http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/depression/about.htm
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the 1930s. In the United States, the Great Depression began soon after the stock market crash of October 1929, which sent Wall Street into a panic and wiped out millions of investors. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations; however, in most countries it started in 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s. It was the longest, deepest, and most widespread depression of the 20th century. The Great Depression had devastating effects in countries rich and poor.
Personal income, tax revenue, profits and prices dropped, while international trade plunged by more than 50%. Unemployment in the U.S. rose to 25%, and in some countries rose as high as 33%.
America is made up of immigrants, in the Great Depression lots of people from different countries came to America for a better life, economically and for their families. During the Great Depression many people could not find jobs, and many people lost homes, and land that they owned. President Hoover made this worse and got the blame for the Great Depression after his election in 1928, but President Roosevelt was able to stabilize the bad effects of the Great Depression with his new deal in 1933. The economy would not fully turn around until after 1939, when World War II kicked American industry into high gear.
This image shows a family still suffering in Chicago after 10 years the Great Depression had stopped. This is a real picture, the kids were actually sold. The second link above tells their story; even though the great depression stopped some Americans continue to struggle with poverty and basic survival. It is always important to remember the poor. We can forget them when our economy seems to be doing well and it can be even harder for them when our economy is slow. Below is another famous American photo taken during the 1930s showing the struggle of a migrant farm family.
millnooor • Sep 25, 2015 at 12:20 pm
I can’t believe people would actually sell their children because they couldn’t afford them and that people would actually buy children. Why would someone buy someones child or how? How did some people come back from the great depression and not others?