Essential Question Essential Question What were the causes What were the causes and effects of the and effects of the Great Depression? Great Depression?
Jan 03, 2016
Essential QuestionEssential Question
What were the causes What were the causes and effects of the Great and effects of the Great
Depression?Depression?
Election of 1928Election of 1928
Republican Republican candidate Hoover candidate Hoover stated, stated,
““We are nearer to We are nearer to the final triumph the final triumph over poverty than over poverty than ever before in the ever before in the history of any history of any land.”land.”
U.S. AgricultureU.S. Agriculture
New inventions – New inventions – higher crop yieldshigher crop yields
OverproductionOverproduction
Low profits for Low profits for farmersfarmers
High Stock MarketHigh Stock Market
Bull market – Bull market – heavy heavy investinginvesting
Rising stock Rising stock pricesprices
Margin BuyingMargin Buying
Many investors Many investors used loans to used loans to purchase stock purchase stock with small down with small down paymentspayments
SpeculationSpeculation
Buyers who Buyers who hoped to make hoped to make a fortune a fortune overnightovernight
Took risks Took risks betting that the betting that the market would market would continue to risecontinue to rise
The Great CrashThe Great Crash
Prices on the Prices on the stock market stock market began to slipbegan to slip
Professional Professional investors sold off investors sold off holdingsholdings
Further drop in Further drop in pricesprices
The Great The Great CrashCrash
Oct. 1929Oct. 1929
Market fell Market fell dramatically with dramatically with frenzied sellingfrenzied selling
Oct. 29, 1929 – Oct. 29, 1929 – Black Tuesday Black Tuesday with the sharpest with the sharpest declinedecline
U.S. BankingU.S. Banking
Many banks were Many banks were speculators or speculators or loaned money to loaned money to themthem
Stock market Stock market crash forced bank crash forced bank closingsclosings
U.S. BankingU.S. Banking
Deposits not Deposits not insuredinsured
People ran on People ran on banks to withdraw banks to withdraw savingssavings
3000 banks 3000 banks closedclosed
Cyclical Effect of EconomicsCyclical Effect of Economics
In the space provided, trace the In the space provided, trace the cyclical effect of the decline in cyclical effect of the decline in vehicle purchases as outlined on the vehicle purchases as outlined on the board.board.
The Depression WorsensThe Depression Worsens
By 1933 – 9000 By 1933 – 9000 bank failuresbank failures
12 million 12 million workers workers unemployed (1/4 unemployed (1/4 of the workforce)of the workforce)
Sharp drop in Sharp drop in family incomefamily income
Bread LinesBread Lines
People without People without jobs went jobs went hungryhungry
Private charities Private charities handed out foodhanded out food
Quote – Peggy TerryQuote – Peggy Terry
““If you happened to be one of the first If you happened to be one of the first ones in line, you didn’t get anything ones in line, you didn’t get anything but water that was on top. So we’d but water that was on top. So we’d ask the guy that was ladling out soup ask the guy that was ladling out soup into buckets – everybody had to into buckets – everybody had to bring their own bucket to get the bring their own bucket to get the soup – he’d dip the greasy, watery soup – he’d dip the greasy, watery stuff off the top. So we’d ask him to stuff off the top. So we’d ask him to please dip down to get some meat please dip down to get some meat and potatoes from the bottom of the and potatoes from the bottom of the kettle. But he wouldn’t do it.”kettle. But he wouldn’t do it.”
ShantytownsShantytowns
Families who Families who could not pay could not pay rent or rent or mortgages lost mortgages lost their homestheir homes
Put up shacks on Put up shacks on unused or public unused or public landslands
HoovervillesHoovervilles
Many people Many people blamed the blamed the presidentpresident
This became the This became the nickname for nickname for shantytownsshantytowns
HobosHobos
Homeless or Homeless or unemployed unemployed Americans Americans wandering the wandering the country in search country in search of workof work
Many would Many would sneak onto sneak onto railroad carsrailroad cars
Dust BowlDust Bowl
Drought in the Drought in the Great Plains Great Plains beginning in 1932beginning in 1932
Ruined farmersRuined farmers
Dry soil became Dry soil became dust stormsdust storms
Dust BowlDust Bowl
Many farmers Many farmers packed belongings packed belongings and headed west and headed west to Californiato California
Known as “Okies”Known as “Okies”
Lived in makeshift Lived in makeshift roadside campsroadside camps
HollywoodHollywood
Films and movies Films and movies became a means became a means of escape for of escape for those who those who watchedwatched
Release from the Release from the day’s worriesday’s worries
Walt DisneyWalt Disney
First feature-First feature-length animated length animated filmfilm
Snow White and Snow White and the Seven the Seven DwarvesDwarves
RadioRadio
Comedy – Jack Comedy – Jack Benny, George Benny, George BurnsBurns
Lone RangerLone Ranger
The Guiding The Guiding Light – soap Light – soap operaopera
Art During the DepressionArt During the Depression
For many artists, For many artists, the homeless and the homeless and unemployed unemployed became the became the subject of subject of pictures and pictures and storiesstories
John SteinbeckJohn Steinbeck
NovelistNovelist
Wrote Wrote The Grapes The Grapes of Wrathof Wrath (1939) (1939)
Story of a migrant Story of a migrant family leaving the family leaving the Dust Bowl for Dust Bowl for CaliforniaCalifornia
Margaret Bourke-WhiteMargaret Bourke-White
PhotojournalistPhotojournalist
Showed the Showed the results of the results of the prolonged prolonged droughtdrought