http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines As the United States slipped into the economic turmoil of the Great Depression, millions of Americans turned to soup kitchens and bread lines for their daily survival. en Copyright 2013, History.com Wed, 22 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT History.com 2013-05-22T04:00:00Z en Copyright 2013, History.com http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines/photo1 Sculptor George Segal's tribute to Depression-era America is on display at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C. http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines/photo1 http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines/photo2 The highly industrialized cities of the North were the first to feel the full effects of the Great Depression. http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines/photo2 http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines/photo3 By early 1933, more than 12 million people, or 25 percent of eligible Americans, were unemployed. http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines/photo3 http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines/photo4 At the height of the Great Depression, half of all American families were living below subsistence levels. http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines/photo4 http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines/photo5 Local charities or groups organized many early soup kitchens, but the enormous need for relief prompted increased involvement from state and federal officials. http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines/photo5 http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines/photo6 In an attempt to clean up his public image, gangster Al Capone opened a soup kitchen to feed Chicago's needy. http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines/photo6 http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines/photo7 In December of 1932, unemployed workers traveled to Washington, D.C., to demonstrate their plight. http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines/photo7 http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines/photo8 In 1931, hundreds of people line up for the Christmas dinner at the New York Municipal Lodging House. http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines/photo8 http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines/photo9 By 1933, nearly 11,000 banks had failed, destroying the life savings of millions of Americans. http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines/photo9 http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines/photo10 The NRA was one of Franklin Roosevelt's first New Deal programs, designed to improve working conditions and wages. It was declared unconstitutional in 1936, though many of its components appeared in later legislation. http://www.history.com/photos/soup-kitchens-and-bread-lines/photo10