Great Depression Dbq Essay

The Great Depression was without a doubt, a rough time for America and the American economy. Whilst the economy was severely damaged, it affected the people the most. The vast majority, if not all of the citizens had been forced into poverty, struggling to support themselves, where others have family to care for. A wide majority of the citizens resorted to getting multiple jobs. Yet despite this, those whom participated in multiple careers had no reliable income.

Although the 1920’s were booming and prosperous, the United States soon entered a prolonged economic depression. In October of 1929, prices in the stock market began an uneven downward slide (Document 2). As investors decided that the previous boom in the stock market was over, they sold more stock, thus causing the declination to increase even further. Many citizens of the United States were greatly affected by this. Families who had invested in stock lost most, if not all, or their life savings.

Everybody wanted to be part of it. Not till October 1929 when the stock market crashed. As more people invested in the stock market they hope to make a quick profit on a speculative rise in stocks (doc 5). According to doc 5 “stock prices were forced up by competitive bidding rather than by any fundamental improvement in business”. This meant people would invest in a company and when the company rises they would sell for profit.

Today, most average Americans are able to eat out, stroll the mall, purchase decent clothing, or even buy a new phone, but imagine living in the 1930’s where eating a good meal was only fortunate for some. There was an era longing eleven years of dark days, hungry evenings, bankruptcy, and literal depression where America suffered its worst set back of its history. In a complicated time in which it would not matter if you were black or white, male, female or even the richest of them all. The dreaded country collapsed between the years 1929-1940 for several reasons. So what is it that caused this long economic tragedy?

With the invention of credit, or the ability of a customer to obtain goods or services before payment, consumers could purchase goods beyond their financial means. The stock market also became a popular method of making money, as investors tested their luck on Wall Street and hoped to earn a profit from various business schemes. Document G is excerpted from Harry J. Carman and Harold O. Syrett’s 1952 book A History of the American People and discusses the process of buying a stock on margin, or borrowing money from a broker to purchase stock. According to Carman and Syrett, since the buyer only payed for part of the stock, there was a risk that their stock could lose value quickly. The broker may then be

The stock market had an important role in the booming 1920’s. Everyone was buying and selling stocks at a high rate for a few years. Then, on October 24th, 1929, the stock prices were dropping lower and lower forcing people to sell them quickly. In the article “Firing, Not Hiring”, the author states, “Stocks were selling a fraction of the price” (Hayes). Sooner or later people who did not sell their stocks before lost a large sum of money.

What were the causes of the great depression? Firstly banks invested in the stock market. After the stock market crash all the money that the bank invested was lost. The money that the bank lost was essentially money from other people who entrusted in the bank. The federal government increased the making of money

Some people wanted to make a profit sooner, so they bought and sold stocks. This was much more risky, however because stock prices could go up or down, but was much quicker than waiting on dividends to add up. This process is called speculation and ended up being a huge mistake for people when the depression hit because the values of their

This is a great way for businesses to receive investments to expand their companies. When the stocks rose to an all time high people began to sell. The value of the stocks went down, and people began to panic, so they sold their stocks quick. This caused the stocks to continue down. Companies tried to persuade the public not to sell, but to instead buy.

Before the Great Depression, consumer and production peaked in the 1920s. This era seemed incredible but didn’t do well because it lasted about ten years and declined industrial production. A mass percentage of males were unemployed which added all up seemed to change the economy during the 1920s but a ton. A big crisis that is now known as the Great Depression started on October 24, 1929, and it ended in 1939, also known as Black Thursday. There was a significant change in American wives' lives during the 1920s.

Dust Bowl and Economics of the 1930s The Dust Bowl was a very desperate and troublesome time for America. The southwestern territories were in turmoil due to the arid effect of the drought causing no fertile soils. As the rest of America was being dragged along with the stock market crash and higher prices of wheat and crops since the producing areas couldn't produce. This was a streak of bad luck for the Americans as they were in a deep despair for a quite some time.

During the economic boom of the roaring twenties, rural America was challenge by the jazz age, women smoked, drank, and wore short skirts. Americans were buying automobiles and household appliances, which were bought on credit. Businesses made 65% huge gains but the average worker’s wages only increased 8%. On October 29, 1929 known as Black Tuesday the stock market crashed which triggered the Great Depression. It was the worst economic collapse in the modern industrial world.

In 1929, the U.S. was hit with the worst economic crisis in the history of the country, the Great Depression. The Great Depression left millions of people unemployed and cost millions their life's savings. The Depression lasted for ten long years for the American people. Since the Great Depression ended, people have studied it, trying to figure out what happened that started it all. The problem was, in fact, the poor economic habits of the people at the time, such as speculation, income maldistribution, and overproduction.

Unrestrained speculation and margin buying were the two big things in the Stock Market. Speculators bought stocks with money they borrowed. They would used those stocks as collateral to buy more stock. So if that person could not repay the loan, they would forfeit their stocks. Margin buying was a way of attracting the less wealthy to buy stocks.

There began to be a gradual decline in prices and the stock market ruptured. On October 24, 1929, the infamous “Black Thursday” took place, where stock holders went on a panic selling spree. Things then went from bad to worse, stock prices went down 33 percent. People stopped purchasing goods and business investments decreased after the crash. In the fall of 1930, the first of four major waves