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What was life like in the Great Depression?

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Depression era family
Homer Sharer and his family in Estherville, Iowa, December of 1936. Sharer was employed as a hired hand for 16 months, but was on unemployment relief at the time of this photo.
Courtesy of the Library of Congress

In Minnesota Public Radio's UBS Forum, American RadioWorks executive editor Stephen Smith hosted an event called "Hard Times and Pastimes." He asked economics correspondent Chris Farrell and a group of historians to talk about what life was like for individuals living in the Great Depression.

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Depression era family
Homer Sharer and his family in Estherville, Iowa, December of 1936. Sharer was employed as a hired hand for 16 months, but was on unemployment relief at the time of this photo.
Courtesy of the Library of Congress