User:Chris496

Early Life
A.C. Jones was born in 1887 in Smith County, Tennessee on his family’s farm. He worked on that farm and went to school until the 8th grade when, due to financial and social reasons of the time, he dropped out to work in his uncle’s mercantile shop. Unfortunately, dropping out was common and destroyed chances of successful careers for many young people. According to “The American Family,” only 6 percent of children graduated high school during those times, compared with 88% today. A.C. tried to open his own mercantile store after several years of working with his uncle but was unsuccessful. Jones told the interviewer, Agee, L. of the great times on the farm growing up where men would work all day on the farm and women would cook food that everyone would eat until they felt as if would bust if they continued. It was times like these that made Jones earn to return to the farm later in life with enough money to retire and be well off.

Middle Life
Jones eventually got a job working at a telephone company in 1909 or 1910 keeping track of switchboard lines. He kept that job until 1922 when he got a job at a streetcar company in Nashville. He left that job in 1924 when his mother fell ill, requiring him to return to the farm to care for her. Because of the high price of doctors, Jones was unable to get the right help and treatment for his mother, who soon passed away. Because of doctors’ professional nature, they had high prices which, according to “How Doctors broke Health Care.” Made it difficult for families to budget for health care, especially considering the unpredictability of illness. In 1924, Jones started working for a streetcar company in Nashville that he has been for 18 years, and still is working at, all through the Great Depression. Jones saw much of the public in the job and said that most people didn’t cause too many problems, unless there was a new driver. Jones had racist opinions which were unfortunately very common during the time period, saying that colored people never caused too much harm, but that the country could do with less colored people. However, Jones said that it might be hard to get someone else to do their “dirty work.” Jones was a respectful people person. He never argued with people over politics or other opinions because he was very respectful. Jones also never took part in dancing, drinking, or watching shows. He said that those things took away people’s morals, and even hindered their ability to get a job. Jones just worked because he had no money and tried to be nice to people.

A.C. Jones knew that machines were taking the jobs of people though, so he was very thankful for his job. He said that tractors could do in one day what it would take fourteen men to do, and that streetcars now only took one man to drive them when they used to require two.

Late Life
Jones’ father, ninety-three, also faced the same predicament as his mother when, after being injured in a traffic accident, he couldn’t afford a doctor. A motorcyclist ran into their car which injured his right hip and leg. Because of that, he was bound to a bed for a year and a half and couldn’t walk the same after.

Jones’ life was not set up for major success after he dropped out of school in 8th grade to work. He always struggled financially as a result and said he was never able to save much money because he spent most of it on bills. Jones assumed that if he had a better education, he would have been able to get a higher paying job, giving him more money to save. Jones valued hard work, and as a result got upset when children of the time didn’t understand hard work. Jones also appreciated womanhood and thought women shouldn’t have to get involved in politics or anything of the working world. Jones wanted to teach his kids the value of hard work, give them a good education and make them attend church. Ultimately, Jones wanted his children to be respectful of other just like he was and get a good education to be more successful than he was.

Great Depression
The Great Depression was a huge crash of the stock market lasting from 1929 to 1939 that affected U.S. and intercontinental economies. Banks were forced to close and the production of many goods in the U.S. was halted. Millions of people lost jobs and were thrust into poverty unless they had money saved from before the crash. Many had to receive charity food and shelter to simply survive. President Hoover did little for the hopes of Americans, ultimately helping Roosevelt win the 1932 election.

Streetcars
Streetcars were fundamental to the growth and progression of cities by allowing for easy transportation of workers to and form jobs, which lead to the great popularity of streetcars. “Streetcar” stated that “the possession of a streetcar line became essential for a growing town or small city, and the larger city streetcar systems extended their lines farther and farther out into the suburbs.” Streetcars became obsolete and expensive after World War 1 and World War 2 when building them was more expensive than a bus. However, streetcars have made a return to cities recently for their retro value.

Racism
During, before, and after the 1930s racism was very prevalent in the United States Many people had poor opinions of colored people which only made their lives harder. The Jim Crow laws made it hard for people of color to get jobs and the same pay as white people. It was not uncommon for people to be openly racist and face no ramifications. “African American Life During the Great Depression and the New Deal” links to an article with examples of blatant racism.