Conclusion (Becky Linke)

After enjoying a significant period of consumerism, social reform, and financial prosperity following World War I, the U.S. was faced with the greatest economic crisis of its history, the depression. Spanning throughout the 1930's it was ultimately World War II that pulled the U.S. out of this dismal time, stimulating the economy and encouraging mass government spending. However, many efforts were attempted during the depression, especially the New Deal which was spearheaded by the efforts of FDR (Jones, Wood, Borstelmann, May, Ruiz, and Reviews).

As discussed earlier in the blog, it was an economic downturn, which many argue is part of the natural cycle of capitalism that caused the depression. During this time 14 million people, nearly one quarter of the population, was unemployed (Jones et. al.). Many people, who had never known hunger or poverty before, were faced with the reality that they had no economic means. This was a hard time in the history of the U.S. However, this time also created the idea reinforced the American mentality of "We will overcome" establishing hope where often there should be no hope.

In addition to the hard economic times with regards to the stock market, the mid-west dealt with the hardships of the dust bowl. Brought on by severe draught, the famers who were already struggling in the mid-west faced a land that refused to produce any product and ultimately turned to dust. In today's modern era it is now well known that the dust bowl was a result of harsh over farming practices that devastated the natural ecosystems of that area (Jones et. al.). In response to the land that would no longer produce, many families headed west, creating a giant migration from Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Kansas (Jones et. al.). It should be noted that very seldom did these individuals meet with the economic relief that they were in search of at that time.

FDR was elected in 1932. FDR's promise to the people of the U.S. was his "New Deal" which he promoted to usher in an end to the depression. FDR's new deal was a massive plan that included reforms to the banking system and created a program to enable work throughout the country. It should be noted that since his inception as president, every president has since been judged on their accomplishments within the first 100 days, reflective of the achievements that FDR accomplished during his time in office. Multiple acts, such as the Agriculture Readjustment Act had government intervention that helped both the farmer and starving population by providing a means to get funding to producers and product to the hungry (Jones, et al.)

Multiple programs were developed, such as the Civil Works Administration act, which created temporary jobs. The Civilian Conservation Corps was established to dig canals, plant trees, and do other eco-friendly measures (Jones, et al.). The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) established jobs through construction of large scale utilities projects which in turn provided cheap electricity to rural areas (Jones, et al.). As outlets of many of these New Deal programs, large construction projects, government operated and owned were undertaken to provide jobs to many who were looking for work.

It was these multiple projects and government interventions that helped pull the American spirit out of the dull drums. These methods helped prevent the U.S. from forming violent fascist regimes that were developing in Europe, which were fueled by the idleness of the world wide depression. Although FDR's tactics did not fully alleviate the strains that the American people were undergoing, it did provide some revitalization and spirit to those who needed it. Ultimately, World War II emerged to pull the U.S. out of financial misery, at about the cost of 2 million soldiers.

Only when the federal government started incurring massive deficit spending at the advent of World War II did the Great Depression end. Its effects on the lives and world views of those who lived through it were permanent. Unfortunately, the lesson learned from it by economists – that an economic downturn is no time for fiscal austerity – may have been forgotten. Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman recently wrote, “We are now, I fear, in the early stages of a third depression [the first ones having begun in 1873 and 1929]. … And this third depression will be primarily a failure of policy. Around the world … governments are obsessing about inflation when the real threat is deflation, preaching the need for belt-tightening when the real problem is inadequate spending.

Works Cited

Krugman, P. “The Third Depression.” The New York Times, June 28, 2010. Retrieved at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/28/opinion/28krugman.html.

Jones, Jacqueline, Peter Wood, Thomas Borstelmann, Elaine May, Vicki Ruiz, and Cram101 Reviews. Outlines & Highlights for Created Equal. Longman Pub Group, 2010. Print.

Hardships (Vicki Maxwell)

There were many hardships suffered during the Great Depression. Some of the major ones were loss of income, loss of home, loss of self-respect and loss of life's basic needs such as food and clothing.

After the 1929 stock market crash, people began to lose their jobs and realize they were unable to find other employment. This led to changes in family dynamics and structure, as sometimes it was easier for women and children than for men to find work. This was unusual, as women did not tend to work outside the home in that era. They took jobs that men were not interested in, such as domestic servants, clerks and textile workers.

As men lost their jobs, they were unable to pay their rent, so there was an increased loss of homes. Families found themselves living in makeshift homes such as cars, caves and even sewer drains. There were large shantytowns that sprang up at the edges of urban areas, sometimes called Hoovervilles as a jest toward the President (McElvaine, p. 28).

As people had less and less, they tried to make do with what they had. Medical and dental care were no longer an option, so people turned to home remedies. New clothing was not available, so they would take old clothing, take it apart and remake it. A popular fashion was to use flour sacks to make dresses (Wormser, p.11). Often people had to stuff paper in shoes that were worn and full of holes in order to get more wear out of them.

Food was definitely an issue for the people of the Depression. They often went hungry or their meals consisted of scraps from dumpsters. Those who owned land tended to not have it as hard, as they could plant food or keep some chickens. However, gradually they too lost their farms. In the cities, there were breadlines and soup kitchens to help, provided by charitable organizations (Slide Show, Slide #6).

