...analyze the Great Depression, and answer the following questions in a paper: • What were the root causes/events that led to the Great Depression? 10 points The Great Depression was a worldwide economic downturn that began in 1929 and lasted until about 1939. It was the longest and most severe depression ever experienced by the industrialized Western world. Although the Depression originated in the United States, it resulted in drastic declines in output, severe unemployment, and acute deflation in almost every country of the globe. But its social and cultural effects were no less staggering, especially in the United States, where the Great Depression ranks second only to the Civil War as the gravest crisis in American history (Great Depression, 2013). The fundamental cause of the Great Depression in the United States was a decline in spending (sometimes referred to as aggregate demand), which led to a decline in production as manufacturers and merchandisers noticed an unintended rise in inventories. The sources of the contraction in spending in the United States varied over the course of the Depression, but they cumulated into a monumental decline in aggregate demand. The American decline was transmitted to the rest of the world largely through the gold standard. However, a variety of other factors also influenced the downturn in various countries. The most prolonged departure from the normal stability of U.S. long-term growth occurred during the Great Depression...
Words: 504 - Pages: 3
...Great Depression HIS/125 10-20-2011 Great Depression Many people credit the stock market crash of 1929 cause the Great Depression it was only one of many reasons that brought on the Great Depression in America. The Great Depression lasted from 1930 until the US entered World War II, and with the work that World War II brought to industry America was able to climb out of the Great Depression. The damage that the great stark market crash due to the economy is unparalleled in American history. It not only hurt Americans at home but also abroad, Europeans did not trust America anymore due to this crop prices abroad sunk to new lows. Farm income in America dropped by more than half (Davidson, 2005). Bank failures also spread from the rural banks to the cities, depositors rushed to withdraw their cash, this sent the American economy in a downward plunge. The automobile and construction industries also began to lag. But overall the causes for the Great Depression started earlier, that when the great crash happened. In the year 1928 to 1929 consumer spending and services dropped to 1.5%. (Davidson, 2005). The booming economy has hurt itself instead of paying workers higher wages businesses use their profits to expand their factories, this in turn led to, workers who did not have enough money to buy the products that they were making at efficiently and lower costs (Davidson, 2005). Workers started borrowing or using credit to pay. Consumer debt...
Words: 447 - Pages: 2
...The Great Depression The great depression was a dramatic, world wide economic downturn beginning in some countries as early as 1928. The beginning of the great depression in the United States is associated with the stock market crash in October 29, 1929, known as Black Tuesday and the end is associated with the onset of the war economy of World War II, beginning around 1939. The depression had devastating effects in both the industrialized countries and those which exported raw materials. International trade decline, personal incomes, tax revenues, prices and profits. Cities all around the world were hit hard. Construction was really slow and so was farming and rural areas suffered as crop prices fell by 40 to 60 percent. The great depression ended at different times in different countries. The great depression was not a sudden total collapse. The stock markets turn upward in the early 1930’s. Together government and business actually spent more in the first half on 1930 than the previous year. Consumers, many of those whom had suffered severe losses in the stock market the prior year cut back on there expenses by 10 percent. In the 1930, credit was available at low rates. People did not want to add new debt by barrowing. By May 1930, auto sales began to decline to below levels of 1928. Prices in general began to decline. Although wages were held for the moment they began to drop in 1931. Conditions were worse in the farming areas. By late 1930 a steady decline...
Words: 1016 - Pages: 5
...Prompt: Causes and Effects of the Great Depression A lack of a resources provides an extra motivation to the individual, when times get harder instead of displaying sorrow one should work harder. Ones economic class can provide an image of ones ability to survive but when everyone is struggling economically it can’t be depicted. When society is having trouble to survive as a group, one develops the mentality that only the fittest can survive. Millions of people were unemployed, the unemployment line was the only hope for some families but regardless of how in need one was not everyone obtained a job. For the people that had a difficult time to make money previous to the depression were devastated afterwards, they were practically crawling to survival. Coming off one of the most joyful eras it seems if people got careless and despite people obtaining stocks and putting their money in bank, their money wasn’t safe. People would once hunt for their resources but in present day, most necessities contain a monetary value but a lot of people don’t recognize how hard it is to obtain money. When regarding the Great Depression it seems as if a timeline is proceeds it, when people find themselves in a predicament they attempt to remember the days when being fired from every job and struggling to eat wasn’t second nature. Previous to the great famine, there was a time when people were able to obtain several appliances and things that weren’t needed but several people were taking advantage...
