An Introduction to the Great Depression by Veronica C. and Sterling J.

“Why can’t you give my dad a job”
Photo courtesy of:
http://www.thegreatdepression.co.uk/effects-on-america/



The 1930s brought about the greatest generation the United States has ever known. Our ancestors were able to overcome one of the most trying times in our history, the Great Depression. The stock market crash of 1929 created a ricochet effect within the economy, its effects reaching around the world. Jobs were lost, a decrease in wages became the norm, and hunger, homelessness, and despair became a way of life for the majority of American families. The United States’ government made efforts to help its citizens, initially causing more harm than good. However, the New Deal, established in 1932, aimed at helping less fortunate Americans during this economic disaster. Recovery was not instantaneous, however. It required many years of struggles before America and its people were able to rise above it all.

Reference

The great depression: effects on America. (n.d.). Retrieved September 15, 2010 from http://www.thegreatdepression.co.uk/effects-on-america/

Causes of the Great Depression by Doreth H.

Graph Depicting Soaring Unemployment Rate - Graph courtesy of: http://www.uri.edu/artsci/newecn/Classes/Art/INT1/Mac/Measure/Lab/LM1.U.html




The terrible and horrible conditions which occurred in the United States and the rest of the world in the 1930's are known as the Great Depression. In identifying the origin of almost any event, one must start by examining the problem at the tail end, working forward towards the beginning of the problem. There may be multiple causes for the events in this chain (Watkins, 2000). The first very noticeable decline of the economy into depression is the unemployment rate. In 1929 Americans were fully employed and by 1933, there was a 25 % unemployment rate (Watkins, 2000).

The causes of the Great Depression leads back to the restrictive financial policies of the Federal Reserve System. Many African Americans in the South and ethnic immigrants in the North were denied benefits on the grounds of “moral unfitness.” (Champagne, et al 2005) The perplexing economic problems of the Federal Reserve, racial tension, homelessness, social problems such as breakdown of families and poverty were some of the factors that played a role in The Great Depression.

References


Champagne, A., Forshee, J., Harpham, E. (2005). An introduction to American
politics. (5th ed., p. 706). New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Schultz, S. (1999). The depression. Board of Regents of University of Wisconsin. Retrieved September 13, 2010, from http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/lectures18 .html

Watkins, T. (2000). The great depression of the 1930's and its' origins. San Jose State University. Retrieved September 13, 2010, from
http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/dep1929.html

Unemployment rate graph (n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2010, from
http://www.uri.edu/artsci/newecn/Classes/Art/INT1/Mac/Measure/Lab/LM1.U.html

The Effects of the Depression on Ordinary People by Althea W. and Christy D.

"Homeless and jobless men wait outside to get free dinner during the Great Depression"

Photo courtesy of: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/08/how-to-cause-a-depression/


Poverty, starvation, shame, and a decreasing sense of worth could describe the condition of most American families during the Great Depression. If a family was fortunate enough to stay together during this difficult time, the roles in the family changed dramatically (All About History, 2002). For instance, the wife and children often had to work in order to survive (All About History, 2002). In an attempt to compensate for the lack of income, families would live with relatives or friends. In addition, it was common for a father to abandon his family because of the desolation and decreasing sense of worth he felt in not being able to provide for his family (Eyewitness to History, 2000). Moreover, in order to prudently deal with the impending doom of the economy, many couples delayed marriage, divorce, and having children (All About History, 2002). Often times, in an attempt to save their homes, some of the middle class families took on boarders and stretched their already tight budget to feed their new guests (All About History, 2002). However, due to the high unemployment rate, many houses, cars, and furniture were repossessed in order to cover the debt (Effects on America, n.d.). Many of these middle class families lost their homes and were forced to live on the streets.

The Great Depression did not thrust The United States into immediate poverty, but it did affect everyone in the country and especially the unemployed, poor white, and black populations. Disproportionate lending powered the financial systems during the 1920’s, then during the Great Depression it decreased loan availability. As one would have guessed, Americans who had credit during the 1920’s found they were unable to make the minimum monthly payments during the Depression. The few people who were fortunate enough to work during the Depression were uncertain of their future and many lost wages or hours. Consequently, the unemployment rate during the Depression hit an all time high of 25% in 1933. Unfortunately, for many Americans there was no government system set up to help the unemployed (Effects on America, n.d.). Not only were jobs rare but food became a scarcity during the Great Depression. According to a child survivor of this era, “Food and jobs were hard to get and many people stood in lines for government hand-outs. A lot of people lived on powdered milk, dried beans, and potatoes” (All About History, 2002). The lack of food and jobs during the Depression is dreadful to imagine and is often hard to describe, especially for those who were there to witness its abhorrent effects on the American people.

