Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2021/Fall/Section018/Hubert W. Johnson

Overview

Hubert W. Johnson was a man from Gastonia, North Carolina. He was born from a father who was a horse trader and a mother who was ill and passed away when he was very young. Johnson went through about 13 different jobs to eventually own his photography studio in his 30s. His interview was administered by John H. Abner on March 5, 1939.

Biography: The Photographer

Early Life

Hubert W. Johnson was born on August 28th, 1905. His father was a horse trader, and he also ran a small cafe. His mother passed away when he was only seven years old. From his earliest memory, his mother was ill but was a kind and gentlewoman. Huber W. Johnson did not seem to face any cultural or political issues. Johnson did struggle with identity and poverty. For many Americans, the 1920s was a decade of poverty. When his mother passed away, it took a toll on him and his father. His father focused on work which kept him away from home, and soon after his mother's death, his father took Hubert to live with his grandmother.

Adult Life/Work-Life

During this time, the rise of a consumer-oriented economy and mass entertainment began. As Johnson grew up, his struggle with individuality started to reshape his future. Johnson started working at the age of 15; he quit school, and what followed was a rollercoaster. After getting wrapped up in the industrialized economy since the age of 15, going through 13 jobs, two fatal crashes; this led to Hubert Johnson finally owning his photography studio in 1936.

Social Context

Poverty

These events in the early 1900s caused the economy and workforce to crash. World War I caused the drive to push in technological development and innovation. Economic production continued at post-war levels, but citizens did not have the means to consume. This led to the Great Depression, which began with a stock market crash, and lasts until the end of the 1930s in many countries. In the early 1900s, the average American family had an annual income of $3,000. They had no indoor plumbing, no phone, and no car. Roughly half of all American children lived in poverty. Most teens did not attend school; instead, they labored in factories or fields.

Child Labor

The average daily lives of children in the early 1900s are greatly different than how their lives are today. While primary schools were common, most children left school at 13 to work long hours, often in poor conditions, to help support their families. Child labor was common at the turn of the century, and many families needed the income earned by their children to survive. The 1900 census counted 1.75 million individuals aged 10 to 15 who were gainful workers. At that time, these children comprised 6 percent of the labor force. There were no national laws that governed child labor, and while some States enacted and enforced such laws, most did not. By 1999, Federal and State law regulated child labor; and Federal law effectively prohibited full-time workers under the age of 16.

American labor in the 20th Century

The 20th century was an exceptional period for the American worker, as wages rose, employee benefits grew, and working conditions improved. The American workforce was much better off over the 20th century, the composition of the labor force shifted from industries dominated by primary production occupations, such as farmers and foresters, to those dominated by professional, technical, and service workers. At the turn of the century, about 38 percent of the labor force worked on farms. By the end of the century, that figure was less than 3 percent. Likewise, the percent who worked in goods-producing industries, such as mining, manufacturing, and construction, decreased from 31 to 19 percent of the workforce. Service industries were the growth sector during the 20th century, jumping from 31 percent of all workers in 1900 to 78 percent end of the century than it was at the beginning. The size of the Nation’s workforce increased roughly sixfold during the 20th century. The workforce registered 24 million in 1900 with those aged 10 and above reporting a gainful occupation; in 1999 it was 139 million (aged 16 and older).

References

Bushman, Richard Lyman. “Markets and Composite Farms in Early America.” The William and Mary Quarterly 55, no. 3 (1998): 351–74. https://doi.org/10.2307/2674528.

"Economics evolution: from the 1900s to nature's return." Alternatives Journal 43, no. 1 (2017): 40+. Gale In Context: Biography (accessed October 14, 2021). https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A504784950/BIC?u=unc_main&sid=summon&xid=43d7c1e9.

Fisk, D. (2003). American labor in the 20th Century - Bureau of Labor … http://www.bls.gov/opub. Retrieved October 7, 2021, from https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/cwc/american-labor-in-the-20th-century.pdf.

Rutherford, Malcolm. "Field, Undercover, and Participant Observers in US Labor Economics: 1900–1930." History of Political Economy 44, no. suppl_1 (2012): 185-205.

Work and Leisure in the Early 1900s. Films On Demand. 2014. Accessed October 14, 2021. https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=102632&xtid=161085.