Letters between Sam Berry and Governor Olin Johnston, April 1938

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Document Description:

Letter written by Sam Berry, an African-American janitor at the Court House in St. George, SC, writes to ask for help from Governor Johnston after he helped him with his campaign.

The reply from the Governor Johnston says that he unfortunately will not be able to help him because his son has been very ill and that he has doctor's bills that he has to pay.

Citation:

Sam Berry to Olin D. Johnston, 13 April 1938. Federal Correspondence. Governor Olin D. Johnston papers. South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina.

Olin D. Johnston to Sam Berry, 14 April 1938. Federal Correspondence. Governor Olin D. Johnston papers. South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina.

Transcription:

St. George, S.C.

April 13, 1938

Mr. Governor Olin D. Johnson

Columbia, S.C.

Dear Mr. Governor Johnson:

You will remember that when you was making your race for Governor, you come down to the court house and got me to tack up a lot of your bills and pictures and you told me at that time that if you was lucky you would send me something sometime. I am very much in need of a little help now. You know who I am. I am the one arm nigger who is janitor at the courthouse here at St. George. I’se been praying for you to get elected and make a good Governor and hope to have you come back sometime.

Sam Berry,

Court House Janitor

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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