Words: 1055 - Pages: 5
...The Great Depression In economics, depression is referred to a period of crisis in industry, commerce and trade. It is marked by the falling prices along with low output and higher level of unemployment. The great depression of 1929 is the most relevant example of the economic crisis, for which the level of severity was unprecedented. Though, originated in United States, the Great Depression spread across the world and engulfed other countries as well. It is termed as the gravest and longest crisis that affected the western industrialized world. It also had some impact on the other countries such as Japan, Brazil and Argentina. It is said that US economy was already in upheavals, six months before the stock market crashed on 29 0ctober, 1929. With the crash of New York stock exchange market, the consumer demand of durable goods and investment fell significantly. The crash of Stock Exchange led to the bankruptcy of many banks. Depositors emptied their bank accounts in panic and this led to the insolvency of many banks across United States. Another factor which coincided with the depression was the drought which occurred in Mississippi valley in 1930 and it worsened the situation for the farmers who were already suffering from the depression. To recover from great depression, newly elected US president Franklin D. Roosevelt established a program in 1932 which became known as the New Deal. The New Deal included number of policies which aimed at improving the deteriorating...
Words: 314 - Pages: 2
...The Great Depression Thomas Clay Forrest Economics 510 Professor Don Waldron February 6, 2011, 2011 The Great Depression The Great Depression was the deepest, longest and most widespread economic calamity of the twentieth century, and is the most common standard of how far things in the world’s economy can decline. Beginning with the First New Deal, which put into effect a host of relief and recovery measures designed to improve economic conditions and stimulate recovery, myriad other steps were taken to prevent another catastrophe of this magnitude from ever occurring again. Are these measure enough, though, and could the world ever experience another Great Depression? How do the events of the Great Depression era compare to recent economic downturns, including the current deep recession the world is experiencing? This essay will provide answers to these questions and provide an analysis of the causes and events that led to the Great Depression. It will also present the reasons why another Great Depression is unlikely to occur again. Debates vary as to the causes of the Great Depression, with many well-respected economists offering differing opinions to what they believe led to the historic event. British economist John Maynard Keynes felt that the Depression was driven by demand, and in his book the General Theory of Employment Interest and Money, Keynes argued that lower aggregate expenditures in the economy contributed to an enormous...
Words: 1620 - Pages: 7
...In this essay I will be discussing the impact and significance of the Depression as a barometer of governmental success and failures. I will also explain how the harsh economic times impacted the governments of Europe as well as the maintenance of international peace. In order to support my views I will provide multiple examples to support my views. The Great Depression was a horrific economic depression that impacted countries all over the world in the 20th Century. Some of these effect were long lived and took years to recover. Some of the effects from the Great Depression still happens in today’s society such as rise in unemployment, crime rates and prostitution. As well as the lack of funds for healthcare and public education. The US Great Depression lasted from October 1929 until Franklin D. Roosevelt became President in 1933. The Great Depression disrupted the lives of the Americans because for many years the government and the American people had been on a high for so long and within a blink of an eye the world as so many had grown to know came crashing down. One success which came from the government after the Great Depression was it improved the economic system of the United States. President Roosevelt faced the economic depression head-on once he was elected in office. Within his first 100 days in office, he and his administration created numerous institutions which had been neglected for hundred of years. Alot of the programs that were created were very appreciated...
Words: 561 - Pages: 3
...Great Depression The Great Depression had a tremendous effect on the people of this Dark Age in the United States. Throughout these tough times people faced many hardships such as increases in crime, the stock market crash and the Dust Bowl. These events were all results of the Great Depression and also had huge impacts on people’s lives. Beginning of the Great Depression The Depression began in the year 1929 and was a result of the ending of the First World War. The United States was sending aid to Europe in recovery but this resulted in an over extension of credit and spending in the 1920’s. This over extension was a direct cause that led to the “most dramatic economic event in United States history”. No other depression had such a devastating impact on the United States society. Throughout the twelve years of the Great Depression, one quarter of the work force were unemployed, 5,500 banks closed and 32,000 businesses went bankrupt (“Great Depression”). Stock Market Crash On the infamous day known as Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929 the stock market crashed. The only thing was that no one was thinking anything could go wrong because a little over a month before the market had reached a 10-year high price. From then on the prices slowly decreased causing confusion, apprehension, and uncertainty began to set into all investors big and small (Galbraith 1). A couple of days before Black Tuesday a day known as Black Thursday was when people really started to notice...
