The Depression affected different economic and social classes in different ways. The experience of the Depression obviously had a negative impact on the country as a whole, but certain groups in society still managed to prosper. In addition to economic and social class, geographic location also played a role in Americans' experiences during the Depression. Those unfortunate citizens living in the Great Plains states were also dealing with the effects of the Dust Bowl during this time. Some citizens were fortunate to find themselves working in Depression-proof jobs, such as the cigarette and shoe manufacturing industries (Kennedy, p. 163). However, most people have had to adapt to a new norm of finding subsistence jobs or even lower wages and struggling to find food and shelter. The plight of families, workers, farmers, businessmen, and minorities was well documented during the Depression, and their experience reflects one of the darkest periods in American history. Harry Hopkins, who was President Roosevelt's federal relief administrator, sent Lorraine Hickok to travel the country and talk to average Americans so that the federal government could get a sense of the suffering. Hickok had previously worked as a journalist while Roosevelt was on the campaign trail and had developed a close personal relationship with his wife Eleanor. Hickok was even accompanied by Eleanor on some stops on his trip. The mission was to discover the extent of the suffering and what was needed to alleviate it with regular reports to Hopkins. These experiences of Hickok's had a negative impact on her. At one point he told Hopkins that he was beginning to agree with some of the people he had met that a Fasc... middle of paper... and large black populations. In short, things were bad for minorities during the Depression and didn't start to get better even when the rest of the country started to recover. In conclusion, the Depression affected all demographics of American society, some worse than others. There was also a psychological impact felt by families and children as the dynamics of the typical American family changed. Men were not always able to support their families and felt that they were no longer respected by their wives and children. The work done by Lorena Hickok has provided the government and now historians with an accurate representation of what the average American experienced during the Depression. WORKS CITED Kennedy, David M., Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945, New York: Oxford University Press: 1999.