Farmers During The Great Depression

The Great Depression was a time of great loss and devastation that left a mark on American history forever. The Great Depression was a economic downfall that affected many lives and businesses but after years of struggle and programs the depression concluded. A time in America’s history was made dark by an economic downfall. The Great Depression made life almost unbearable for most people living in the 1930’s. The stock market crash started on Tuesday October 29, 1929, it is also known as “Black Tuesday”. The stock market crash is known as the worst economic collapse in the history of the modern industrial world (“The Great Depression”). The Great Depression was a deep economic crisis that began in 1929 and lasted until the nation’s entry

Farmers were greatly affected by The Great Depression. In the early 1930’s prices dropped so low that many farmers went bankrupt and lost their farms (“The Great Depression hits farms and cities in the 1930’s”). The stock market crash prevented the farmers from being able to sell their produce (McCabe). Through the depression farmers were still producing more food than consumers were buy, and now the consumers could buy even less. Farm produce prices fell even lower (“The Depression for Farmers”). Some farm families started burning corn rather than coal in their stoves because the corn was cheaper (“The Great Depression hits farms and cities in the 1930s”). Non-farmers had also been hit hard by the depression. With the banks failing and businesses closing, over fifteen million people became unemployed (“The Great Depression”). The unemployment rate skyrocketed from three percent to nearly twenty five percent (McCabe). The Great Depression brought a rapid rise in the crime rate as many unemployed workers restored to petty theft to put food on the table. Suicide rates rose greatly as did recorded cases of malnutrition (“Social and Cultural Effects of the Depression”). More and more people were found standing in bread lines, hungry and homeless (McCabe). The depression affected people and businesses but many programs later America pulled out of their

President Hoover tried to fix what the Great Depression has caused but he was not extremely successful. Hoover had only been in office for seven months when the stock market crashed; he believed in a limited a role for government and worried that excessive federal intervention posed a threat to capitalism and individualism (“Herbert Hoover”). Hoover tried a variety of measures he adjusted taxes, asked industries not to cut wages, and pushed for public works projects, but as the depression deepened people began to blame Hoover. They even made shantytowns that were called “Hoovervilles” (“The Great Depression” Gale). President Hoover quickly became the nation’s scapegoat for the severe economic crisis that followed the stock market crash (“The New Deal”). A few of Hoover’s programs that he introduced became key components of later relief efforts (“Herbert Hoover”). Franklin Delano Roosevelt soon was elected and became the president; he came up with the New Deal that was a major key in the conclusion of The Great Depression. Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected as president in the 1932 election (“Franklin Delano Roosevelt”). Roosevelt initiated a variety of programs to revive the economy with various levels of success (“The Great Depression” Gale). Although Roosevelt gave few details about his plan, he indicated that he would focus on