"Great Depression: People and Perspectives" by editor Hamilton Cravens, is a book on the people of the Great Depression era. It shows how minorities dealt with the traumatic turmoil of the times, including rural Americans, women, children, African Americans, and immigrants. Furthermore, it offers different viewpoints on the conflict between the social scientists and the policymakers responding to the crisis, the impact that the Great Depression had on the health of U.S. citizens, and the roles of American technology and Hollywood movies that played in helping the nation survive and later prosper. The author’s thesis is that even though the there was a 25 percent unemployment rate, 5,500 banks declared bankruptcy, and 32,000 business declared bankruptcy as well, the Great Depression’s impact was extensive and catastrophic, however, the impact it had on the day-by-day lives of ordinary American citizens was the strongest indicator of the Depression's devastation. …show more content…
“Rather than highlighting politics or battles, these titles focus on how individuals and groups–including women, youth, African Americans, Native Americans, and various religious minorities–fared and were shaped by events during significant periods in American history. In addition to the attention to diverse groups, chapters in Great Depression explore the myriad problems faced in urban areas versus the countryside, and the impact of both technology and Hollywood movies during the 1930s,” (Review of the book, School Library Journal, citation [4]). This quote is from a review by School Library Journal on this book and it further expresses the idea that the focus of this book is on minorities and how the Great Depression affected their lives and changed their roles in
Many consider the Great Depression a tragedy but few actually know the ways in which it actually affected the people who lived through it. One way it affected the people of the time is the hopelessness it brought. During the early 1920's many men returned from the "Great War" jaded and angry. The same effect was seen in most people during the depression. It was this hopelessness that spawned modernist literature and thought. Another way the depression affected the everyday man was the loss of homes. Many homes were foreclosed during the depression and this left many homeless. In fact the "Okies" were people left homeless after farm foreclosures. The last way the depression affected people was the broken homes it caused. The number of father's leaving their families rose dramatically during
The Great Depression had a huge impact on society and many economic causes to go along with it. But, what mattered the most was how they got through it. Upton Sinclair once stated, “The remedy [the Great Depression] is to give the workers access to the means of production, and let them produce for themselves, not for others… the American Way.”
The Great Depression was a time period where America’s future was jeopardized by the Stock Market Crash of 1929. Before the depression, America was flourishing during the “roaring twenties” in fashion, cars, and income. In the year 1920, women were given the right to vote, making our society a better outline of the Declaration of Independence. Even though our nation became a model for the declaration, many privileges were not given to other classes or races such as African Americans not having the right to vote until the year 1965. The Depression both contradicts and abides by our nation’s Declaration because some people were not fully liberated such as the foreign immigrants, and the guarantee that all people will have a voice to speak out and a right to stand up for themselves.
The Great Depression affected Americans no matter their educational stance or social class. For example, a college educated woman named Vera had extreme problems with acquiring a job. Due to her inexperience, no one would hire her. The didn’t care if she had a college
Originally the summer of the 1929’s began as a recession and later became known as The Great Depression in the United States. Little did American know that October 29, 1929 would make history because on this date the stock market crashed. This catastrophe had been fermenting for years. During this time America’s unemployment rate rose to over 20 percent which roughly estimated over 15 million Americans unemployed. In Northern cities and in the South were most African American were highly populated during the 1930’s unemployment rates were incomparably greater for blacks than for whites. Economic circumstances were especially dreadful. It is believed that the one of the causes of the Depression was because of overproduction. Whereas
On Thursday, October 24, 1929, United States witnessed it’s first national crisis when the stock market crashed. It was eight months after former President Herbert Hoover was elected. The Great Depression caused a myriad of changes in American economic policies and society, many of which linger to this day. In the onset of the Great Depression many American were shocked into poverty. The Great Depression challenged American families in major ways, placing great social, economic and psychological strains. Many ethnic minorities like Mexican Indians, American Indians, and the African Americans fared rather poorly.
Think about the character you used during the “Living the Great Depression” activity. Is your character male or female? How old is your character? What is your character’s position in life? What is your character’s background? Does your character have other people who are dependent on him or her? Everything about a person and his or her background can influence the thoughts and opinions a person has.
Don Nardo, a renowned writer and historian, has written many books about American history. He is also the book editor of this publication. This book is compiled with various essays written by scholars regarding the Great Depression. Each essay relates to the next, and the book as a whole therefore aims to inform the reader of This source is valuable because it includes many accounts and viewpoints of several individuals, therefore the reader can see where the writer of the essay is basing their opinions on. One limitation is that since there are so many different viewpoints presented in this book, it may confuse the reader when it comes to searching for a definite answer.
Just like the recent recession of 2008, the Great Depression brought fear upon our country like no other force in our nation’s history. Throughout the Great Depression, racism was at an all time high and money was at an all time low. Prices skyrocketed as inflation took hold of the economy. But these occurrences were not left undocumented. Steinbeck accurately portrays historical and cultural elements of the 1930’s, such as poverty and racism throughout his novella, Of Mice and Men.
The 1920’s were a swinging party of an era. People learned what having a good time and living the American dream truly meant when they began partying all night, seeing movies, placing imaginary money into a new system called “credit”, and ignoring the impending doom that sat on the horizon. On October 29, 1929, tragedy struck America; the newly founded stock market crashed, and suddenly people were trying to sell off their bad stocks to people with no money, who were being hounded by banks trying to reclaim the imaginary money that turned out to be not so imaginary after all. This date marked the start of the era known as the Great Depression. The Depression would control the 30’s, leaving some on the lower levels of society struggling to survive,
The 1920s seemed to promise a future of a new and wonderful way of life for America and its citizens . Modern science, evolving cultural norms, industrialization, and even jazz music heralded exciting opportunities and a future that only pointed up toward a better life. However, cracks in the facade started to show, and beginning with the stock market crash of 1929 the wealth of the country, and with it the hopes and expectations of its people, began to slip away. The Great Depression left a quarter of the population unemployed and much of the rest destitute and uncertain of what the future held. Wealth vanished, people took their money out of banks, and plans were put on hold. The most significant way in which the Great Depression affected Americans’ everyday lives was through poverty because it tore relationships apart and damaged the spirit of society while unexpectedly bringing families together in unity.
American life prior to World War II may have not been the best from 1931-1939. Already in the Great Depression that started in 1929 people were left very discouraged and hopeless. In 1932 the economy was the worst it had ever been, it had hit rock bottom (p. 850). Many had lost their jobs and over 11 million Americans could not find work (p. 850). America was at its worst and people were hungry, suicide rates had risen and people were having less children than ever before. People’s reaction to the
In this film, Chaplin addresses the issues that the great depression and pre-WWII brought to the people like unemployment, soup and food kitchens, shelter, industrializations and the the suppression of the citizens protesting. The great depression began after the stock market crashed in 1929 and it was a lasting economic downturn for people, businesses and banks. “By 1930, 4 million Americans looking for work could not find it; that number had risen to 6 million in 1931. Meanwhile, the country’s industrial production had dropped by half. Bread lines, soup kitchens and rising numbers of homeless people became more and more common in America’s towns and cities.
The Great Depression was a dark and hopeless time for all Americans. In An article titled “Sinking Deeper and Deeper”
The stock market crash of 1929 sent the nation spiraling into a state of economic paralysis that became known as the Great Depression. As industries shrank and businesses collapsed or cut back, up to 25% of Americans were left unemployed. At the same time, the financial crisis destroyed the life savings of countless Americans (Modern American Poetry). Food, housing and other consumable goods were in short supply for most people (Zinn 282). This widespread state of poverty had serious social repercussions for the country.