The Great Depression
Jack Bardsley
How the Depression Started
The Great Depression began when the stock market crashed in 1929. The stock market crash started in the Midwest and spread east towards New York. By the time it reached New York, many people tried to withdraw their money from the banks and caused a run on the banks. The widespread panic accounted for a total loss of about $140 billion.
The Dust Bowl
Effects of the Dust bowl
High winds at 60 mph blew dry soil off the ground, turning it to dust. The dryness made it impossible for families to grow crops, so thousands of people abandoned their farms and went to California to start a new life. 75% of the topsoil in the Great Plains had been blown away by the end of the 1930s. Many farmers could no longer grow crops and had no way to eat or make money. Most jobs in the city were taken so many people became poor and ended up homeless.
How the Depression ended
During World War II, 12 million Americans were sent into the military and opened up many jobs for women in America. Throughout the entire war, 17 million americans were employed. The New Deal that was proposed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt also relieved the depression by expanded government intervention into new areas of social and economic concerns. By 1940, the many factors of the Great Depression had been relieved.