The Great Depression
In 1929, the United States fell into an economic crash. The crash is know as the "Great Crash of 29" and the day is "Black Tuesday". Not thousands or millions, but billions of dollars were lost in the stock crash. This is what led to the next tough years of the great depression. Goods were being over produced with too little demand. Many people lost money and it was a time of struggle. Several lost their homes. Very few jobs were being offered at this time, in fact more and more people began losing their jobs simply because companies couldn't afford to keep paying them. Groups of people lived in shanty homeless towns known as "Hoovervilles", named after President Hoover who was President during the crash. Many Americans were angry with Hoover, who thought the depression wold only last a few months. He thought things would sort out on their own and the government followed the policy of laizze fair--meaning "hands off". The government did not try to help people at this time. There were many gangs and people at this time that used the depression to their advantage. These people include Bonnie & Clyde, Al Capone, and John Dillinger. They robbed, used fraud, murdered, and did whatever they needed to to stay on top. On top of the Great Depression in the 30s, many families lost their homes and were trapped in the Dust Bowl, a period of horrible dust storms in the mid-west. Drought and over-farming had caused the soil to have little moisture and was very loose. High Winds picked up and blew dust everywhere. People often tried to stop the dust from getting in their lungs by using mouth covers. However, it was no use. Dust got into houses, food, everything. The dust got into people's lungs and sometimes even caused death. The storms destroyed houses and forced families to move. It was rare that a family had a car at this time in the midwest, so many traveled by buggy or even foot and walked up to thousands of miles to California. It was said that there were open jobs and spots for families in California, many people referred to it as the promise land.
|
FDR & The New Deal
A new sense of hope was brought to Americans in 1933 when Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president. After Hoover failing to do so, FDR knew it was time to make a change. Franklin Delano Roosevelt brought a sense of hope to Americans in their time of struggle. He is famous for his inauguration speech in which he said: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" Roosevelt came up with the idea of "The New Deal". FDR wasn't quite sure what the New Deal would do, but he knew he needed to turn things around. The policy FDR used with the New Deal was hands on, the government got directly involved with a series of new programs. The New Deal included both laws made from Congress and presidential executive orders. The New Deal Programs were an automatic hit. The programs created jobs for millions and brought people out of poverty. The economy began to move up. Many of the programs created with the New Deal are still in tact today. 10 New Deal programs: 1. CCC - Civilian Conservation Corps 2. CWA - Civil Works Administration 3. FHA - Federal Housing Administration 4. FSA - Federal Security Agency 5. HOLC - Home Owner's Loan Corporation 6. NRA - National Recovery Act 7. PWA - Public Works Administration 8. SSA - Social Security Act 9. TVA - Tennessee Valley Authority 10. WPA - Works Progress Administration |