Life — November 20, 1931 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Of Course We Can Do It!" — Depression-Era Relief Appeal This 1931 Life magazine page presents a patriotic call for charitable giving during the Great Depression. The illustration shows a determined man in working clothes in a boxing stance, symbolizing American resilience and "can-do" spirit. The text references major national achievements—the Panama Canal, WWI victory in France—to argue Americans can overcome economic crisis through private charity and community relief efforts. It appeals to employed citizens to support jobless neighbors through local welfare organizations and community chests. Notably, this represents the **pre-New Deal** approach: relying on voluntary private donations rather than government programs. The President's Organization on Unemployment Relief (credited at bottom) represented Herbert Hoover's philosophy of private-sector solutions before Franklin D. Roosevelt's expanded federal relief programs took over.