelter. Begging for food from farmhouses or scavenging was common.
• Loneliness and Despair: Despite occasional camaraderie in hobo camps, the overriding feeling was one of profound loneliness, uncertainty, and despair. The constant search for work, the humiliation of begging, and the separation from family took a heavy psychological toll.
• Legal Consequences: Train hopping was illegal, and those caught faced arrest, jail time, or forced labor.

How did the New Deal eventually help some of the interviewees?

The New Deal programs, implemented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt starting in 1933, provided crucial relief, recovery, and reform that directly or indirectly helped many young people who had been "riding the rails":

• Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC): This was arguably the most impactful New Deal program for young men. The CCC provided jobs for unemployed, unmarried young men (typically 18-25) in national parks and forests. They lived in structured camps, were fed, clothed, and paid a small wage (a portion of which was usually sent home to their families). This program provided:
  • Employment and income: A steady job and income, a stark contrast to the desperate search on the rails.
  • Skill development: Training in various trades like construction, forestry, and conservation.
  • Sense of purpose and dignity: The CCC instilled discipline, physical fitness, and a sense of contributing to the nation.
  • Shelter and food: A stable living environment, rescuing many from the harsh realities of hobo life.
• Works Progress Administration (WPA): While broader in scope and often aimed at older adults, the WPA also created many jobs for young people, including construction, public works projects (roads, schools, bridges), and even cultural projects (Federal Art Project, Federal Writers' Project).
• National Youth Administration (NYA): This program, established in 1935, focused specifically on young people, offering part-time work to students to help them stay in school and providing vocational training and jobs for out-of-school youth. It aimed to address both economic needs and educational gaps.
• Overall Economic Improvement: Beyond specific youth programs, the broader New Deal initiatives (like agricultural subsidies, bank reforms, and industrial recovery efforts) helped to stabilize the economy, leading to a gradual increase in employment opportunities across the board. While the Depression didn't fully end until World War II, the New Deal provided a safety net and laid the groundwork for recovery, which in turn meant more chances for young people to find legitimate work and re-establish stable lives.

Why do you think it was so emotional for some of the interviewees to recall and discuss this period of their lives?

It's profoundly emotional for interviewees to recall and discuss their experiences during the Great Depression for several deeply personal and psychological reasons:

• Trauma and Hardship: Many endured immense physical and emotional hardship, including starvation, homelessness, violence, and constant fear. These experiences leave deep psychological scars, and revisiting them can trigger memories of fear, pain, and deprivation.
• Loss of Innocence and Childhood: For those who were young teenagers or even children when they left home, the experience meant a premature end to their childhood. They were forced to face adult responsibilities and dangers at a tender age, leading to a sense of lost innocence.
• Shame and Humiliation: The memory of being a "burden" on their families, the humiliation of begging for food, or the indignity of being treated as outcasts or criminals can be incredibly difficult to revisit. Even decades later, these feelings can resurface.
• Guilt (Survivor's Guilt): Some might feel a form of survivor's guilt, having lived through experiences that others did not, or remembering friends who didn't make it.
• Deep Gratitude and Resilience: While painful, the memories also often contain elements of resilience, ingenuity, and unexpected kindness from strangers. This mix of hardship and survival can evoke powerful emotions.
• Impact on Identity: The Great Depression shaped their entire lives and identities. Recalling it is like revisiting a formative period that defined who they became.
• Sense of Vulnerability: Discussing a time when they were so utterly dependent on chance, kindness, or their own wits can evoke a deep sense of vulnerability they may have tried to suppress for years.
• The Weight of History: They are not just recounting personal stories; they are bearing witness to a pivotal and challenging period in national history. This can feel like a heavy, yet important, responsibility.
• Nostalgia (Bittersweet): For some, there might be a bittersweet nostalgia for the camaraderie found among fellow hobos, or a sense of adventure that, despite the dangers, represented a period of intense freedom and self-reliance. This complex mix of emotions makes the recollection very potent.

The interviews offer a powerful testament to the human spirit's resilience in the face of unimaginable adversity, but also highlight the profound and lasting psychological toll that such widespread economic devastation can take.