kaleyharper
the great depression and how it affected rural communities-old dallas jail
Photograph-"The Heritage of Paulding County Georgia, 1832-1999"
In the larger, urban communities during the Great Depression, the crime rate skyrocketed with the presence of gangsters and mobs. In rural communities, however, the crimes were committed on a much smaller scale. A huge problem for farmers and crop growers was stealing. People would go out in the middle of the night and go in the fields and steal the farmer’s crops. They would steal such things as watermelons, corn, wheat, etc. Illegal fishing was a small but prominent crime committed during the Great Depression as well. People would not have the money to make or buy proper fishing reels so they would illegally fish with their hands. This was not means for jail time like stealing was, but it did require a fine. Most people would end up going to jail because they could not pay their fine. Also during the Great Depression the laws of prohibition played a huge role in crime. And this not only affected the larger and urban areas, it affected rural communities as well. On rare occasion, someone from a small town would get caught trying to smuggle alcohol from a larger town. Because of the economic depression, people felt as if they would have no way to survive in certain areas without committing a crime to get what they wanted.
Bloch, Herbert A. 1949. Economic Depression as a Factor in Rural Crime: Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Vol. 40, No. 4. 458-470. (JSTOR)
For more information visit:
the great depression and how it affected rural communities-old dallas jail
Photograph-"The Heritage of Paulding County Georgia, 1832-1999"
In the larger, urban communities during the Great Depression, the crime rate skyrocketed with the presence of gangsters and mobs. In rural communities, however, the crimes were committed on a much smaller scale. A huge problem for farmers and crop growers was stealing. People would go out in the middle of the night and go in the fields and steal the farmer’s crops. They would steal such things as watermelons, corn, wheat, etc. Illegal fishing was a small but prominent crime committed during the Great Depression as well. People would not have the money to make or buy proper fishing reels so they would illegally fish with their hands. This was not means for jail time like stealing was, but it did require a fine. Most people would end up going to jail because they could not pay their fine. Also during the Great Depression the laws of prohibition played a huge role in crime. And this not only affected the larger and urban areas, it affected rural communities as well. On rare occasion, someone from a small town would get caught trying to smuggle alcohol from a larger town. Because of the economic depression, people felt as if they would have no way to survive in certain areas without committing a crime to get what they wanted.
Bloch, Herbert A. 1949. Economic Depression as a Factor in Rural Crime: Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Vol. 40, No. 4. 458-470. (JSTOR)
For more information visit: