In 1936, South Carolina was marked by the lingering challenges of the Great Depression, which had left much of the United States struggling to recover. For rural communities, particularly African American tenant farmers, life was shaped by economic hardship, federal relief efforts, and ongoing societal inequalities. The photo of a family standing in front of a worn-down home serves as a testament to the difficult conditions faced by many during this era, reflecting both the poverty of the time and the resilience of those who endured it.
A Year of Economic Struggles and Federal Intervention
The year 1936 came during the height of the New Deal, a series of federal programs introduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to alleviate the suffering caused by the Great Depression. In South Carolina, as in other southern states, these initiatives played a crucial role in providing economic relief to struggling families and revitalizing infrastructure. One of the most significant developments in South Carolina that year was the implementation of the Rural Electrification Act (REA), which aimed to bring electricity to rural areas that had previously gone without it South Carolina EncyclopediaThe People History.