In 1929, the entire country was devastated by the Great Depression. The economy was stagnated like never before, unemployment rates soared, jobs were non-existent, and prices of cotton and other crops plummeted. Times were tough to say the least. And while the state has come a long way from this dark period, it’s always interesting to reflect on the past. So, here are 20 photos that will give you a glimpse of what life in Mississippi was like during one of the toughest times in history.
- In August of 1935, two workers brave the heat in Pike County to do some cotton pickin’.
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress
- In Lauderdale, a sharecropper’s son helps with the farm work.
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress
- Two women stroll along a Natchez street in October of 1935.
Ben Shahn/Library of Congress
- Sadly, homeless children, such as these two boys in Natchez, were not an uncommon sight during the Great Depression.
Ben Shahn/Library of Congress
- Men hard at work loading cotton in Natchez.
Ben Shahn/Library of Congress
- Taken in Vicksburg, this picture shows the living quarters afforded to African Americans.
Walker Evans/Library of Congress
- A Vicksburg storefront appears to be a popular hangout.
Walker Evans/Library of Congress
- Taken in 1936, a Terry packing depot employee gathers tomatoes for market.
Carl Mydans/Library of Congress
- Two men attempt to repair a “double shovel” cultivator on a Sunflower plantation.
Carl Mydans/Library of Congress
- A Clarksdale plantation owner takes a break from the summer heat in June of 1936.
Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress
- Sharecroppers from Arkansas take part in Sherwood Eddy’s cooperative experiment at Hill House in Neshoba.
Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress
- Workers of all races cooperate in order to solve a problem.
Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress
- A group of sharecropper families gather to celebrate Independence Day in 1936.
Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress
- A 57-year-old female sharecropper utilizes the folk remedy of tying dimes around here ankles in an effort to prevent headaches.
Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress
- A migrant worker takes a roadside break in Hancock County.
Russell Lee/Library of Congress
- An employee at a turpentine still in State Line is hard at work caulking barrels for resin.
Russell Lee/Library of Congress
- Daughters of a Laurel sharecropper proudly display their sweet potatoes.
Russell Lee/Library of Congress
- Taking a break, several Laurel farmers head to town on a Saturday afternoon.
Russell Lee/Library of Congress
- A couple of women spend the day window shopping in Laurel.
Russell Lee/Library of Congress
- Mot Tucker poses in the kitchen of his “corncrib” home in Antioch.
Russell Lee/Library of Congress
It’s unfathomable to think of how hard Mississippians, as well as all Americans, had it during these years. Have any pictures from this time period? Share your photos/thoughts in the comments section below!
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress
Ben Shahn/Library of Congress
Walker Evans/Library of Congress
Carl Mydans/Library of Congress
Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress
Russell Lee/Library of Congress
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