The Midwestern Crime Wave Essay - 1342 Words

The Midwestern Crime Wave All across the nation during the Great Depression people were jobless, homeless, and starving; nowhere was this truer than in the American Midwest. Not only did the farms and cities of the Midwest have to deal with the poor economic conditions but the Midwests main source of income, agriculture, was being ravaged by the natural phenomenon now called the Dust Bowl. On top of low crop prices and a lack of employment farmland was ruined, went unplanted, and was often foreclosed on. These extra difficulties left the inhabitants of the Midwest with added resentments and frustration with businesses and government that seemed unable or unwilling to help. Out of this extreme hardship came a group of people who for†¦show more content†¦This in turn made the public feel that those robbing banks and kidnapping the rich were striking out for the poor against the wealthy. With the masses on their side these outlaws had many supporters among the American public. Claire Potter described the difficulty police had in obtaining information on gangsters from everyday citizens. She wrote about police who were questioning a witness whose only answer was to ask why we do not put all the bankers in jail who stole the peoples money?(147) On top of this, the gangsters also offered some sensation and drama to the people of the Great Depression. Since fulfilling ones basic needs was so difficult the public had little time or money for recreational activities. The stories of the wild shootouts and daring holdups then gave the public something to talk about offering a little escape from the difficulty if their daily lives. These two aspects allowed gangsters to make many friends and find support easily while trying to elude authorities. Armed robbery and kidnapping were the specialty of those that participated in the Midwestern crime wave. These crimes are what made men and women like Machine Gun Kelly, John Dillinger, Bonnie Parker, and Clyde Barrow famo us. They may all had their start in petty crime, such as stealing cars or bootlegging, but the outlaws who seemed to gain notoriety all graduated past these crimes quickly. According to one Dillinger biography he got his start in the sixth grade with aShow MoreRelatedEssay1301 Words   |  6 Pageswere sent to prison from the Ocean Districts. The prisoners never came back after they were sent to the Midwestern Marshes. Along the mainland, about 200 miles out in the ocean at the most, there were tremendous cities sitting in the ocean. They stretched from the deepest depths of the ocean floor to the bright sky. Instead of streets, crystal clear waters rose and fell with the tides and waves. Small electric boats floated lazily between buildings, powered by the water. One of these boats howeverRead MoreHow did the Prohibition Change the United States of America (USA)? 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