Tramps and hobos are commonly lumped together, but in their own sight they are sharply differentiated. A hobo or bo is simply a migratory laborer; he may take some longish holidays, but soon or late he returns to work. A tramp never works if it can be avoided; he simply travels.
Explore the fascinating history of hobos, the wandering travelers who shaped American culture through their way of life.
Hobos have a history dating back to the explosion of the railroad after the Civil War. Over this time, many have debated what defines a hobo. While there is still much disagreement over definition, there are a few consistencies.
Remember the differences between hobos, tramps, and bums: hobos are people who travel and look for work, tramps are people who travel and don't look for work, bums are people who neither travel nor look for work. Take stock of your skills and experience.
As many as 250,000 teenagers became hobos during the Great Depression. Hardship on the rails was not confined to solitary men. Women and children increasingly joined this nomadic existence, their presence a stark reminder of how thoroughly the Depression shattered the American dream.
But the history of hobos began decades earlier. Though not called hobos, but frequently referred to merely as tramps, men had long been traveling around picking up work. Most modern hobos, however, trace their lineage to the building of the railroads and the end of the Civil War.
The early 1900s were a time of displacement for over 500,000 people in the U.S. Many became hobos and traveled constantly in search of better things. As they traveled, they developed a code of symbols to communicate and help out fellow travelers.