Great Depression Challenged American Families In The 1930s

In what ways did the Great Depression affect the American people? After a decade of economic prosperity, what seemed like an era that defined the concept of the American dream, quickly came to an end when the stock market on Wall Street collapsed in 1929. The aftermath of the events that occurred on Wall Street would put its heavy mark on the years to follow among the citizens of the United States. Banks closed down, unemployment rose and homelessness increased. It was a widespread national catastrophe that had its impacts on both poor and rich.

The Great Depression was a time of disparity; many people lost their jobs, their families, and the will to live. Many problems arose for the people of the United States. Three specific problems that these people experienced were food shortages which which was made worse due to President. Hoover's philosophy, increased racial discrimination which led to the creation of an executive order, and economic problems for farmers which was solved agreeably. Although many people struggled during this time it also showed the determination of people wanting to get better and not giving up because of how many obstacles were in their way.

The Great Depression is a dark period of American history. This period was earmarked by the implosion of a weakened banking system and resulted in the stock market crash on October 29, 1929. The ensuing years saw an incalculable amount of joblessness, extreme poverty and vast financial ruin. No community was hit harder by this period than American minorities. Still struggling from the unhealed wounds of the civil war, the scars of immigration and sexual discrimination; blacks, Latinos and women faced disparities unlike no other.

What other events combined with the economic crash to make the Depression so harsh? Urban centers had turned into uninhabited areas. Grim shantytowns, bitterly dubbed "Hoovervilles," were made from crates and cartons. Meanwhile, a drought withered crops and made the Great Plains into badlands.

Herbert Hoover was the 31st president of the United States (1929–1933), He was well known by the stock market crash of 1929 and the beginnings of the Great Depression. Hoover was a republican. He ran his campaign Promising to bring continued peace and prosperity to the nation. He made history at his time when he became president he crushed Democratic candidate Alfred E. Smith (1873-1944), the governor of New York, by 444-87 electoral votes. All eyes were on him when he stepped up to the job.

The Great Depression began with the famous stock market crash known as “Black Tuesday” and later went on to rapidly develop into one of the most dramatic economic declines in the history of Westernized society. Two of the main causes of the Great Depression were the abuse of the stock market and the general distrust of banks instilled within the American public, which led to the decline of the American economy. President Herbert Hoover, elected in 1928, was a firm believer of rugged individualism and that the economy has natural cycles, which prompted him to employ a “wait and see” approach with the American people when the Depression hit. Soon after, President FDR won the 1932 election by a landslide and enacted a collection of programs

The Great Depression: A hopeless time in America The dramatic effects of the late 1920s was a time of tremendous downturn. The miserable failure of the economy was a cause of worldwide disaster. No one saw this crisis coming. No one saw how much damage it would put America through.

Farmers suffered a great deal, because they were unable to grow crops. ”In the 1920s, many farmers found themselves in a continual cycle of debt.” (UShistory.org) They lost everything, with no crops to sell, they weren’t able to make ends meet. Their families went without eating for days at a time.

For eight years dust blew in the Great Plains, it was one of the worst environmental disasters in American history. Due to drought, poor farming techniques, and massive dust storms, the Great Plains region (Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas) soon became to be known as the “Dust Bowl.” This environmental disaster happened in the 1930s, which helped it earn the name “Dirty Thirties.” The majority of the people in this region had come in search for land and money that would be produced from their newly found land. For Americans living through the Dust Bowl, the American Dream had been seriously undermined.

Thesist The Great depression was a miserable time. The droughts came and the stock market crashed so there was no way to make money and even the rich became poor Body In between 1932 and 1939 most farm lands were prone to these droughts but during this the soil could not take it anymore and became vulnerable during this time millions of acres of natural grass were sod to plant wheat during the years. In 1935 congress passed the soil conservation act, People started teaching others how to make soil less vulnerable to the water and wind erosion.

1.Identification and evaluation of sources The investigation, examining the Great Depression in the United States from 1929 to 1939, starting with the October 24, 1929 stock market crash leading to the decrease in investment and spending, rising unemployment rate, and vast criticism of Herbert Hoover’s economic and political policies during the most detrimental recession experienced in the western hemisphere, will answer the question: To what extent did President Hoover’s policies worsen the condition of the Great Depression? The primary sources that will be evaluated are Eugene Lyons’ Herbert Hoover: a Biography, providing insight on Hoover’s life before, during and after his presidency, and Michael Bordo’s the Defining Moment, the analysis of politics

On the day of August 10, 1874, Herbert Hoover was born in West Branch, Iowa. As Hoover was advancing in age, he worked excessively hard to become involved in the political world. As an American politician, Hoover contributed to the negative impact in the background of America. Herbert Hoover was primarily recognized for serving one term during 1929 until 1933 of the thirty-first president for the United States. This president is considered significant in American history, as citizens of the U.S concluded that Hoover triggered the commencement of The Great Depression.

Herbert Hoover became the U.S president in the 1928 election and in 1929 stocks began to drop. Before he became president he was known for his organizational skill in the 1927 flood relief. Also Hoover made the committees to solve the problems but did not like to run them; he expected someone else to run it. In addition when it came to government spending Hoover was for engineering project but not humanitarian assistants. Hoover believed in limited government and it was that believe that make the depression worse.

President Herbert Hoover was in office when the Stock Market crashed, however he was usually referred as the reason why America suffered so much during the Great Depression (Morris 186-189). The people question his ability to end the Depression and fight back debt. An online blog post from Presidentialhistory.com shares, "A resolution to impeach Herbert Hoover was introduced in 1932, but was overwhelmingly defeated in the House of Representatives." Later that year, Franklin Roosevelt became the 32th president of the United States. Roosevelt proposed to end The Great Depression and finally bring stability to the country.

The Great Depression was an economic catastrophe in the 1930s that left millions of Americans unemployed and impoverished. According to the article, one-fourth of the workforce was unemployed, and the agriculture income also dropped down by 30%. As a result, the national income was cut down by one half. Due to the economic crisis and the highest unemployment rate during the Great Depression, a new kind of poor Americans was created; the “new” poor population included former middle-class and working-class who had lost everything such as jobs, homes, and savings. The increased in poverty had led to an increased need of assistances from the government and private assistance.