Another great hardship was the loss of family unity. Children whose parents became destitute were sometimes sent to live with relatives (Wormser, pg. 11). Young teenagers often saw how difficult it was for their parents to feed the family, so they left home. Many of them became hoboes, riding the rails in search of food and work, which was a very hard life (Wormser, pg. 16). Entire families were displaced and rode the rails together (Wormser, pg. 17). It was not uncommon for fathers to just walk away or not return from their job searches.

Lastly, schools across the country were crippled by the economic crisis as tax revenues that supported public education fell. School years were shortened. Some schools closed altogether. Children had to take turns going to school, either because they had nothing to wear or nothing to eat. Also, many children had to work to help support their families; that became more important than school (Freedman, pg. 32).

Despite all of the hardships, families made do with what little they had and learned to be thrifty so that they could survive. If they held together despite the stress, they became stronger family units.

Works Cited:

Wormser, Richard. Growing Up in the Depression (1^st ed. 1994).

Freedman, Russell. Children of the Great Depression (New York: Clarion Books 2005).

McElvaine, Robert S. "The Depression and the New Deal." A History in Documents, 2000.

Slide Show – http://otis.coe.uky.edu/openportfolioCl/images/image_show.ph.

Social Programs (Shaunnah Moreno)

Next, the effects of the Great Depression called for governmental intervention to render assistance to the United States failing economy. In order to accomplish this task, the Roosevelt administration came up with the concept of the Two New Deals between the years of 1933-1940. In theory, the concept of the New Deals was meant with good intentions, however: the disorganization of the first New Deal did little to nothing in creating change to social and welfare programs or labor reform.

For example, in 1933 the Agricultural Adjustment Act was passed to aid in the issue of supply versus demand of America's crop production. The AAA was established to pay farmers to produce fewer crops with the government increasing the price of food production. In 1935, the origins of this act were founded to be unconstitutional by the U. S. Supreme Court due to the fact that decreased food production meant less food for families who were already starving. As a result, reform to the AAA, gave ""acreage allotment" (the backbone of the crop reduction program) which helped the largest and best capitalized farmers. It did little for smaller farmers and led to the eviction and homelessness of tenants and sharecroppers whose landlords hardly needed their services under a system that paid them to grow less." (1)

Furthermore, it did not correct a primary concern of the Depression- the issue of "weakened consumer demands from decreased wages and unemployment."(2) After the failed attempts to strengthen the economy from the first New Deal, the second New Deal brought about a government controlled pension plan called the Social Security Act in 1935. This act enabled laborers to set up modest investment pension funds for their future. In addition, the National Labors Act of 1935 was established to prevent businesses from interfering with laborers forming unions to represent their rights as the working class. As a result, union representation brought about significant increases in wages for the working class which in turn boosted consumer spending.

In closing, the aftermath of the Depression brought about two approaches by the government that were both intended to create economic reform. The first approach failed as a result of working from the upper class to the lower class members of society whereas, the second approach of the New Deal created reform due to the fact that its policies targeted the working class first rather than the upper class.

Works Cited

Part II: War, Depression and War, 1914-1945 [PDF Document]. Retrieved from Online

History Class Website: http://iws.collin.edu/kwilkison/Online1302home/20th%20Century/DepressionNewDeal.html

Popular Culture (Krista Miller)

The Great Depression was a time when Americans found themselves needing to find a way to forget their everyday life filled with hunger, despair, and not much hope; and lose themselves in something that could give them a temporary mental relief from the trials of the times. This need provided a creative void that was filled by multiple media of that time.

In 1927 sound was introduced to movies giving way to an explosion of creativity in this medium from satiric comedy to drama and action. Sound provided a tool for comedians like the Marx brothers and Mae West to deliver their punch lines; however with the creation of the Breen Office in 1934, the first censorship agency, ushered in the "golden age of order" for film makers. Films in the later part of the decade were used to reinforce traditional views about social roles within American society contradictory to the slap stick style comedy and sexual innuendo humor that first filled the screens of movie theaters during the Depression era.¹

In addition, radio came to the fore front as a very useful media to reach out to the American public. President Roosevelt directly addressed the country on radio spots called "fireside chats". He was able to gain the trust of the American people by speaking to them in their own homes furthering the needed expansion of federal authority. Radio became an irreplaceable vehicle for informing the public. So much that a fictitious "emergency bulletin" during Orson Wells' 1937 radio production of H. G. Wells War of the Worlds created mass hysteria in towns across America.²

