The Great Depression was not the first economic crises America had faced, but it was the first to arrive since America had developed a large urban middle class. Families who were dependent on wage income and believed that the necessities of life included not only food and shelter, but electricity, indoor plumbing, and an automobile.Very few of those people went hungry or homeless during the Depression because they were able to eliminate unnecessary spending. The ones who suffered the most were those who were already poor, and inevitably continued to decline in financial stability. Although the support from local businesses such as the one pictured provided material things like drinks, hot breakfast, and coffee, what they ultimately provided
