Hoovervilles

Hoovervilles

Hoovervilles were the slums of the Great Depression. Thousands of the unemployed and the homeless over large spans of land created a towns filled with houses made of crates, scrap metal and anything that could be found on the streets. They were called Hoovervilles after president hoover. The general public blamed Hoover for the economic struggles of America and they therefore made symbols out of things that lack wealth in the form of naming them after Hoover. For example, Hoover’s flag was the inside cloth of an empty pocket while a Hoover wagon was a horse carriage as the owners could not afford gas.

The population and growth of Hoovervilles grew rapidly as the Great Depression ravaged the country and forced people into these slums. An estimated hundreds of thousands lived within these shanty towns. Hoovervilles became so large that some even had governmental positions such as a mayor. Within the shelters of these villages the only furnishings were very few kitchen appliances and a bed. You can imagine that the living conditions were terrible. People within the towns depended on begging for money and charity from the owners of real houses in order to make a living.

One famous Hooverville was founded by the bonus army, a group of World War 1 veterans. This Hooverville was formed in the District of Columbia in Washington DC and at its peak had over 15,000 residents. The town was eventually disbanded and destroyed by the United States army under the control of General Douglas MacArthur
Sources:
http://www.history.com/topics/hoovervilles