References

All about history: life during the great depression. (2002). Retrieved September 15, 2010, from http://www.thegreatdepression.co.uk/effects-on-america/

Eyewitness to history: America inthe great war. (2000). Retrieved September 15, 2010, from http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/snprelief1.htm

How to cause a Depression.(2010). The Washington Times. Retrieved on
September 19,2010, from http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/08/how-to- cause-a-depression/


The Great Depression: effects on America. (n.d.). Retreived September 15, 2010, from http://www.thegreatdepression.co.uk/effects-on-america/

Responses to the Needs Created by the Great Depression by Sterling J.

"Police stand guard outside the entrance to New York's closed World Exchange Bank, March 20, 1931. Not only did bank failures wipe out people's savings, they also undermined the ideology of thrift."

Photo courtesy of: http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/depression/photoessay.htm



During the 1930's and 1940's, America was stricken by the effects of the stock market crash of 1929 and economic downfall around the world. Americans found themselves more in need than ever, and the people felt it was up to the government to step in and provide relief. Elected in 1928 and inaugurated just a few months before the 1929 stock market crash, President Herbert Hoover had different ideas.


President Hoover "believed that society has a responsibility to care for those in need and that the prosperous should bear much of the burden" (Jones, Wood, Borstelmann, May, & Ruiz, 2011, p. 518). The president also favored "income taxes on the wealthy, with no tax burden on the poor" (Jones et al., 2011, p. 518). By "increasing spending for public works" and making "government credit available to banks and other financial institutions," the Depression worsened (Jones et al., 2011, p. 518). Perhaps one of President Hoover's biggest downfalls was believing that "the people must bear the burden and not expect miracles" (Warren,1967, p. 114).


By the 1932 election, Americans had grown weary of President Hoover's efforts and elected the Democratic nominee Franklin D. Roosevelt. Through his early-on efforts to increase Americans' trust in the banking system and personable and informative "fireside chats", President Roosevelt was able to introduce the New Deal, launching America into the Progressive Era.


References

A photo essay on the Great Depression. (n.d.). Modern american poetry. Retrieved September 20, 2010 from http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/depression/photoessay.htm

Jones, J., Wood, P., Borstelmann, T., May, E., Ruiz, V. (2011). Created equal: A
history of the United States combines volume. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Warren, H. (1967). Herbert Hoover and the great depression. New York:
W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

The New Deal Reforms by Candice S.

"Migrant workers traveled to fields of California in search of work during the Great Depression"
Photo courtesy of: http://www.life.com/image/72392462/in-gallery/48141


Along with his administration as 32nd president of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt endorsed The New Deal, whose objective was to provide government assistance to the American people during the Great Depression. Roosevelt’s administration believed that the only way for the American people to get out of The Depression was through government assistance, which is where the name, “The New Deal” came into practice. One reform that Roosevelt and his administration held in high regard and therefore passed expeditiously was the Emergency Banking Act. This act not only enabled a citizen to borrow emergency cash sans collateral, but also pushed the flow of capital back into the general flow of the U.S. economy and thereby putting cash back in the hands of the American people.

Several reforms, called the New Deal, were passed by the FDR administration to assist Americans out of the Great Depression and these reforms had a large influence on the American economy. For instance, the Resettlement Administration provided school lunches to students who without the funding may have gone through the day without nourishment. There have been many speculations made regarding whether The New Deal was beneficial to the American people or if Roosevelt’s dream proved to be a failed attempt at utopia when up against the Great Depression. According to William Leuchtenburg, “The New Deal stimulated utopianism in American political and social thought on a wide range of issues” (1971). Although it took many years for The United States to recover from The Depression, the reforms set forth by Roosevelt and his administration paved the way to America’s recovery and proved to be the gateway to many ideas and laws we have in place today.


References

Borstelmann, T., Jones, J., May, E., Ruiz, V., & Wood, P.(2008).
Created Equal: A Social and Political History of the United States (Vol. II).
New York: Pearson Longman.

Leuchtenburg, W. (1971) Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal 1932-1940.
New York: Harper & Row.