Words: 1167 - Pages: 5
...APS Social Studies Causes of the Great Depression DBQ Historical Context: The Great Depression in the United States started in 1929 when the stock market crashed. It caused an economic depression. The depression last over ten years and had long-term social, economic, and political effects on American society. It is still one of the greatest defining eras in US History. In general, we know what caused the Great Depression, but these causes are still debated even today. It happened after a period of great prosperity (The 1920s) when American commerce was growing. The issues that surround the causes of the depression are still issues today. Task: Using information from the documents and your knowledge of United States history and government, answer the questions that follow each document in Part A. Using your answers from Part A you will write an essay (Part B) in which you will be able to: • Discuss the following three causes of the Great Depression, o Use of Credit o Over speculation o The Federal Reserve’s Monetary (Money) policy Use the box below to organize your notes and ideas that can be used to convert into an essay. Part A: Short Answer Document #1 Ford Advertisement: 1920 [pic] Duke University Library 1. An average annual wage of all industries in the 1920s was about 1400.00 dollars a year. Many workers averaged (depending on the job) between .50 cents per hour up to 2.00 dollars per hour). How much does...
Words: 1851 - Pages: 8
...Part I: Pre-crisis time, what caused crisis, reasons of collapse In 1920s the economic progress in United States seemed everywhere, as Americans emerged from the self-imposed rationing and sacrifice of World War I and went on a buying spree. Millions of people across the country bought their first everything—their first automobile, washing machine, camera, radio, refrigerator. These products came off America’s assembly lines in an endless stream. More people were at work in U.S. factories and production plants than ever before, producing more goods than ever before. The U.S. economy was sometimes compared to an economic miracle. Consumers in the United States were not the only ones to experience good times. U.S. investors had also had a field day. Overseas, U.S. investments nearly doubled from $3.98 billion in 1919 to $7.5 billion by 1929. The New York Stock Exchange, which served for many as the truest indicator of the nation’s economic pulse, enjoyed phenomenal growth, especially after 1923. Stock purchases on the Exchange increased four-fold between 1923 and 1930. And stock sales were only outstripped by the rise in stock prices. Altogether, investment in the stock market and in bonds rose sharper than any other economic indicator during the decade, faster, in fact, than the actual production or sales of manufactured goods. During the 1920s a would-be investor could make his or her stock purchases largely on credit. Under the rules in place for the New York Stock Exchange,...
Words: 4815 - Pages: 20
...The Great Depression The Great Depression was a tragedy for the whole world, but it mostly damaged specifically one country, which had the best economic system in the world at that time - United States of America. The Great Depression was an economic collapse from 1930s to 1940s. This economic disaster was brought to life because of a huge amount of problems. There even were different types of problems, such as social, political, economic, or military problems. All together, they created this economic collapse. The official start of the Great Depression was originated in United States, during the day of October 29, 1929, referring to the article in New York Times. During that day, which was called Black Tuesday, a big economic problem appeared - the stock market crash. A huge amount of people lost a lot of their money just in one day. Prices on stock market fell down very quickly and people did not even get the money that they invested, they lost even more than half they invested. Prices kept falling - people kept losing their money. Secondly, with this crash, the banking system collapsed too. "The banking structure was inherently weak", wrote John Kenneth Galbraith in The Great Crash, which actually was one of the causes of the collapse. This situation appeared because people could not pay their money for using credit system, and so banks were 'destroyed' - "The weak destroyed not only the other weak, but weakened the strong...", says John Kenneth Galbraith. With these two...
