The Great Depression
The Great Depression was the deepest and longest lasting economic downturn in the history of the western industrialized world. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry takes place during the Great Depression which was in 1929- 1939. During the Great Depression the stock market drops and many people are left writhout jobs. The FDR addressed the Great Depression with very great deal. Roosevelt addressed the county's economic woes, announcing a four day "Bank Holiday" which all banks would be closed so that congress could pass a reform legislation and reopen the banks determined to be sound. The Great Depression affected the characters in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry because it made Cassie and Little Man have to use old books that were in very poor condition and made Papa have to work in the fields almost all year long. The Great Depression was a very hard time for everyone.
Abolishment of Slavery
"And I hereby call upon the people so declared to be free to abstain from all violence, unless in necessary self-defense; and I recommend to them that, in all cases when allowed, they labor faithfully for reasonable wages." A quote from Abraham Lincoln. The ending of slavery was a huge relief for many African Americans. It meant that they would n longer have o work for white men and not get paid and not have a choice ce to do the work or not. This also was a huge plus for our characters in "Roll Of Thunder, Hear My Cry". “Baby, we have no choice of what color we’re born or who our parents are or whether we’re rich or poor. What we do have is some choice over what we make of our lives once we’re here.” A quote from Mama (#185).
"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." -The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America
Lynching
Lynching is a verb, the word lynching means, killing someone especially by hanging. They would lynch someone for an alleged offense with or without a legal trial. In our story ,"Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" the Logan family along with many other colored families were always afraid of getting lynched. Lynching usually would happen to colored people which was very unfair. When Papa ran off to help TJ Mama was very scared he would get lynched if he was caught with a gun. "“You fire on them and they’ll hang you for sure. They’d like nothing better.”(Taylor 437)
Credits:
Created with images by kimberlykv - "Cotton Harvest" • hjl - "Vote!" • deepcove - "water fountain drinking" • USDAgov - "Dust Bowl" • Tony Fischer Photography - "The Causes of The Great Depression / FDR Memorial Site" • Thomas Shahan 3 - "White Collar, c. 1940 - Linocuts by Giacomo G. Patri" • Koshyk - "Great Depression" • Cea. - "[ A ] Berenice Abbott - Hardware Store, 316-318 Bowery at Bleecker Street, New York 1938 - Detail 1" • InAweofGod'sCreation - "326. Black Heritage Trail Prescott Park"