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The Start of the Great Depression
The Great Depression began after the stock market crash in 1929. There was an ordinary recession in the summer of 1929 where the spending of the consumer dropped and the goods began to all pile up. The lingering effects of WW1 had also had a large effect on the economic effects of the country, and more factors led to the Great Depression. -
The Affect on Families
The Great Depression then began to tear families apart, causing married men to abandon their wives, and the birth rate dropped. African American men were typically the first to be fired and men often felt like failures because they were unable to provide for their families. Women seemed to be able to get jobs easier than men at the time, but it was still difficult. 60% of Americans were below the poverty line. -
Arguably the Worst Years of the Great Depression
In 1932, GNP falls another 8.5% and unemployment rises another 15.9%. In this year, the GNP then falls a record 13.4% and the unemployment once again rises to 23.6%. In 1933, 13 to 15 million Americans were unemployed and nearly half of the countries bank had failed, and the economy didn't fully turn around until the 1939, when World War II was beginning. -
The End of the Great Depression
The end of the Great Depression came in 1939, when World War II was beginning and the production of America grew in an effort to have enough funds to fight in the war. More than 12 million Americans were drafted into the military, and the wars jobs seemed to take care of the 17 million unemployed in 1939. Majority of historians have concluded that they tremendous spending during wartime was what caused the end of the Great Depression.
