You are on page 1of 2

Beginning in 1929, the Great Depression was an economic downfall experienced worldwide.

Industrialized countries such as the United States and the European nations were hit the hardest because of their manufacturing power compared with the rest of the world. Because of the Great Depression, unemployment rose to the highest of all time with the closing of many factories that kept thousands of families clothed and fed. The worth of the United States economy was seriously doubted by manufacturers who refused to hire workers for a goods market that had suddenly disappeared. This economic downfall was possibly one of the worst moments in U.S history.

The stock market crash of October 29, 1929 (black Thursday) initiated The Great Depression in Canada during the years 1929 to 1939. Unemployment rose at its highest as a result of companies closing down. Crime rate increased rapidly during this time. Citizens were so desperate to get food and shelter that they would commit crimes to get arrested and put in jail where they are promised 3 meals a day and a place to sleep. Also, people were committing suicide (a lot of stock brokers and investors), these people lost everything and could not support themselves in the economic collapse. Homelessness was a major issue in Canada. Due to the horrendous conditions, a lot of people lost money, which made it very hard to afford living in a house. Money stopped circulating causing everyone to feel depressed or do semseless things to themselves or other people.

Not only industrialized areas suffered during the Great Depression. Particularly in the South and the Midwest, farmers lifestyles were severely effected. The biggest contributing factor was that the Mississippi River flooded in 1927, which damaged a large portion of the fertile Mississippi River Valley. The flood was devastating to Southern farmers. For example, roughly eight out of ten Arkansans relied on agriculture as their primary source of income to survive. Also, previous to the flood, cotton, Arkansas's main cash crop, suffered a huge decline in price. Therefore, before the stock market crashed, Southern agriculture was already in jeopardy. Agriculture in the Midwest also suffered very severe consequences. A majority of the Great Plains, from Texas to North Dakota, had been turned into a "Dust Bowl." This name referred to the stripped landscape that was a result of windstorms that blew away millions of tons of topsoil. The reason the windstorms made such an impact can be contributed to the overplanting and stripping of lands to plant wheat after World War I. Many farms were abandoned and many families relocated in California.

The stock market crash made people realize the importance of financial stability. Programs were created to help the economy and officials were assigned to watch the financial status of our country. Therefore in the next crisis society would be more prepared for it as we had gained experience from the crash. Society learned to be more dependent on each other (ex. relatives would live with each other to save money)

- Countries raised tariffs in the 1920s to cut foreign sales - In the 1920s more good were produced than sold - Most Canadians in the 1920s had low wages so they were not able to buy all the produced goods - By 1929 warehouses and grain elevators were filling up with unsold goods - The Canadian and U.S. stock market crashed in October 1929 and some banks in Europe closed down - Banks and stock brokers called in their loans - Individuals and companies had a lot less money than they had before the Great Depression - Bennett Buggies, named derisively after R.B. Bennett. These were automobiles with no engines in them that got pulled by horses. People did this because they couldnt afford gas. They named these Bennett Buggies because PM Bennett wasnt doing enough to help them - In the 1930s, when the economy was struggling back very slowly, a recession interrupted the upward trend - The Second World War was a child of the Great Depression, in a twist of fate, the prosperity of war ended Canadas Great Depression

The 1920s and the 1930s were a time of panic and hunger. Once the Canadian stock market crashed the great depression later on came into play and everything just started falling really fast. A lot of companies had to lay off workers, the workers at those companies had very low wages, and because of this people wouldnt be able to make enough money to even buy the basic necessities that we as humans need to live on. Some people got so worked up and were so hungry that they even committed suicide. The stock market had to do with this because some of people invested their money in the stock market, but when it crashed they lost almost all or all of their money.

You might also like