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Hooverville Facts & Worksheets

Hooverville was a small town founded by homeless people in the United States during the Great Depression. Hundreds of Hoovervilles were established across the country during the 1930s.

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Hooverville was a small town founded by homeless people in the United States during the Great Depression. The Depression was blamed on President Herbert Hoover, after whom the town was named after, as coined by Charles Michelson. Hundreds of Hoovervilles were established across the country during the 1930s.

See the fact file below for more information on the Hoovervilles, or alternatively, you can download our 20-page Hooverville worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Background

  • Even before the Great Depression, there were homeless people, but most large cities were able to build municipal lodging houses for the homeless. The Depression increased the demand for such assistance exponentially.
  • The majority of the homeless chose to live in small towns where they could easily access free soup kitchens. These areas were frequently on private lands, but the trespassing settlements were simply ignored as the crisis demanded.
  • Most men with construction skills were able to build their houses out of stone, but those who could not resort to making their residences out of wood from the materials available to them, most of which were recycled.
  • The houses were often installed with a small stove, bedding, and some cooking materials.
  • Men, women, and children living in Hooverville either relied on public charities or begged for food from those who had permanent housing during the era.
  • It was named after Herbert Hoover, an American politician who was the president during the first years of the Great Depression. Many other names were coined by Democrats based on his opinion, including Hoover blanket, flag, leather, and wagon.
  • After 1940, all of Hooverville were destroyed as the economy recovered and the unemployment rate fell eventually.

The Great Depression

  • It was a period of the global economic crisis that began with a significant drop in stock prices in the United States.
  • The economic depression began in September 1929 and was immediately followed by the October 24 Wall Street stock market crash.
  • The primary cause was rapid economic growth, which was accompanied by excessive risk-taking at the aggregate level in the market. Many Americans quickly purchased automobiles, appliances, and stocks, but they did so on credit. Businesses made huge profits, but average workers’ wages did not rise at the same rate.
  • It became the most widespread crisis of the twentieth century, affecting several countries worldwide.

Population

  • Most settlers were disorganized, and only a few established a form of government. Because of the lack of government, it took a lot of work.
  • A structured government ran Hooverville in Seattle, Washington, and extensive documentation was collected.
  • Its unofficial mayor was Jesse Jackson, who led the city in tolerating the homeless and imposed lax building and sanitation regulations.
  • Jackson was also the chairperson of the Vigilance Committee. The committee included two Whites, two Blacks, and two Filipinos. He described the population as fluid in 1938, owing to men selling their homes to newcomers and moving on.
  • Donald Francis Roy, a resident of Seattle’s Hooverville, recorded 639 residents, only 7 of whom were women.
  • Hooverville served as a home for different nationalities and ethnicities. Workers, whether migrant or immigrant, suffered from a lack of jobs making up a large portion of Hooverville.
  • In 1934, Roy recorded a population of non-White people, including Black men, Costa Rican, Chilean, Filipino, Japanese, Mexican, and Native American. Seventy-one percent of the whole population was composed of White people, such as English, Irish, Italian, Polish, Russian, and Spanish.
  • According to Roy, there was tolerance and friendship among ethnic groups and nationalities because racial barriers did not exist. Filipinos and Mexicans were the only ones who were separated, but this was due to language rather than racial discrimination.

Notable Hooverville

  • Hundreds of Hooverville settlements were built across the United States, but some stood out.
  • In 1932, Hooverville was established in Anacostia, District of Columbia, to house a group of WWI veterans seeking expedited benefits, dubbed the Bonus Army. Around 15,000 men joined the movement, many of whom came from far away and arrived in the area by illegally riding on railroad freight trains. The US army demolished the camp under the command of Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
  • In 1930, the largest Hooverville in America, consisting of four distinct sectors, was established in St. Louis.
  • Tacoma had a large encampment that spanned six blocks. A large number of small houses were constructed from scrap materials. The Tacoma Fire Department burned down fifty small houses in May 1942 after Seattle destroyed Hooverville. Residents of the previous Hooverville in Tacoma rebuilt homes on the same site they occupied throughout World War II.

