These photographs show crowds of unemployed men marching on the streets of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in April 1931 as the Great Depression deepened.

The marchers came from across the Keystone State, including a sizable group of unemployed mineworkers from Pennsylvania’s Coal Region and sought to influence state lawmakers as they debated measures for economic relief in the early stages of the Depression.

They met with state legislators and Governor Gifford Pinchot, calling for $42 million in relief for the poor. Their efforts were unsuccessful.

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Read more about the Great Depression in the Coal Region

The Coal Region’s struggle and resilience during the Great Depression | Article

A dying Pennsylvania coal town found creative ways to feed local children during the Great Depression

Lykens miners determined to save their workplace at historic Short Mountain Colliery | October 1933

“Unsafe and unprofitable” – The closure of the Brookside Colliery in 1938

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