Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2020/Fall/105/Section 061/Robert Williamson

Robert Williamson

Biography

Robert Williamson, or better known as Bob, faced many issues throughout his story. The first being his struggle to find a job, Bob never finished school because his parents did not force him in doing so. He also faced the major problem of alcoholism. He finally got a stable job as a plumber, but started to drink with his coworkers where it ultimately turned into an obsession. He began drinking on the job and started to receive fewer customers because of it. His family worried for him and his kidneys began to fail. Eventually, after he returned to the hospital numerous times with kidney problems, he stopped drinking for the wellbeing of his family. His relationship with his wife and children plummeted when he chose to drink constantly. He decided that family and his health were more important in the long run.

Many people during this era never finished school. Bob and his wife, Betty, both did not finish school. He and his wife got married when he was 17 and she was 15. People during the time got married very early in their lifetime and started to have kids before they were financially stable enough to do so, which is why the couple chose to use contraception methods to prevent having more children. Bob was a good man at heart and had faced many challenges throughout his lifetime but was able to overcome them.

Social Context During the Great Depression

Prohibition and Alcohol

Prohibition had negative effects on the nation during the 1930s and the Great Depression. There was a rise in alcohol consumption during the early 20^th century, which led to the depletion of money in many Americans’ wallets. Many Americans struggled with alcohol consumption which led to an addiction. To many people during the 1930s, alcohol was a new substance and they were unaware of the effects it had on the body. J. Blocker states that “Prohibitionists agreed that a powerful liquor industry posed the greatest threat to American society and that only Prohibition could prevent Americans from falling victim to its seductive wiles”.  People were unable to control themselves after being exposed to alcohol; the urge to drink alcohol surpassed many important things in their lives, such as family duties, children and work. When families experienced incomes lower than what they were used to and found it hard to support their family, they turned to alcohol to release some steam. This ultimately led to aggressive tendencies and broken relationships, less money being made and whatever funds they had was spent on alcohol.

Contraception

Birth control use became prominent in society around the 1930s. Before this time, it was uncommon to use contraception to prevent having a child. It was against many religious practices to prevent pregnancy. Women scientists wanted to change this, which lead to the use of contraception to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.

Many people began to use contraception to prevent having more kids. With the Great Depression limiting the incomes of many families and causing them to be on the urge of bankruptcy, they were unable to financially support more children. They did it out of the good of their hearts and for the happiness and health of their child. C. Rusterholz states “While parental health, especially that of mothers, had been an essential argument for the legitimation of the use of birth control in the previous decade, individual responsibility for the well-being of the child was central” and also that “Birth control has enabled parents to exercise a civilized regard for the rights of the children whom they voluntarily bring into the world.”.

Family and Socioeconomic Status

A family’s relationship is dependent on their socioeconomic status and how the members view the importance of their relationship which can affect how families views one another. As stated by R. Conger, “Research dating back to the depression years of the 1930s has confirmed that families often suffer when faced with economic hardship or low SES”. The relationships between a parent and children, wife and husband are important along with the importance of being a part of your family. Many people during the 1930s and the Great Depression struggled with familial relationships because of their depleting economic status. When a families experienced incomes lower than they were used to and found it hard to support their family. The American job market significantly decreased causing lower incomes and the wages of companies decreased. Many fights arouse between spouses or even the parents and their children. Alcohol sometimes caused spouses to bicker also. People realized how little they wanted to be married together after they decided to get married and have kids, because they fell in love at such a young age. Spouses started off getting along very well but eventually grew apart because of alcohol problems. This leads to relationships lost with kids, spouses, and parents.

Attending School

It was difficult for many children and teens to go to school during the 1930s. A lot of schools fell through because of the Great Depression and were hard to get into during this time because of low funds and not being able to admit numerous children. Sometimes the weather was also a distraction to students and it was hard for them to focus on their studies. Work especially got in the way for a lot of students. Numerous families owned farms during the 1930s, and after the Great Depression, they needed as much help as they could get to help them not go bankrupt because of the loss of business.  Students dropped out of school to help their family on the farm. As C. Reinhardt states, “Teenagers sometimes had to quit school to work full time on the family farm. Sometimes young people left home in search of jobs off the farm.” Many families had a lot of children that could help out.

Bibliography

Blocker, J. “Did Prohibition Really Work? Alcohol Prohibition as a Public Health Innovation.” American Journal of Public Health 96, no. 2 (2006, February): 233-243                 Retrieved October 15, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470475/

Conger, R., Conger, K., & Martin, M. Socioeconomic Status, Family Processes, and Individual Development. J Marriage Fam. 72, no. 3 (2010, June): 685-704                              Retrieved October 15, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2910915/

Reinhardt, C., & Ganzel, B. Farming in the 1930s. Wessels Living History Farm (2010, June) Retrieved October 15, 2020, from https://livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/life_21.html

Rusterholz, C. English Women Doctors, Contraception and Family Planning in Transnational Perspective (1930s-70s) Med Hist. 63, no. 2 (2019, April): 153-172 .                      Retrieved October 15, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6434646/

State Museum, T. Going to School During the Great Depression. Tennessee 4 Me (2016). Retrieved October 15, 2020, from http://www.tn4me.org/images/upload/File/Going_to_school_then_and_now_answer_key.pdf