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The Great Depression
(1929-1945)

Home Sweet Home - Life in Hooverville

Home Sweet Home - Life in Hooverville
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 6 to 8
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   5.56

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    camp-dwellers, cast-off, rickety, self-help, shanties, shanty, shantytowns, housing, gangs, dire, economic, jobless, ramshackle, shantytown, dependent, scrounge
     content words:    President Herbert Hoover, Central Park, President Hoover, One Seattle

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Home Sweet Home - Life in Hooverville
By Toni Lee Robinson 		  
1     Americans were proud of their self-reliance. But a crisis like the Depression had never before hit the U.S. Millions were jobless. For many, life began to topple like a grim game of dominoes. With no income, they were unable to make rent or house payments. Many were kicked out of their homes.
 
2     By 1930, thousands were homeless. What can you do when you can't afford a place to live? Many people thought the government should help. But there were no official programs to provide for the needy.
 
3     President Herbert Hoover had worked hard for his own success. He believed that self-reliance made people strong. He also believed the Depression would quickly pass. He tried to encourage the American people, telling them the hard times would soon be over.
 
4     Hoover believed aid programs would make people weak and dependent on the government. He didn't think the government should step in. He urged cities and local agencies like churches to care for the poor in their areas.
 
5     These agencies did a great deal to help people. But there were just too many people in need. The local charities couldn't provide for all of them. Some homeless families were able to move in with relatives. But for many people, there was no place to go.

Paragraphs 6 to 14:
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