HistoricalContextofGonewiththeWindTheGreatDepressionandReconstructionErasAlthoughMitchell's1936novelGonewiththeWindfocusesontheReconstructionyearsfollowingtheCivilWar,manyofMitchell'sinitialreaderslivingthroughtheGreatDepressioncouldidentifywiththehardshipsenduredbyScarlettandherfamily.WhenalltheslavesofTararunoff,andYankeesloottheplantationbyburningcottonandstealingvaluables,theO'Harafamilyisleftwithverylittle.ThisexperiencewasonesharedbymanyplantationownersintheSouth,someofwhomalsolosttheirlandbecausetheywereunabletopaythenewtaxes.Similarly,manypeopleinthe1930shadlosttheirjobs,savings,andhomesafterthestockmarketcrashof1929.Economicrecoveryduringthe1930swasslow.Thosewhowereluckyenoughtokeeptheirjobsoftenhadtotakesalarycuts.LikeAshley,Melanie,andtheirsoninGonewiththeWind,manypeoplemovedinwithrelatives,sharingresourcestomakeendsmeet.Othersweremuchlessfortunate.Manyjobless,homelesspeopletraveledacrossthecountryinsearchofwork.Somepeoplewhohadlosttheirhomeswereforcedtoliveinshacks,andlinesatsoupkitchensgrewlongereveryday.Inordertosavemoney,manyDepression-erawomenbegansewingtheirownclothesandpreservinghomegrownfruitsandvegetablesratherthanbuyingthem.Someenterprisingfamiliesmadeextramoneybytakinginborders,sellinghome-bakedgoods,ordoinglaundry;thesehome-basedbusinessesweresimilartothoseestablishedbyAtlantafamiliesinGonewiththeWind.ThecloudoftheDepressionbegantoliftasaresultofsomeofPresidentFranklinD.Roosevelt'sNewDealprograms.TheCivilianConservationCorps,thePublicWorksAdministration,andWorksProgressAdministrationcreatedjobsforpeopleandhelpedstimulatetheeconomy.TheFederalEmergencyReliefAdministrationprovidedthestateswithmoneyfortheneedy.Governmentpolicieswerepassedatthistimetoensurethatsuchawidespreadanddevastatingdepressionwouldnotoccuragain.SimilarreliefprogramswereinstitutedduringtheReconstructionera.TheSoutherneconomy,basedmostlyonagriculture,hadtroublerecovering.Southernersfinanciallydevastatedbythewarhadlittlemoneytoinvestinbusinessorindustry,sostateofficialsworkedtoattractinvestmentmoneyfromtheNorth.Stategovernmentsalsoofferedfinancialassistancetovariousindustriessuchasrailroadsandbankstospureconomicgrowthandemploymentopportunities.TheWomen'sMovementThetimeperiodinwhichGonewiththeWindtakesplace,1861to1873,wasatimeinwhichwomenhadfewrightsandwerenottreatedastheequalsofmen.Theycouldnotvoteandwerediscouragedfrompursuinganadvancededucation,mainlybecausetheywereconsideredintellectuallyinferiortomen.Womenwhodidattendcollegewerethoughtbymanytobeunfeminineandevenindangerofdamagingtheirreproductivesystems.ParticularlyintheSouth,womenwereviewedasnaturallyweakanddependentanddesperatelyinneedofprotectionbymen.Aman'sdutywastoprotectandprovideforthewomeninhislifeandinexchange,womenwereexpectedtobeobedienttomen.Awife'srolewastoraisechildrenandmanagethehome.Womenwhodefiedmenorotherwiseresistedtheirpassiveroleinsocietywereconsideredunfeminineandwereostracized.AperfectexampleofthisisdepictedinGonewiththeWindwhenScarlettislabeledunladylikeandissubsequentlyshunnedbyAtlantasocietyfordisobeyingherhusband'swishesandbuyingandoperatingherownlumbermill.Thiscontrastsgreatlywiththerespectableandfemininehome-basedpie-bakingbusinessMrs.Merriwetherstarts,especiallysinceherfatherandson-in-lawassistwiththebusiness.Similarly,EllenO'Hara'sskillfulmanagementofTaraisacceptablebecauseitisanextensionofhome.By1936,whenMitchellwroteGonewiththeWind,theWomen'sMovementhadimprovedsomeaspectsofwomen'slives,butnotall.Manycollegesanduniversitiesopenedtheirdoorstowomen,thoughrelativelyfewwomenenrolled,mainlybecausesocietystillconsideredaman'seducationmoreimportant.Somewomenworkedoutsidethehome,butitwasnotthenorm.AmajorachievementoftheWomen'sMovementhadbeentheWomen'sSuffrageAmendment.Introducedin1878,ithadfinallypassedin1919,andby1920itwasratifiedintolawasthe19thAmendment.However,bythe1930stheWomen'sMovementhadfallenintoaperiodofrelativeinactivity.Withthevotegranted,manywomenassumedtheneedforaWomen'sMovementhadceasedtobeimportant.Manyinequalitiesstillexisted,butinterestinwomen'srightswouldnotriseagainuntilthe1960s.
