Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Causes of the Depression
- Buying on margin (credit) - people were buying
goods with money they didn't have. When banks
needed people to pay back their loans they
couldn't and banks were forced to close.
- Worldwide economic problems - Europe was
experiencing a serious depression starting in
1923. They weren't buying as many American
goods.
- People had overproduced (made too
much) and were underconsuming (not
buying as much as was made)
- Uneven Distribution of Wealth - the top 5% of the
population controlled 25% of the wealth. Over 60% of
the population lived below the poverty line.
- Effects of the Depression
- High Unemployment
- Poverty/Homelessness
- Dust Bowl - Bad weather conditions
(drought) plus overfarming on the Great
Plains resulted in dust storms, dry lands,
and farm failures.
- Migrant Workers - workers, usually farmers, who left their
homes looking for jobs in other places, especially California.
They moved from place to place depending on where they
could find jobs. Sometimes called "Okies" because so many
came from Oklahoma.
- The New Deal - FDR's plan to
improve the economy, create
jobs, and increase spending
- This resulted in an increase in Presidential
power. The role of the President became
more important in US government.
- FDR defeats Hoover - Franklin Roosevelt is
elected in 1932 over Hoover who many believed
didn't do enough to solve the depression.
- Prices Drop - prices of
consumer goods and farm
goods dropped
- Foreclosures - when people couldn't pay for
farms, homes, or businesses they were taken
back by the bank. Sometimes banks closed when
they couldn't collect on their loans.
- Stock Market Crash - 1929