Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

       “Maslow and The Great Depression” It is imperative, when understanding the causes and effects of The Great Depression, one must be able to

       incorporate Maslow’s hierarchy of needs into the daily routine of life. Happiness with one’s life or disappointments in one’s life grows from a

       foundation. The Depression symbolized Maslow’s pyramid of growth Even though the 1920s were known by many as the roaring twenties with

       people enjoying life’s niceties, in reality life wasn’t really as prosperous as it seemed. The consequences of mass speculation of the stock market

       were reaped by many during the thirties and the early forties after the crash on October 21st 1929. The Great Depression marked a time where

       the general population of America felt drastic setbacks in life. Using Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, one can understand how the basic needs of the

       individual America was stripped from beneath them because “Wall Street Lays An Egg.” The foundation of Maslow’s Hierarchy was one’s basic

       needs, and America’s basic needs during the 20’s was to have food, shelter, clothing, and the stock market to provide for one self or one’s family.

       Moving up on the Maslow’s pyramid is Safety, and safety included job security. With the stock market doing as well as it did in the 20’s with

       people speculating on its progress, people invested money they didn’t have. So even though there were elements of risk investing with the safety

       they had, for the most part in the 20’s people capitalized with their safety. Affiliation within one’s own class, either upper, middle, or lower, are

       needs of people, and self-esteem revolved about affiliation with one’s class. Finally, self-actualization was when one’s goal or goals are being met.

       This pyramid of needs is how life in America was depended on during the 20’s. One October 21st 1929 the crash of the stock market crushed

       America’s foundation that started The Great Depression. Many people and factors are to blame to crash of the stock market, but no one

       conclusive factor has taken the blame. Many people believe that poor leadership and politics on behalf of Calvin Coolidge and Hoover with their

       “laissez-faire” government led America into the depression. They believed in the self-made man and individualism; government should not intervene

       in public affairs and that people working together was the only solution to getting America out of the depression. Probably the biggest upset during

       the Depression was widespread unemployment. Typically the average unemployed man was thirty-six years old physically fit and has an excellent

       work history. In Pennsylvania studies showed that the typical unemployed man was either black or an alien. Blacks and aliens were the last hired

       and the first hired. Many people graduated from high school and college with credible degrees, but landed into a world without jobs. Senator Bilbo

       of Mississippi vowed that eliminating 12,000,000 blacks from America’s populations and sending them back to Africa could solve the problem

       with unemployment. The United Spanish War Veterans urged the deportation of 10,000,000 aliens back to where they came from. Many

       non-citizens, unable to find work, voluntarily returned to their homelands. In 1932 more than 3 times as many persons left this country as entered

       it. No longer was America seen as the Promise Land. People lost their houses and their apartments. FDR stated: “One of the major disasters of

       the depression was the loss of hundreds of thousands of homes each year from foreclosure.” During the average year 78,000 homes per year are

       foreclosed, but during the depression, 1932, this number increased to 273,000. In Harlem New York blacks invented a new way to raise money

       to pay the rent, house-rent parties, rather than getting evicted or having their houses foreclose. A family would announce to anyone and everyone

       on the block or in their city that they’re having a party on Saturday night for an evening of fun. There would be a cover charge at the door and

       food and beverages would be extra. Many black people found that house-rent parties not only put food on their tables, but it gave them better

       opportunities to pay the rent or the mortgage. For those citizens who could not make ends meet, they found that they became part of the statistics.

       In moving from place to place, families would leave their furniture and financed belongings behind for the company’s to reposes their furniture. The

       evicted found themselves flocking to their friends or families. Eventually leading to more than 10 to 15 persons living under the same house. The

       Depression strained the family structure and sometimes even shattered it. In the early part of the depression women would not understand that

       there weren’t any jobs for their husbands. They simply believed that their husbands were too lazy and just didn’t want to work. Men started having

       the social workers call home to confirm on their behalf that indeed there were no jobs and that their husbands were not lying. Since men could not

       find any work, they found themselves displaced in the household. Normally the husband was looked down upon by the rest of the family if he was

       seen washing dishes or helping out around the house. Ashamed, confused, and resentful, they became sexually impotent. Women found that since

       their husbands didn’t work and no food was being brought to the table, they would venture to work as temporary whores to keep their family

       going. The Depression started to erode freedom. Some Americans a little more secure than others asked harsh questions like, how about

       fingerprinting everyone on relief? Was it proper for a man on relief to own a car? Wasn’t it wrong to sell liquor to the head of the household?

       Should reliefers be allowed to vote? In New Orleans a federal judge denied citizenship to four qualified persons because they were on relief and

       therefore were “unable financially to contribute to the support of the government.” Governor Talmadge of George was asked what he would do

       about the millions of unemployed Americans. His responded, “Let’em starve!” Frank Hague, mayor of Jersey City, called for the erection in

       Alaska of a concentration camp for the native “Reds.” Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected in 1932 defeating Hoover. In his inaugural address

       he stated, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” He related this to the crash of the stock market and people’s fears of reinvesting and

       banking. To increase the confidence in society FDR passed what was called the New Deal. These programs designed by FDR would create jobs

       for the needy, set standards for employment, and would create agencies and acts to protect citizens’ investments in the future. With the Wagner

       Act, FDR gave workers the right to organize and bargain through unions. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 mandated maximum hours and

       minimum wages. The CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) provided training and jobs for unemployed young men. The WPA (Workers Progress

       Administration) employed 9 million people in various public works projects between 1935 and 1943. The FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance

       Corporation) was created to promote stability in the banking industry. This agency would insure depositors up to $100,000 per account. The

       Great Depression took its toll on many American families. Widespread unemployment, foreclosures, and the strain on the family structure are only

       some of the effects of the Great Depression. These major setbacks in life tested many families during what was probably the most difficult time in

       American history.

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