Depending on where you lived, young people in the 1930s dated and double-dated by going to movies, getting something to eat, going for ice cream, driving around, spending time with friends, going to dances, and even necking.

What did girls do in the 1930s?

When Depression hit, women sought employment out of the house: nurses, school teachers, beauticians, cleaning ladies (maids/cooks), secretaries, and manufacturing occupations (sewing). According to the Censuses taken in 1930 and 1940, the number of women holding professional jobs increased by 20.

How were elderly people treated in the 1930s?

People were usually placed by, or removed from, their families (usually in infancy) and housed in large professional institutions, many of which were self-sufficient through the labour of the residents. Heavy tranquillisation and assembly line methods of support were the norm.

What caused the Great Depression of the 1930s?

It began after the stock market crash of October 1929, which sent Wall Street into a panic and wiped out millions of investors. Over the next several years, consumer spending and investment dropped, causing steep declines in industrial output and employment as failing companies laid off workers.

What was considered old in the 1930s?

Life expectancy at birth in 1930 was indeed only 58 for men and 62 for women, and the retirement age was 65. But life expectancy at birth in the early decades of the 20th century was low due mainly to high infant mortality, and someone who died as a child would never have worked and paid into Social Security.

What was life like for the mentally disabled in the 1930s?

Disabilities in 1930s America People with mental disabilities in 1930s America were treated very unsympathetically by the majority of society. Abnormal behaviour and low levels of economic productivity were thought of as a burden to society.

Who were the hardest hit by the Great Depression?

The poor were hit the hardest. By 1932, Harlem had an unemployment rate of 50 percent and property owned or managed by blacks fell from 30 percent to 5 percent in 1935. Farmers in the Midwest were doubly hit by economic downturns and the Dust Bowl.

Who did well during the Great Depression?

9 People Who Made a Fortune During the DepressionBabe Ruth. The Sultan of Swat was never shy about conspicuous consumption.John Dillinger. Michael J. James Cagney. Charles Darrow. Howard Hughes. J. Gene Autry.More items