The Great Depression

By Tiffany Purser
 How did it start ?
The great depression started in the period after
the first world war. The cause was the crash of
the stock market in America , stocks had begun
falling around September 4th 1929, and eventually
came to a standstill in October 1929 , there is no
date as different sources give different dates ,
some say that the day the stock markets crashed
was called ‘Black Tuesday’ whereas others say that
it was ‘Black Thursday’.
The Effects it had Worldwide
The crash of the stock market had devastating
effects in virtually every country, the rich and the
poor ones.
Things like international trade decreased by more
than 50%. Other areas that were affected were
Construction, which virtually came to a standstill in
many countries. Another area that was hit hard was
farming, as crop prices decreased by about 60%.
Countries and areas that relied on jobs such as
mining and logging were hit the hardest by the great
depression. Cities all around the world that relied on
heavy industry also suffered during the great
depression.
 Effects it had on the Public
Those that lost there jobs due to the depression
( people such as firemen , policemen and teachers ) were
more stunned than angry.
Many people however sank into despair and shame , as
they couldn't find jobs. During the Great depression
suicide rates rose from 14 in 100,000 committing suicide
to 17 in 100,000 people. Local protests and riots became
a usual accordance , mostly about hunger.
Many of these protests /riots turned violent .In one
case , In Washington D.C. 1932 four members of the
Dearborn hunger march were shot and killed after
1,000 soldiers accompanied by tanks and machine guns
were ordered to evict veterans living in the Bonus army
camp.
Recovery
The Great Depression ended at different times
in different countries, but most countries had
recovered or started recovering by the start of
world war 2 .For America it ended in 1941 , with
their entry into the second world war.
The recovery in America was set into motion
by President Roosevelt , who started to turn
things round in his first 100 days in office.
The migrant workers of America
 Many were happy to work just for food and a
place to stay.
 Worked for as little as 50 cents a day ( 3

dollars for six working days).

 They took any job that was available to them ,

though this was mainly farm work and quiet

often the jobs were just temporary
 Not all Migrant workers travelled alone , many

with there families , after losing there income

and there homes.