It was getting to be the 1930s. It was a hurting time, and…
““It was getting to be the 1930s. It was a hurting time, and the farm people almost couldn't give the cotton away. The value of what they harvested, the worth of their hard labor and the measure of their days, plummeted after the crash of 1929. A pound of cotton had gone for 30 cents on the open market in the mid-1920s and for nearly 17 cents in the late 1920s. By 1931, the planters couldn't get six cents for that same pound of cotton. The people of New York and Boston were not ordering up new seersucker suits and cotton pillowcases like they did just a few years before. The cotton ripened in the bud, but there was nobody to buy it. So the boss men went without new Model T Fords. The sharecroppers went without shoes.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Economic collapse devastated farmers, especially cotton growers, leading to severe poverty and loss of livelihood.
In simple terms: The Great Depression ruined cotton farmers' incomes.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how systemic crises impact vulnerable communities.
Themes
economic hardship
agriculture
Great Depression
social inequality
Mood
somber
reflective
empathetic
Type
historical
social commentary
economic
When to use this quote
- historical analysis
- economic policy
- social welfare programs
- community resilience
- agricultural reform
Key Concepts
market volatility
crop dependency
labor exploitation
regional disparity
Questions to Reflect On
- How did different regions cope with the cotton price collapse?
- What policies could have mitigated farmers' suffering?
A Different Perspective
The narrative overlooks regional variations and individual agency within the crisis.