The Great Depression
The Great DepressionBy: John Hirka1A Quick Glance
The Great Depression was the longest, most devastating economic
crisis in American history. Despair and poverty became key
characteristics of America.
Unemployment ruled nearly a third of the nation.FarmersCrops
were destroyed by insects, heat, and dryness.Unpredictable weather
made farming near impossible.Refusal from the government to provide
help made farm life twice as hard as urban living.Neighbors were
reliant on each other for almost everything, including health,
moral support, and labor.
The Dust BowlDust blew for eight years over the southern
plains.Simple tasks such as breathing, walking, and eating became a
challenge. The drought was devastating, and only added to the
on-going depression.Careless agricultural practice revealed the
underlying dust, which was whipped up with the wind, sometimes
darkening the skies for days.
The Dust Bowl Continued..Government programs were put in place
to restore ecological balance.Formed Drought Relief Service (DRS),
which brought cattle into counties which were designated as
emergency areas.Roosevelt ordered the Civilian Conservation Corps
to plant a huge belt of over 200 million acres.
5Dust Bowl RecoveryBy the end of the drought, the political
economy in the plains had changed fundamentally. Families who
migrated experienced a significant increase in house-hold income,
which erased any desire to return back to the agricultural life.
Advances in agriculture and transportation reduced the need for
small-scale farming, though it was still somewhat important.For
more on the dust bowl, click here: Dust bowl
The reason we do not see these circumstances in this sort of
extreme presence is because of our industrial advances. Our ability
to use machines that can keep up with the land at a fast consistent
pace prevents any major irrigation/farming problems from
occuring.6Artist Influence
- The Dust Bowl was documented by artists, photographers, as
well as authors. The government hired many of these artists to help
more accurately portray the devastation that had overcome the
plains. Music artists were also influenced, taking the experience
with them through their music in their travels.
7Literature During The Great DepressionReading became quite
popular, as the money required to pursue normal entertainment was
not available. The depression was a huge influence on literature,
considering the changes that were necessary among American society
in order to survive. This cultural shift provided grounds for many
authors and artists to portray different views and perspectives on
the situation through their work.
Turning PointThis point occurred in most countries starting in
1933, though each country recovered at a different pace. Roosevelts
New Deal is thought to be the cause of the turn around, though it
never completely revived the country.The massive flow of gold into
the country is thought by many economists to have played a major
role in the recovery of America.
Some Interesting Facts
Al Capone, in one of his many attempts at forming public
relations opened a soup kitchen, which at the time were the primary
source of food for people in the cities. There was a wave of
suicides during the depression. There are actually sources that
claim certain hotel clerks were assigning rooms to people based on
whether they needed to jump or to sleep.One farmer did not want to
see his sheep starve to death, so he cut their throats and threw
them into a canyon.It is estimated that nearly 50% of children
during the depression were without safe amounts of food, shelter,
and/or medical care. ComparisonThe Great DepressionBank Failure:
50%Unemployment Rate: 25%Economic Decline: -26.5%Changes in Prices:
-25%Todays RecessionBank Failure: .6%Unemployment Rate:
8.5%Economic Decline: -3.3%Change in Prices: +.5%ReferencesLange,
D. (1937, 6). Retrieved 2 8, 2010, from Library of congress:
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsa.8b31990
Lange, D. (1937, 3). Retrieved 2 8, 2010, from Library of
Congress: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsa.8b31760
