The Great Depression
During the Great Depression, people were unable to afford groceries. The lack of business that grocery stores were receiving made it so that they were unable to remain fully stocked. As a result, there was a nationwide food shortage and food had to be rationed.
During this time, people had to improvise in order to feed themselves. Communities would combine their resources and have potlucks so that they would have a larger variety of food to split amongst themselves. Additionally, people had to learn to be resourceful to use all of the food that was available to them. This allowed for the creation of many new recipes that people came up with in order to avoid food waste, like meatloaf, for example.
The Civil War
Because many farmers were at the front, there was a food shortage in the South during the Civil War. Prices of food began to skyrocket. With no choice left, many women had to resort to breaking into stores and stealing what they needed.
The American Revolution
During the American Revolution, many food riots broke out as women attempted to feed their families while their husbands were out fighting in the war. This was because the colonial army requisitioned food and also because of blockades created by the British.