In Seattle

  • Eight different Hoovervilles were established in Seattle, Washington, with the largest one lasting from 1932 to 1941 and built on the tidal flats adjacent to the Port of Seattle.
  • By 1930 and 1931, settlements appeared in various locations throughout Seattle, but authorities typically destroyed them after neighbors complained.
  • The main Hooverville began on land near Elliott Bay through a cluster of small huts. During WWI, this area belonged to the Port of Seattle but was occupied by the Skinner and Eddy shipyard.
  • Early Hooverville was burned down twice by Seattle police, but its residents continued to rebuild small houses.
  • In 1932, a new mayor was elected based on his support for the Unemployed Citizen’s League. The new mayor allowed the town’s Hooverville to thrive and grow, even granting it some official tolerance.
  • The Hooverville in Seattle was one of the few with detailed documentation.
  • The Seattle City Council decided to close Hooverville in May 1941, despite the increased reliance on it for shelter. This began with a heated debate over the status and rights of Hooverville residents, who became more visible in petitions submitted throughout the late 1930s.
  • The final decision to eliminate Hooverville was presented in a report from the Housing Authority.
  • The decision led to the establishment of the Shack Elimination Committee by the City Council. It was headed by the Commissioner of Health, the Superintendent of Buildings, the Chief of Police, and the Chief of the Fire Department, tasked to draft a plan on how to proceed with the elimination of Hooverville.

In Central Park, New York

  • During the Great Depression, other Hoovervilles were built in New York City‘s Central Park and Riverside Park to house homeless families.
  • The rectangular reservoir north of Belvedere Castle was taken out of service when the stock market crashed in 1929.
  • This drain reservoir became the site of an informal camp established by a few homeless people, but they were quickly evicted.
  • But they eventually returned because they had nowhere else to go, and they were soon allowed to stay, owing to public sympathy.
  • After hosting several homeless settlements, the reservoir was dubbed the Hoover Valley and Depression Street.

Hooverville Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Hooverville across 20 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Hooverville worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Hooverville, which was a small town founded by homeless people in the United States during the Great Depression. Hundreds of Hoovervilles were established across the country during the 1930s. 

Complete List of Included Worksheets

  • Fast Facts
  • Life in the Hoovervilles
  • Hoover-cabulary
  • A Lack of Color
  • DIY Hooverville
  • Homelessness
  • Dear Mr. President
  • Letter to the Children of Hoovervilles
  • A Day in the Life
  • Hooverville Immersion

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of Hoovervilles?

Even before the Great Depression, there were homeless people, but most large cities were able to build municipal lodging houses for the homeless. The Depression increased the demand for such assistance exponentially.

The majority of the homeless chose to live in small towns where they could easily access free soup kitchens. These areas were frequently on private lands, but the trespassing settlements were simply ignored as the crisis demanded.

Are there any Hoovervilles left?

After 1940, all of Hooverville were destroyed as the economy recovered and the unemployment rate fell eventually.

Why are slums called Hoovervilles?

It was named after Herbert Hoover, an American politician who was the president during the first years of the Great Depression. Many other names were coined by Democrats based on his opinion, including Hoover blanket, flag, leather, and wagon.

What were Hoovervilles during the Great Depression?

Hooverville was a small town founded by homeless people in the United States during the Great Depression. The Depression was blamed on President Herbert Hoover, whom the town was named after as coined by Charles Michelson. Hundreds of Hoovervilles were established across the country during the 1930s.

When were Hoovervilles destroyed?

The Seattle City Council decided to close Hooverville in May 1941, despite the increased reliance on it for shelter. This began with a heated debate over the status and rights of Hooverville residents, which became more visible in petitions submitted throughout the late 1930s.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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