Letters between Mrs. Hattie W. Alexander and Governor Olin Johnston, August 1938
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- Letter from Mrs. Hattie W. Alexander to Governor Olin Johnston, 29 July 1938
- Letter from Mrs. Hattie W. Alexander to Governor Olin Johnston, 5 August 1938
- Letter from Governor Olin Johnston to Lee County Board of Public Welfare, 30 July 1938
- Reply from Governor Olin Johnston to Mrs. Hattie W. Alexander, 2 August 1938
- Reply from Lee County Board of Public Welfare to Governor Olin Johnston, 2 August 1938
Document Description:
This letter was written by Mrs. Hattie W. Alexander to Governor Olin Johnston on July 29, 1938 asking if there is any way that he can help her get work because she has three children that depend on her. She writes another letter on August 5, 1938 saying that she still has not been able to come up with money because she was not paid in full from Mr. Johnson who was renting land from her.
The are two replies from the Governor’s office, one that is written to the Lee County Board of Public Welfare, asking them if there is any profitable work for Mrs. Alexander. Another response from the Governor to Mrs. Alexander is written after her second letter. The Governor apologizes for her predicament but that he has no jurisdiction over the matter.
The letter from the Lee County Board of Public Welfare, written to the Governor on August 2, 1938, that they will check into her case, but that there are hundreds of other applicants and that they are doing the best they can.
Citation:
Hattie W. Alexander to Olin D. Johnston, 29 July 1938. Federal Correspondence. Governor Olin D. Johnston papers. South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina.
Hattie W. Alexander to Olin D. Johnston, 5 August 1938. Federal Correspondence. Governor Olin D. Johnston papers. South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina.
Olin D. Johnston to Lee County Board of Public Welfare, 30 July 1938. Federal Correspondence. Governor Olin D. Johnston papers. South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina.
Olin D. Johnston to Hattie W. Alexander, 10 August 1938. Federal Correspondence. Governor Olin D. Johnston papers. South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina.
Lee County Board of Public Welfare to Olin D. Johnston, 2 August 1938. Federal Correspondence. Governor Olin D. Johnston papers. South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina.
Transcription:
Bishopville, S.C.
July 29, 1938
Governor Johnson
Columbia, S.C.
Dear Sir,
I am a widow lady with three children depending on me for support. Two of the children are of school age. I have a little three-room house but little income. I have appealed to the people who are in charge of relief work in Bishopville for two years, they have promised me work time and time again but that does not fill empty mouths or put clothes on my children’s’ backs.
I want you to recommend me to them to give me work to do. I am willing to work. I am not in the best health.
For Gods sake Mr. Johnson help me I will support you in your race as I did when you ran for Governor. Mr. Johnson I need help Lord knows I do, but I do not belong to the right political ring to get any help from them.
I will appreciate anything you can do for me.
Thanking you in advance I am.
Mrs. Hattie W. Alexander
Bishopville, S.C.
R.T.W. # 2
P.S. Will appreciate hearing from you as soon as possible.
Bishopville, S.C.
August 5, 38’
Governor Johnson
Columbia, S.C.
Dear Sir,
I received your letter July 30. I went to see Mrs. James and showed her your letter and she ignored it. Mr. Johnson the only excuse she could give me this time was that I had some land and a house (3 rooms) for four people to live in. Mr. Johnson I am not able to farm my land so I rented it to my brother he was to pay me one hundred dollars rent for my part last year, he only paid me $65.00. My daughter got hurt and had to go to the hospital. Her hospital bill was $85.00, I only paid $50.00 on it. Later my son had hemorrhage of the brain, he was sent to Durham and I had to get the county to pay it. So yet she tells me I have enough to live on, I haven’t got anything yet out of this years rent. Mrs. James is working numerous women that own their own homes as well as big farms, she has a fine home herself. Miss Pearl McKenzie taught a nine-month school, her school was out on Friday, she went to work for Mrs. James on Monday. To Mr. Johnson see I haven’t been treated fair at all, can you help me please Mr. Johnson.
I remain
Mrs. Hattie W. Alexander
Correlating SC Social Studies Academic Standards:
Standard 3-5: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the major developments in South Carolina in the late nineteenth century and the twentieth century.
Indicator 3-5.5 Explain the effects of the Great Depression and the New Deal on daily life in South Carolina, including the widespread poverty and unemployment and the role of the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Standard 5-4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the economic boom-and-bust in America in the 1920s and 1930s, its resultant political instability, and the subsequent worldwide response.
Indicator 5-4.2 Summarize the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression, including economic weakness, unemployment, failed banks and businesses, and migration from rural areas.
Standard 8-6: The student will demonstrate an understanding of South Carolina’s development during the early twentieth century.
Indicator 8-6.5 Explain the effects of the Great Depression and the lasting impact of New Deal programs on South Carolina, including the Rural Electrification Act, the Civilian Conservation Corps, Works Progress Administration and Public Works Administration building projects, the Social Security Act, and the Santee Cooper electricity project.
Standard USHC-7: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the economic boom-and-bust in America in the 1920s and 1930s, its resultant political instability, and the subsequent worldwide response.
Indicator USHC-7.4 Explain the causes and effects of the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression, including the disparity in incomes, limited government regulation, stock market speculation, and the collapse of the farm economy; wealth distribution, investment, and taxes; government policies and the Federal Reserve System; and the effects of the Depression on human beings and the environment.
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