THE GREAT DEPRESSION

BEGINS

Photos by photographer Dorothea Lange

Causes: Farmers’ Struggle

• No industry suffered as much as agriculture

• After WWI demand plummeted

• Farmers increased production, sent prices lower

Photo by Dorothea Lange

Causes: American Finances

• By the late 1920s, American consumers were buying less

• Wealthiest 1% saw income rise 75%, rest of population saw increase of 9%

• During 1920’s stock prices rising, by 1929 4 million Americans owned stocks.

Photo by Dorothea Lange

Causes: Speculation and Margin

• By late 1920s, problems with economy emerged

• Speculation: buying stocks & bonds hoping for a quick profit

• Margin: paying small percentage of stock’s price as down payment, and borrowing the rest

The Stock Market’s bubble was about to break

THE 1929 CRASH

• On October 24, the market took a plunge

• On October 29, now known as Black Tuesday, the bottom fell out

• 16.4 million shares were sold that day – prices plummeted

• People who bought on margin (credit) stuck with huge debts

Effects: The Great Depression

• Stock Market crash signaled beginning of Great Depression

• Great Depression, from 1929 – 1940, when economy plummeted and unemployment skyrocketed.Alabama family, 1938 Photo by Walter Evans

Effects: Financial Collapse

• After crash, many panicked and withdrew money from banks

• Banks had invested in the Stock Market and lost money

• By 1933 – 11,000 of the 25,000 banks nationwide had collapsed

Bank run 1929, Los Angeles

Effects: Housing Hardship

• People lost their jobs, and their homes

• Makeshifts shacks out of scrap material were called Hoovervilles

Effects: City Living

• One of common features of urban areas during Depression were soup kitchens and bread lines

Unemployed men wait in line for food – this particular soup kitchen was sponsored by Al

Capone

Effects: Country Living

• Depression difficult for everyone, farmers had one advantage: grow food for own families

• But between 1929-1932 almost ½ million farmers lost their land

FORCLOSURE

Effect: Difficult for Minorities

• Unemployment was the highest among minorities and their pay was the lowest

• Increased violence (24 lynchings in 1933 alone) marred 1930s

• Many Mexicans were “encouraged” to return to their homeland.

As conditions deteriorated, violence against blacks

increased

Effects: America’s Psyche• Suicide rate rose more

than 30% between 1928-1932

• But many people showed great kindness to strangers

• Additionally, many people developed habits of savings & thriftiness

The Dust Bowl: Intro

• Severe drought gripped Great Plains in early 1930s

• Wind scattered topsoil, exposing sand and grit

• The resulting dust traveled hundreds of miles

Kansas Farmer, 1933

Dust storm approaching Stratford, Texas - 1934

Dust buried cars and wagons in South Dakota in 1936

Photographer Dorothea Lange captures a family

headed west to escape the dust storms

Actions: Hoover Struggles

• After stock market crash, said, “Any lack of confidence in the economic future . . . Is foolish”

Herbert Hoover

Action: Philosophy

• Hoover reacts slowly to Depression

• Believed in “rugged individualism”

• People take care of selves, not depend on governmental hand-outs

Hoover believed it was the individuals job to take care of themselves, not the governments

Actions: Fought WWI Vets

• MacArthur’s 12th infantry gassed more than 1,000 marchers

• Two vets shot and scores injured• Americans outraged and once again, Hoover’s

image suffered

Hoover had little chance to be re-elected in 1932