The Great Depression

1. The Great Depression

2. TIMELINE OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION • 1929- The stock market crashes, marking the end of six years of unparalleled prosperity for most sectors of the American economy. • The "crash" began on October 24 (Black Thursday). By October 29, stock prices had plummeted and banks were calling in loans. An estimated $30 billion in stock values "disappeared" by mid-November. • 1930- More than 3.2 million people were unemployed. President Hoover remained optimistic however stating that "all the evidences indicate that the worst effects of the crash upon unemployment will have passed during the next sixty days."

3. Timeline (cont.) • 1931- Texas congressman Wright Patman introduces legislation authorizing immediate payment of "bonus" funds to veterans of World War I. • The "bonus bill" had been passed in 1924. It allotted bonuses, in the form of "adjusted service certificates," equaling $1 a day for each day of service in the U.S., and $1.25 for each day overseas. • President Hoover was against payment of these funds, saying it would cost the Treasury $4 billion. • Three thousand unemployed workers marched on the Ford Motor Company's plant in River Rouge, Michigan. Dearborn police and Ford's company guards attack, killing four workers and injuring many more.

4. Timeline (cont.) • The Social Security Act of 1935 is signed into law by FDR. • 1936- FDR is elected to his second term as president, winning every state in the Union except Maine and Vermont. FDR defeated Kansas Governor Alfred M. Landon. • In little over a year, following Japan's December 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. would enter the war in the Pacific and in Europe. • The war effort jump-started U.S. industry and effectively ended the Great Depression.

5. What was the Great Depression? • It began when the stock market crashed in 1929. • It was a period of high unemployment and very low economic activity. • The imbalance of wealth created this period of low economic activity. • Money was distributed between the rich and, the middle-class people. • Also between industry and agriculture and the United States and many countries over in Europe. • The Nation’s income rose from $74.3 billion to $89 billion in a period of 6 years.

6. How long did it last? • The Great Depression started in 1929 when the Stock market crashed. • The period after the Great Depression was ranked the most unemployed and low business activity in modern age. • Many people had to depend on the Government, charity or friends and family to help them get through the Depression. • The Depression affected almost all nations. • Each country had their trade lowered because of the need to keep their industries running by raising tariffs on imported goods. • The Depression finally ended twelve years later when the United States entered World War ll.

7. LIVING DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION • Farm Life • When the Government tried to help the farmers live through the Depression it changed the future of agriculture forever. • Weather played a big role in the Depression because of the summer heat, and cold winters. • If the weather wasn’t perfect then the crops wouldn’t grow and they would lose money. • Many farmers grew their own food to save them money. • Farmers got together and found out how to have fun for free by playing board games, or just listening to the radio. • The farmers helped each other out if anyone was sick or injured.

8. Feeding the Family • People in the 1930’s did a variety of different things to put food on the table. • Some kept bees and harvested their honey. • Others raised chickens, eggs, hogs, and cattle and kept horses and mules for work. • They also kept many sheep for wool if they needed some clothes or for meat. • Most of the woman just baked bread while the men worked on getting the meat. • Many people on the radio or in magazines taught women how to conserve some food by making casseroles or easy meals like mac and cheese.

9. Going to School • During the Depression some of the schools property taxes that supported them fell as the farming continued to decrease. • Some School Districts couldn’t even pay their teachers to teach. • Kids in different grades had to sit in one classroom and get taught by a teacher a little older than them. • Some teenagers had to drop out of school and help out on the farm. • Young kids also left home to find jobs off the farm. • It was hard for the kids to learn and the teachers to teach because of the harsh winter weather and the summer dust. • Most of the kids walked to school, but some of them had horses to ride or buggies to drive.

10. Pictures of Great Depression Life

11. Going to School

12. Why do we need to know aboutthe Great Depression? • Because, we need to know how to prevent future stock market crashes. • We also need to be able to keep updating our information and knowledge of the stock market. • So that we can really see how fortunate we are to live in America today instead of 70 years ago.

13. How does it affect us today? • People are more concerned about the economy and economic growth of the United States and other countries. • We are better prepared for a disaster such as a Stock Market crash because of the technology we have today. • Imports and Exports from foreign countries will provide us many different opportunities to lose or gain food and goods.