The Great Depression

The Great Depression

• A major economic slump that occurred in the 1930s.
• Lasted from 1929 to approximately 1939.
• Officially began on October 29, 1929, also known as Black Tuesday with a 12.8% drop in the stock market.
• The stock market crash of Black Tuesday was preceded by crashes on October 24 and 28.
• By July 1932, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had lost about 89% of its value.
• Overproduction caused a drop in the prices of American goods.
• The gap between the rich and poor continued to expand.
• Factory profits primarily benefited management rather than workers.
• Consumers increasingly relied on credit.
• Excessive credit usage prevented consumers from purchasing more products, leading to factory closures, unemployment, and a stock market crash.
• Banks started to fail when borrowers couldn't repay loans.
• Hoover increased taxes, reducing people's willingness to spend.

Real Causes of the Great Depression

• Bank failures
• High tariffs
• Tax increases
• Decreased monetary supply

FDR’s New Deal Reforms

• Reduction of taxes
• Relief for farmers impacted by the Dust Bowl
• Funding for struggling industries
• Reconstructed government banking
• Creation of new workplaces and conservation programs

Social and Cultural Effects of the Great Depression

• Increased prostitution rates
• Rise in crime rates due to unemployed workers
• High education remained inaccessible for many
• Increased rates of alcoholism
• Sharp decline in public spending on education
• Increased suicide rates
• Reported cases of malnutrition
• Strengthening of many family units during the crisis

Migration During the Great Depression

• Many Americans, especially farmers, migrated to places like California and Arizona.
• The Great Plains lost population due to the Dust Bowl, with "Okies" and "Arkies" seeking better opportunities.

Positive Effects of the Great Depression

• New trends in popular culture emerged.
• Radio flourished.
• The blues became a popular musical form.

The Dust Bowl

• A region in the Midwest severely affected by drought from 1931-1939.
• The drought killed crops that previously kept the soil in place.
• Windstorms raised large clouds of dust, covering everything and causing livestock to suffocate and pneumonia in children.
• Approximately 100 million acres of land were affected, mainly in the Midwestern region of the United States.
• The Soil Conservation Service was created in 1935 to aid struggling farmers.
• Wind-blown dirt from the storms sometimes reached Washington, DC.
• The drought and dust destroyed a significant part of agricultural production.

Time and Location

• There were four waves of droughts: 1930-31, 1934, 1936, and 1939.
• The worst of the Dust Bowl was in the Oklahoma panhandle.
• Affected areas included the northern two-thirds of the Texas Panhandle, northeastern New Mexico, southeastern Colorado, and the western third of Kansas.
• By 1934, droughts covered 75% of the country, affecting twenty-seven states severely.
• On April 15, 1934, the worst dust storm occurred, named Black Sunday.

Economic Effects of the Dust Bowl

• Forced migrant farmers to lose businesses, livelihoods, and homes.
• Many families moved to California or Arizona or cities in search of work that was often nonexistent.
• Many ended up homeless, living in poor slums ("Hoovervilles").
• Crop failures, loss of livestock, and widespread economic hardship
• Mass migration, bankruptcies, and a decline in agricultural output impacted rural communities, businesses, banks, and the nation.

Causes of the Dust Bowl

• Farmers plowed over prairie grass.
• Years of over-cultivation removed protection from the elements.
• When the drought killed the crops, high winds blew away the topsoil.
• The drought lasted for a decade, and parts of the Midwest have still not recovered.
• Increased government intervention in agriculture.
• New policies to address soil erosion and drought were introduced.
• Mobilization of farmers politically.
• The Soil Conservation Act and New Deal initiatives were prompted.

Could the Dust Bowl Happen Again?

• The Dust Bowl could happen again.
• Agribusiness is draining groundwater from the Midwest about eight times faster than rain is replenishing it.
• Groundwater will be gone within the century at the current rate, and parts of the Texas Panhandle will run dry soon.

Social Effects

• Included widespread hardship, mass migrations, and a surge in social tensions
• Many families were forced to leave their homes in search of work.
• Resulted in a massive westward migration

Environmental Effects

• Included massive topsoil loss, reduced crop yields
• Dust storms severely impacted air quality and human health.
• The transformation of fertile farmland into a desert-like landscape
• Resulted in an arid landscape, which in turn only worsened the effects of the storms
• There was an even higher chance of uproot through wind