A world in depression

Economic contraction Economic decline marked by a falling

output of goods services Depression: particularly long and severe

contraction

Great Depression Lasted from 1929 until the United States entered

World War II in 1941

Workers 1931- Henry Ford closed Detroit plant

laying-off 75,000 workers Women who were married got laid off People in Minority groups were laid off

About 56% of black Americans were out of work

1932 – 12 million people were unemployed (1/4 of labor force)

Farmers Severe drought & poor farming practices Dust Bowl “Black blizzard” Could not pay mortgages, lost their farms to

the banks 60% of dust bowl families lost their farms Relief did not come until WWII and the rain States where the dust bowl took place

WY, ND, SD, NE, KS, OK, TX, CO, MT

Impact on the World U.S. does not have money to lend to European

countries Germany cannot pay back reparations France and Britain cannot pay back war time

debts Other countries depending on American markets

for goods and investments Hawley-Smoot tariff

Highest import tax in American history, in a n effort to protect domestic industries. World trade suffers as a result

Society begins to crack Unemployment and fear of losing a job

caused great anxiety “Hoovervilles” = shelters for the homeless Thousands rode the rails or jumped on

trains illegally to travel across the country Men who had lost jobs or investments felt

like failures – some left their families