Art and the Great Depression

Putting the current situation in America in the context of major historical events is an important part of creating a basis of conversation for ideas about how to proceed in the future.  While there are important debates and disagreements about the significance of different events in America, there is general agreement on major historical events that have had repercussions throughout our history.

When speaking specifically about the economic situation in America, there are few events that still reverberate more than the Great Depression.  Few events have had such personal significance for so many American families. Most people, regardless of their current economic conditions, were affected by the fallout from the Great Depression. “The depth and persistence of the Depression undermined people’s faith in capitalism, in capitalists, and in the government” (Katznelson, Kesselman, & Draper, 2011, p. 71).

Because of the removal of top soil, lack of crops, and very dry conditions, areas in the Midwest experienced what is now known as the Dust Bowl in the 1930’s. I can remember my grandmother telling me how it was to grow up in Dodge City, KS during the Dust Bowl era following the market crash of 1929. My grandmother would tell me stories of putting wet cloths over every visible crevice, not being able to see the sky for days, having to wear t-shirts over their faces just to breath. Jobs were scarce, food was scarce.  A new wave of artistic expression to communicate the desperation of these days continues to influence political artistic expression today.

Back in Nineteen Twenty-Seven,
I had a little farm and I called that heaven.
Well, the prices up and the rain come down,
And I hauled my crops all into town --
I got the money, bought clothes and groceries,
Fed the kids, and raised a family.

Rain quit and the wind got high,
And the black ol' dust storm filled the sky.
And I swapped my farm for a Ford machine,
And I poured it full of this gas-i-line --
And I started, rockin' an' a-rollin',
Over the mountains, out towards the old Peach Bowl.

Way up yonder on a mountain road,
I had a hot motor and a heavy load,
I's a-goin' pretty fast, there wasn't even stoppin',
A-bouncin' up and down, like popcorn poppin' --
Had a breakdown, sort of a nervous bustdown of some kind,
There was a feller there, a mechanic feller,
Said it was en-gine trouble.

Way up yonder on a mountain curve,
It's way up yonder in the piney wood,
An' I give that rollin' Ford a shove,
An' I's a-gonna coast as far as I could --
Commence coastin', pickin' up speed,
Was a hairpin turn, I didn't make it.

Man alive, I'm a-tellin' you,
The fiddles and the guitars really flew.
That Ford took off like a flying squirrel
An' it flew halfway around the world --
Scattered wives and childrens
All over the side of that mountain.

We got out to the West Coast broke,
So dad-gum hungry I thought I'd croak,
An' I bummed up a spud or two,
An' my wife fixed up a tater stew --
We poured the kids full of it,
Mighty thin stew, though,
You could read a magazine right through it.
Always have figured
That if it'd been just a little bit thinner,
Some of these here politicians
Coulda seen through it.

Guthrie, W. (1936). Talking Dust Bowl Blues [Song lyrics] Source: http://www.woodyguthrie.org/Lyrics/Talking_Dust_Bowl_Blues.htm

Due to the desperation created by economic conditions, workers around the nation demanded change and more political power. “Farmers struck, refusing to bring their crops to market because prices had dropped below production costs. Workers in the great manufacturing centers began to organize into unions”  (Katznelson, Kesselman, & Draper, 2011, p. 71). Music and art brought a sense of community and camaraderie to these movements. “Unemployment insurance and Social Security created at least a minimal safety net where none existed previously. The labor market also came in for a degree of regulation as child labor was outlawed and a minimum wage law was passed” (Katznelson, Kesselman, & Draper, 2011, p. 72-3).

With current conditions in America reflecting similar conditions like existed at this time in America, it is important to remember the roots of the labor movement and the social safety net. They are under attack in the current political climate, but their roots in America run deep and are an important part of the fabric of our country and our middle class.

Critical Question: Are there current examples of creative artistic expression of popular movements in America today?