Music during the depression also experienced a change that would bring about a new type of music called Swing. The depression brought the music industry to its knees with sales decreasing from 100 million records sold to only 6 million in 1931.³ The new Jazz style music called Swing turned these numbers around with its upbeat flare bringing sales back up to 50 million records sold by 1939.³ Jazz music became the most popular music of the day being one of the music styles that always thrives during adverse times. Swing won over the people giving them a tool to forget their troubles with its fast paced tempo and upbeat tones. Created in Harlem during the late 1920's, Swing music found itself in the mainstream during the 1930's. This new style of Jazz gave way to dances that are still popular today – The Big Apple and Little Peach, the Shag and Susy Q, and the most popular dance that started the entire Swing movement was the Lindy Hop, known to recent generations as the Jitterbug. Swing was a great economic booster during dark times. Mainly it allowed people to forget about their problems while they filled up ballrooms across the country such as the Arcadia Ballroom in Detroit and the Paramount Theater in New York. As critic Gary Giddins explained "Swing music was an electrifying development in American popular culture. This was the Depression. It was not an easy period. And this was a music that was just pure pleasure. Pure physical pleasure."³

Americans were also desperately searching for heroes during the Depression, therefore bringing forth the creation of superheroes in comics. Superheroes such as Superman and Batman were created during the 1930's providing yet another outlet for people of all ages to lose themselves in during the Depression.¹

In summary, the Depression was a very hard time for Americans to live through and the media of the era provided much needed escape for people to forget their current situations. Additionally, these media, especially the personal feel of radio, allowed for a stronger bond and trust building between the people and their government which aided in preserving values and bringing America out of the Depression era.

Work Cited

1. Steven Mintz et al. "Popular Culture during the Great Depression". Digital History Textbook.

2. Charles J. Shindo "The Great Depression". St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture.

3. Ken Burns "Jazz: A History of America's Music". Public Broadcast System.

The Causes (Denita Lyons)

For many Americans, the cause of the Great Depression can be linked directly to the stock market crash that took place on October 1929. However, this was only one many events that cumulated to create a decade long economic depression that gripped America. This single day known as Black Friday in America had global repercussions; countries all around the world encountered economic difficulties of their own. Yet it was the economic policies of Presidents Harding and Coolidge that started the decline. It would take Presidents Hoover and Roosevelt and the economy stimulated by the resolution of the Second World War before the America would start to improve.

During Warren Harding's presidency, the United States financed the recovery of many post World War I countries with credit issued by the United States. Harding worked together with other countries in the post war era yet it was with an eye towards increasing the exportation of American goods. He restricted immigration and opposed labor unions. However, Harding's administration was tainted with scandal and after his death his reputation worsened.

Upon Harding's death, his Vice President Calvin Coolidge became president in 1923. The new President's attitude toward government involvement in business changed. Due to his predecessor's many scandals, he adopted a minimalist oversight in his policies. He vetoed programs for government assistance while cutting taxes. He was a man of few words and developed a policy of minimal interference in business or state politics. This made Coolidge popular with his constituents, yet his laissez-faire attitude set the nation in a fragile state.¹

The 1920s were a time of entertainment and indulgence for many Americans. The advent of installment loans for homes, automobiles and other luxuries created a society where if you wanted it, you financed it. The poor still remained poor and lived a transient lifestyle, moving where employment was available. Yet the middleclass wanted a higher standard of living and they were willing to use credit to obtain their wants. Installment plans were not only for the luxuries; Americans began to invest into the market. With minimal money down, financing and loans would take care of the rest. Investors would borrow from one creditor and to finance additional profits. The ability to buy and sale stocks rapidly created highly inflated stock values. This cycle of debt increased as the 1920s led into the new decade.

Yet after the World War I, the Federal Reserve was trying to maintain the value of the American dollar. For decades, gold had been the standard measure; but as more overseas money due to exporting of goods occurred, the economy became unbalanced. In the attempt to rebalance the value of money, the Federal Reserve limited money available to its member banks and the American economy. As a second intervention, interest rates were increased to try and maintain the strength of the dollar.²

The decreased funds available to member banks instigated fears among Americans that the banks were unstable. As interest rates increased, Americans were unable to pay back their loans. As loan payments climbed, the amount of money Americans were investing in banks declined. The cycle continued and bank failure become commonplace. ³

When the Stock Market crash occurred on October 29, 1929, consumer confidence was shaky. Stock prices had been fluctuating for weeks. Within hours, stock values drastically fell and the affect was felt worldwide. This single date was considered the catalyst for the Great Depression, but in no way could it be considered the lone cause.

(Picture from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.)

Works Cited

1. www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents.html; accessed 19 June, 2010; Internet

2 Gene Smiley. "Great Depression." The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics. David R.

Henderson, ed. Liberty Fund, Inc. 2008. Library of Economics and Liberty [Online]

available from http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/GreatDepression.html; accessed 18

June 2010; Internet.

3 Romer, Christina D. 1993. "The Nation in Depression." Journal of Economic Perspectives 7, no. 2: 19-39. America: History & Life, EBSCOhost (accessed June 21, 2010).

Jones, Created Equal , Brief 2^nd Edition. Vol. II

Introduction (Ladonna Maynard)

Photo: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/images/photodb/27-0672a.gif.

The Great Depression, which lasted from 1929 to 1939, was a defining moment for the United States. The Depression left an indelible stamp on the generation of individuals who lived through it. It also dramatically expanded the size of the Federal government and the expectations of Americans about what their government can and should do for them. The hardships endured by many during the Depression are all but unimaginable to Americans today.