Great Depression Dbq

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that took place mainly during the 1930’s. The effects of this forced families into homelessness, Men and

Women alike out of work, and caused a rippling effect that was felt the world over. This event singlehandedly forced all nations to reevaluate the way that they safeguard against such large scale depressions and how nations like the United States could best control the banks while still keeping a laissez faire economy. This being said, the Great Depression was a time of profound social and economic change felt by all.

. Most historians agree that the major causes for the origin of this depression was people's falling faith in the banking system as well as the events of October

In light of this, many families loss their primary (and often only, due to the fact that it was entirely uncommon for a

Women to work at the time) source of income. As men were laidoff they would return to the job market and try to low bid employers, moreorless saying that they’ll work another man's job for less than the price that they were doing it for ( very similar to the practices that were common during the “Gilded Era” ) these practices became so extreme that the average annual income by the end of the Great Depression was $1315 versus the begining average of approximately $1407 for persons who had secure jobs.

By the Fall of 1930, the estimated unemployment total hovered near the 6 Million person mark. This staggering figure gave birth to a new form of public assistance; Bread lines. Men and

Women whom found themselves unable to find work began begging and picking over refuse in city dumps until finally they’d gathered up the resolve to stand and be seen publicly in a

Roosevelt) to supplement the workforce and to provide persons with the opportunity to work. As families the Nation over heard of the availability of jobs surrounding the Boulder

Dam, They flocked to the site and established hastily built towns that became known as

“Hoovervilles”.

Theses crude Shantytowns housed countless persons as they worked on the

Dam.

As the Decade wore on and the depression only seemed to worsen, new president

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, passed legislation that began to rebuild the currently ruined economy.As a first corse of action, FDR began working on creating the Works Progress

Administration. (Its name would soon be changed in 1939 to the Work Projects Administration.)

The program would soon employ more than 8.5 million men and women in over 3,000 counties throught the nation. These individuals, working for a salary of only approximately $41.57 a month, would improve or create highways, roads, bridges, and airports. In addition, the WPA will put thousands of artists writers, painters, theater directors, and sculptors