the great depression begins section 1: photos by photographer dorothea lange

THE GREAT DEPRESSION

BEGINSSECTION 1:

Photos by photographer Dorothea Lange

Lesson Objectives:The Nation's Sick Economy

• 1. Summarize the critical problems threatening the American economy in the late 1920s.2. Describe the causes of the stock market crash and Great Depression.3. Explain how the Great Depression affected the economy in the United States and throughout the world.

• To curb the financial loss of farmers, Congress tried to pass the McNary-Haugen bill, which would mandate price support on key crops

Young Hoover supporter in 1928

HOOVER WINS 1928 ELECTION

• Republican Herbert Hoover ran against and defeated Democrat Alfred E. Smith in the 1928 election– Hoover emphasized years

of prosperity under Republican administrations

– Hoover won an overwhelming victory

THE NATION’S SICK ECONOMY

• Agriculture• Railroads• Textiles• Steel• Mining• Lumber• Automobiles• Housing• Consumer goods

As the 1920s advanced, serious problems threatened the economy whileImportant industries struggled, including:

Chapter 14: Section 1MAIN IDEA QUESTIONS

• A – What industrial weakness signaled a declining economy in the 1920’s?– The older industries such as textiles, steel,

and railroads, which were basic to the fundamental well-being of the economy, were barely profitable.

FARMERS STRUGGLE

• No industry suffered as much as agriculture

• During World War I European demand for American crops soared

• After the war demand plummeted

• Farmers increased production sending prices further downward

Photo by Dorothea Lange

CONSUMER SPENDING DOWN

• By the late 1920s, American consumers were buying less

• Rising prices, stagnant wages and overbuying on credit were to blame

• Most people did not have the money to buy the flood of goods factories produced


• B – What did the experience of farmers and consumers at this time suggest about the health of the economy?– Beneath the surface prosperity of the

1920’s, the economy was in trouble.

SEEDS OF TROUBLE

• Too many Americans were engaged in – speculation – buying stocks &

bonds hoping for a quick profit

• Americans were – buying “on margin” – paying a

small percentage of a stock’s price as a down payment and borrowing the rest

• Americans were – buying getting easy “credit” –

Consumers agree to pay later for purchases. Installment plan.

The Stock Market’s bubble was about to break


• C – How did speculation and margin buying cause stock prices to rise?– They caused over investment as people

ignored the risk and bought more than they could pay.

GNP DROPS, UNEMPLOYMENT SOARS

• Between 1928-1932, the U.S. Gross National Product (GNP) – the total output of a nation’s goods & services – fell nearly 50% from $104 billion to $59 billion

• 90,000 businesses went bankrupt

• Unemployment leaped from 3% in 1929 to 25% in 1933

THE STOCK MARKET

• By 1929, many Americans were invested in the Stock Market

• The Stock Market had become the most visible symbol of a prosperous American economy

• The Dow Jones Industrial Average measures the stock markets health

• The Dow is a measure based on the price of 30 large firms

STOCK PRICES RISE THROUGH THE 1920s

• Through most of the 1920s, stock prices rose steadily

• The Dow reached a high in 1929 of 381 points (300 points higher than 1924)

• By 1929, 4 million Americans owned stocks

New York Stock Exchange

THE Stock market CRASH

• In September the Stock Market had some unusual up & down movements

• On October 24, the market took a plunge . . .the worst was yet to come

• On Tuesday, October 29, the stock market crashed known as Black Tuesday

• 6.4 million shares were sold that day – prices plummeted

• People who had bought on margin (credit) were stuck with huge debts

By mid-November, investors had lost about $30 billion

THE GREAT DEPRESSION

• The Stock Market crash signaled the beginning of the Great Depression

• The Great Depression is generally defined as the period from 1929 – 1940 in which the economy plummeted and unemployment skyrocketed

• The crash alone did not cause the Great Depression, but it hastened its arrival

Alabama family, 1938 Photo by Walter Evans


• D – What happened to the ordinary workers during the Great Depression?– Many were out of a job. – Others experienced pay cuts and reduced

hours.

World Depression• The U.S. was not the only country gripped by the

Great Depression• Much of Europe suffered throughout the 1920s

HAWLEY-SMOOT TARIFF

• In 1930, Congress passed the toughest tariff in U.S. history called the Hawley- Smoot Tariff– It was meant to reduced

the flow of goods in the U.S. and prevented other countries from earning US currency.

• Other countries enacted their own tariffs and soon world trade fell 40%


• E – How did the Great Depression affect the world economy?– World trade dropped, causing

unemployment to rise globally.

FINANCIAL COLLAPSE

• After the crash, many Americans panicked and withdrew their money from banks

• Banks had invested in the Stock Market and lost money

• In 1929- 600 banks fail• By 1933 – 11,000 of the

25,000 banks nationwide had collapsed

Bank run 1929, Los Angeles

Chapter 14: Section 1Guided Reading:

• Describe the serious problems in the Industry area of the economy that helped cause the Great Depression.– Key industries barely made a profit; – Some lost business to foreign competition and

new technologies;– Some suffered from declining demand after WWI– Coal declined due to new sources of energy– New housing starts declined – affecting related

businesses.


• Describe the serious problems in the Agriculture area of the economy that helped cause the Great Depression.– After WWI demand for products fell as did prices;– Farmers could not pay debts and lost farms –

causing rural banks to fail;– Congress passed supports for farm products – but

President Coolidge vetoed them.


• Describe the serious problems in the Consumer spending area of the economy that helped cause the Great Depression.– Making credit available, businesses encouraged

Americans to pile up a large consumer debt;– Faced with rising prices, stagnant wages, and high

levels of debt, consumers decreased their buying.


• Describe the serious problems in the Distribution of wealth area of the economy that helped cause the Great Depression.– Nearly half of Americans earned less than the

minimum amount needed for a decent standard of living.

– This unequal distribution meant most consumers had too little money to buy American goods.


• Describe the serious problems in the stock market area of the economy that helped cause the Great Depression.– Many investors engaged in speculation and buying

on margin, fueling the market upward and generating great wealth, but only on paper;

– When the market crashed, many investors lost their life savings.

GAP BETWEEN RICH & POOR

• The gap between rich and poor widened

• The wealthiest 1% saw their income rise 75%

• The rest of the population saw an increase of only 9%

• More than 70% of American families earned less than $2500 per year

Photo by Dorothea Lange

CAUSES OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION

• Farm sector crisis• Too much easy credit• Tariffs policies

– U.S. demand low, despite factories producing more

• Unequal distribution of income

Chapter Review SECTION 1

• How did what happened to farmers during the 1920’s foreshadow events of the Great Depression?– Farm prices fell and farmers compensated

by boosting production. – Farmers were not able to purchase their

share of America’s output

Chapter Review SECTION 1

• What were some of the effects of the stock market crash in October 1929?– The Stock Market crashed on Tuesday

October 29, 1929 and caused panic and fear across the country

– Marked the beginning of the Great Depression.

Chapter 14: Review

• How did what happened to farmers during the 1920’s foreshadow events of the Great Depression?– Farm prices fell and farmers compensated by

boosting production. – Farmers were not able to purchase their share of

America’s output

Chapter 14: Review

• What were some of the effects of the stock market crash in October 1929?– The crash of 1929 caused panic and fear across

the country and – marked the beginning of the Great Depression.

the great depression begins section 1: photos by photographer dorothea lange

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