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Benefits of Struggles Throughout History

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The Benefits of the Struggles

Being born in America in the 19th century, I believe that many young Americans take their freedom and rights for granted. It has become all that we know, having equal rights for all races, sex, and religion, but it has not always been this way, and it was not easy getting here. Everyone is aware of the American dream and what it stands for, but not everyone is aware of the struggle it takes to achieve it. After WWI, the United States experienced the greatest economic struggle in its history to this day. In 1929, the infamous stock market crash led to a domino effect of economic struggles. Leaving a huge gap between the rich and poor, and manufacturers lying off workers, the middle class was the most affected during this time. As explained by Eric Foner in “Give Me Liberty”, the prices dropped dramatically as the consumer demand dropped, people began to rely on credit cards and when they couldn’t pay it off their belongings were repoed. But worst of all, banks were not insured and did not keep funds stocked; this is when the public began to realize they were individually affected by the economy. President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) was elected in 1932, following President Herbert Hoover who was believed to not truly understand the severity of the Depression and backing the “trickle-down” effect, which states that the wealthy ran the economy and they will take care of the poor. FDR, on the other hand, believed in “Keynesian Economics” which states that if the government increases spending, than the citizens will have more to spend and in turn stimulate the economy. When elected, FDR stated to “declare war” on the depression. Although the Great Depression was clearly not a good thing, it’s clear that a lot of good came out of it. Without the experience of that and learning from our mistakes, America may still have the same

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