The sense of shame cut across class lines, but the hardest hit were already the most disadvantaged
groups, such as immigrants, women, the elderly, and migrant workers.
Although unemployment surged, government programs prevented the rates of homelessness and
hunger from significantly increasing from average levels.
Adults were greatly affected by the Depression, but children felt few repercussions and were
protected by government programs.
42. Which of the following statements regarding the effect of the Great Depression on many
women is true?
Because the few women who were afforded the opportunity to work often held the highest paying
jobs, they usually were the first to lose those jobs across the board.
Because it was still against the law for women to hold even service jobs or secretary jobs in the
1920s, women suffered the most and relied entirely on men in their lives to make ends meet.
For the duration of the Depression, single white women had the most difficult time keeping jobs
because they were viewed as not having a family to support and not needing the money as badly.
As the Depression worsened, married women became some of the primary targets of layoffs due to
the thinking that they’d be “stealing” jobs from men and already had husbands supporting them.
Most women remained relatively unaffected by the Depression because men tended to refuse to
share their financial situations with their wives, and they managed to live in a state of denial.
43. Which of the following statements accurately describes the impact of the Great Depression
on African Americans?
Whereas African Americans who had left the South to take factory jobs in the North remained
unaffected by the Depression, those who remained in the South were hit hard by the Depression.
African Americans were among the hardest hit by the Depression, as racial discrimination meant
they had the lowest-paying jobs in the South and were among the first fired in the North.
Because the Jim Crow laws had been lifted, most African Americans avoided discrimination during
the Depression and, thus, tended to experience the same degree of hardship as white Americans.
Because the southern economy had been faring better than the northern economy before 1929,
African Americans who lived in the South were better off than many white Americans.
Because most African Americans at the time lived in the North, they often benefited from state
government aid programs that were widespread and successful in the North.
44. Which of the following occurred as conditions during the Great Depression worsened?
Government officials called for the deportation of Mexican-born Americans to avoid the cost of
providing them with government services.
There was no longer any competition for jobs, especially between impoverished whites in western
states and Latino and Asian farmhands.
Birth rates soared, as couples sought to have more children to be able to work the fields and provide
for their families.
More immigrants entered the United States than ever before because the Depression had distracted
nativist efforts.
Because there were so many homeless, state governments outlawed arresting homeless people for
harmless activities such as “idling.”