Words: 593 - Pages: 3
...he Great Depression started in October 1929, when stocks in the United States dropped quickly. A huge number of speculators lost substantial entireties of cash and numerous were wiped out, lost everything. The accident drove us into the Great Depression. This period was the longest and most exceedingly terrible time of high unemployment and low business action, individuals obliged just the bear necessities, and the families that where hit the hardest where the working class families. Individuals quit purchasing divine beings amid the despondency, on the grounds that they had no cash. The decrease in offers of merchandise brought on numerous processing plants to close creating unemployment, and declining the dejection, on the grounds that commercial enterprises must offer so as to proceed. Unemployment was higher than at any other time in recent memory numerous white men where working dark men occupations for dark men compensation. Numerous men would leave there families and go search for occupations after they had discovered employments the would send cash back to their families, yet a percentage of the men would leave and never be gotten notification from again. Compensation where likewise dropping, organise normal American living in the city, The Great Depression was a period to reduce extravagances, and discover approaches to cut cost on even the most fundamental things. Apparatuses, adornments, and furniture were a percentage of the first things that Americans quit purchasing...
Words: 440 - Pages: 2
...The Great Depression me Institutional Affiliation Date The Great Depression Duignan, B. (2013). The Great Depression. New York: Rosen Pub. The book highlights information concerning the great depression. The author argues that the great was a period that was characterized by severe hardship which affected every person. The time did affect not only the poor but also the rich. It was also marked with various changes in the world politics. The book stresses that the primary cause of the great depression was the 1929 market crash. The writer argues that the U.S was the most troubled nation in the world. It changed the country’s popular culture and its government institutions. It also affected other industrialized states as they suffered a decline in the wholesale prices. The book states that various moves that were made so as to deal with the issue of Great Depression. For instance, one of the moves was the devaluation the States currency. The first state to recover was Britain as it was forced off the gold standard early. The book underlines the causes of the great depression and its impacts. The source also offers information concerning the significant steps that were taken by different countries in dealing with the issue. The book provides clear information about the Great Depression. The author divides the book into various sections where he starts off by giving a short introduction to the topic. It helps a reader to have...
Words: 2391 - Pages: 10
...Great Depression Causes and Effects Introduction: October 29th, 1929 would be a historical day for United States. It was enter in a new period, which was “The Great Depression” period. Great Depression lasted for 10 years. October 24th is known as the “Black Thursday”, because the amount of selling share stock was tripled. The share prices were lower, which caused the crash of the stock market. The collapse of the stock market was thought to be the main cause of the great depression, but many economists do not think so. Great Depression very quickly was spread all over the world. The Great Depression was a period of high rates unemployment, bankrupting banks, lowering prices, and increasing the uncertainty to American nation. Moreover, it brought big changes in U.S politic, society and culture. In the beginning of the Great Depression Hoover was president of U.S. He made a lot of new reforms in order to face the Great Depression, but they were not successful. People were tired with Robert Hoover’s fail. All they needed was a new leader to get them out of that bed situation. Because of these, in the elections of 1929, most of American citizens voted for the Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt brought in a lot of changes in economy, politic, social and cultural life of Americans. His major programs were the New Deal (First Hundred Days) and the Second New Deal. These programs were very effective. The number of unemployment rate was lower comparing with...
Words: 2386 - Pages: 10
...“The Great Depression (1929-39) was the deepest and longest-lasting economic downturn in the history of the Western industrialized world” (The Great Depression-History.com 2012). The great depression is said to have begun after the First World War, It was a time of hardship and uncertainty. Although the great depression began in the United States it spread throughout the globe and affected almost every country. It brought about drastic declines in output, severe unemployment, and serious deflation. Many countries such as Britain, Germany and France came out of the war with large debts to pay, this was due to the fact that they had been borrowing from The United States of America, after its entrance into financial crisis the rest of the countries depending on its financing would inevitably enter down turn and face similar crisis. World War 1 also left many industrialized countries weak and in large debts, they needed to finance the rebuilding of their economies and industries that were damaged during the war, this made it harder for them to recover. There are a number of explanations to as what brought about the great depression in 1929. These are structural and monetary weaknesses as well as a number of specific events that enhanced the effects from one country to another and eventually to all major industrialized countries. What Caused the great depression? The depression was also said to have partially started with the crash of the stock market in...
Words: 2819 - Pages: 12
