The Great Depression:

The Effects on the People

The Depression caused most people to be unemployed. In 1933, one out of every four Americans who wanted to work was unable to find one. But in 1941, when World War 2 was starting, the unemployment rate fell below 10%. The high unemployment rates in the 1930s made those who had jobs both thankful that they had them and fearful that they could lose them. Those who couldn’t find a job often took to the roads. The unemployment brought on by the Depression caused self- blame and self- doubt. Men were hurt the more than the women. Men were expected to provide for their families, so it was humiliating to ask for help. Women were employed more than the men, they worked as teachers and social services. Children took on more responsibilities, sometimes finding work with their parents. But African Americans suffered more, since their jobs were taken and given to whites. Fifty percent of the blacks were unemployed.

Some programs were created to make life simple. Like, President Roosevelt made programs that prohibited discrimination. But discrimination continued in the South, which resulted as a large number of black voters to switch from Republican to Democrat party. There were few government programs to help the poor or those in temporary difficulty. So, most wives didn’t work, so if the husband lost his job, all incomes for that home stopped. Protesting that did occur were local, neighbors of the foreclosed farmers refusing to bid on farms at auctions, neighbors moved furniture back in and local hunger marches. Resistance to protest often resulted in violence. In 1932, four members of the Derarborn Hunger March were shot and killed when 1,000 soldiers attacked veterans living in the Bonus Army Camp in Washington, D.C.

The Great Depression caused a lot of things to happen, but the people who were effected by it changed. The Depression at October 24, 1929, Black Thursday, the tragic day for those who owned stock as sales broke all records. Which made everyone poor. Those hurt the most were more stunned than angry. Many were in despair and shame after they couldn’t find a job. Suicide rates increased from 14-17 per 100,000. But to relieve efforts, and to end the break of bankruptcy, some cities fired firemen, police, and teachers who weren’t paid in 8 months. Homeless people appeared across the nation. But some schools in Germany, that budgets were decreasing, shortened both school days and school years, enabling kids to learn. As a result of living in the Depression, some people developed habits of careful savings, others were determined to live comfortable lives for themselves.

Symone M.

THE GREAT DEPRESSION

causes

This is my research on the Great Depression. The Great Depression began in the late 1929 and lasted for about a decade. The main cause for the Great Depression was the combination of the greatly unequal distribution of wealth throughout the 1920’s.At first in 1923 the nation’s total income was $74.3 billion, but rose to $89 billion in 1929. However, the rewards of the “Coolidge Prosperity” of the 1920’s were not shared evenly among all Americans. There was a large and growing gap between the rich and the working-class people The major reason why this gap was increasing was because the manufacturing output throughout this period from 1923-1929 the average output per worker increased 32 percent in manufacturing.

In the 1920’’s more people invested in the stock market than ever before. Stock prices rose so fast that at the end of the decade, some people be came rich overnight by buying and selling stocks. People could buy stocks for a 10 percent down payment. During 1928 and 1929, the prices of many stocks went up faster then the value of the companies the stocks represented. Supply and Demand helped bring about and also lengthen the Great Depression. The American farms and factories produce large amounts of goods and products during the prosperity before the depression.

During the same period of time average wages for manufacturing jobs increased only 8 percent. On average peoples wages stayed the same even as prices for these goods soared. People who lived on farms had even less than urban dwellers.

Trent A.

A CASE OF UNEMPLOYEEMENT

The Great Depression has many dates and statistics. It sent many people into unemployment witch causes them to starve, have no shelter or die, some turn to stealing. In the 1930's, a large number of people who lived in poverty, desperately in need of more food, clothing, and shelter. It was not until 1941 when the World War II was underway, that the official unemployment rate fell below 10%. Some people had to sleep out side because of this. People perceived the 1930's as a period in which business failures where very high, and they were when one compares them to what happened in 1940's and 1950's. Finally, the depression was more than an American affair, many other nations, though not all experience a similar decline, though the severity and timing differed from country to country. Some countries experienced it worser than others. The United States to me, I thought to be the worst because it was mainly our people who went and fought. Most of the people, who fought in the Great Depression, have lost their lives.

THE GREAT DEPRESSION

The Great Depression was a worldwide economic down turn. Starting in 1929 and lasted through most of the 1930's. It was a sad war because so many people died. The Great Depression ended at different countries. Some countries like France ended in 1936 Spain did not recover until 1935. Then Germany finally ended in 1936, right along with France. In the longrun the markets some what recovered and some did not recover; it began almost continuously to head downward until 1933, producing the greatest long-term market declining by any measures and erasing billions of dollars. Some countries will get their money back financially or not at all. That put a big hole in the market industry because many were left without jobs and no money. At the dept of downturn, the unemployment rate exceeded 20% and the index of industrial production dropped about 50%. During the recession of 1937, the American economy took an unexpected nosedive that continued through most of 1938.

The President

The president back at that time was President Franklin Roosevelt. He was elected into the office in 1933. He had a small saying, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

Keiarra A.