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Introduction
The only employer that was available in the village family lived in was the mill. All people would go there and seek employment, but most of them would spend the majority of their time waiting. Some people would only work for 16 hours a week because of the low demand for employees. Agricultural surplus caused wheat and flour prices to drop significantly, which is why mills were cutting production. In this context, the family required assistance from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) program. WPA was set to employ people to participate in the construction of bridges, post offices, parks, and other government-funded infrastructure.
Interview
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What experiences and problems occurred to you during the Great Depression?
“The Great Depression affected all people in the United States, including me. I was a mill worker, and the employees were happy to hear that the company we worked for was not laying us off. However, because people had no money to buy our products, the mill decided to lower prices. The company started to spend less on wages and working conditions. Eventually, we were working almost for free, with no other options.”
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Did the New Deal provide you with any assistance?
“Yes. After the passing of the National Industrial Recovery Act, we were able to enter trade unions and demand fair wages and more favorable working conditions. After the creation of WPA, employees had more employment options. I was among the ones to leave and start working on the government’s construction projects.”
Conclusion
Like the majority of families during the Great Depression, the discussed household struggled with finding a decent-paying job. The mill they worked on cut wages significantly, which is the family needed to seek other options. While the National Industrial Recovery Act allowed employees to bargain for higher salaries collectively, it was the WPA to create new jobs. The family persisted by participating in construction projects offered by the government.
Reference
History.com Editors. (2019). Works Progress Administration (WPA). HISTORY. Web.
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