The Great Depression
-
Upload
nina-foreman -
Category
Documents
-
view
26 -
download
0
description
Transcript of The Great Depression
Supply• The amount of a product or service
that is available for consumers.
• High supply results in falling prices.
• Low supply results in rising prices.
• Too much of something results in worthlessness.
1
Demand• The desire or need consumers
have for a product or service
• High demand results in rising prices.
• Low demand results in lower prices.
2
The Relationship• Supply and demand are related. • If supply increases, demand
decreases. • If supply decreases, demand
increases.
3
Business Cycle• The economy moves in cycles.
• Boom - It expands when business grows and money is easily available.
• Bust - It contracts when business declines, people lose jobs, and money is harder to earn.
4
A slow economic period characterized by high
unemployment, homelessness, business failure, and poverty
5
Dow Jones Industrial Average
• An average of the prices of stocks of major industries available on the market
• It indicates the health of the economy
• From Jan 1928 to Sept 1929 – the Dow had climbed from 191 to 381
6
Contributing Factors• Agricultural overproduction
• Industrial overproduction
• High tariffs
• War debts
• Unequal distribution of wealth
• Over speculation in the stock market
• Financial panic
7
Farmers’ Troubles
During World War I • Europeans were desperate for food
shipments from the U.S. (Demand increased)
• The U.S. govt. passed price supports, promising farmers high prices for produce.
• Farmers began overproducing.
8
Continued
Farmers’ Troubles
At the end of World War I
• U.S. govt. removed price supports.
• Europeans grew more self-sufficient.
• Demand for our farm products fell.
• Farm prices fell drastically.
• Also farmers were in debt for new technology, such as tractors.
8
Decline in Overseas Trade
• Exports dropped 50% during the 1920s because of less demand after WWI
• We raised tariffs, so nations in Europe raised theirs – a “tariff war”
9
Unpaid War DebtsEuropean nations refused to pay
their WWI debts, claiming they had already paid “in blood”
10
Economic Disparity(unequal distribution of wealth)
• Disparity – unfairness, inequality
• The rich grew richer, while the poor grew poorer.
• Few “middle class”
11
Overuse of Credit
• Most Americans were in debt for the first time in U.S. history, especially farmers.
12
Buying Stocks “on the Margin”
• You pay only a fraction of the price of the stock. If the stock increases in value, you keep the profit. If the stock decreases in value, you have to pay the broker, or sell the stock at a loss. Very risky, especially since there were no regulations on this practice.
Black Thursday• Thursday, October 24, 1929
• Dow Jones Average had fallen 21 points the closing hour the day before.
• Investors began to sell their shares of stock before the prices fell more.
14
Black Tuesday• Tuesday, October 29, 1929
• Investors started to panic
• 16.4 million shares were sold on the stock market.
15
The “Great Crash”• Stock prices continued to fall.
• Investors continued to sell their shares of stock at a loss.
• By November, the Dow had fallen to 198.7 (down from 381 in Sept.)
• Total stock market losses were $30 billion.
16
Banks run out of money
and fail.
Savings accounts are
wiped out.
Businesses and workers
cannot repay bank loans.
“Bank runs” occur.
19
Hoovervilles• Nickname for the shanty towns
built by the homeless during the Depression.
• Shows the blame the people placed on President Hoover for not fixing the crisis.
20
The Dustbowl• Over-farming and drought in the
Great Plains (Ok, Texas, Kansas)
• The topsoil began to blow away.
• Dust storms dropped tons of soil hundreds of miles away.
• Lasted 7 years (1931 – 1938).
• 60% of dustbowl families lost their farms – Many moved to California.
21
John Steinbeck
• Wrote The Grapes of Wrath.
• Describes the lives of farmers and workers who lost everything during the Depression.
• Brings national attention to the problems facing the less fortunate.
22
Dorthea Lange
• Photographed hundreds of migrant workers coming to California from the Great Plains and sharecroppers in the South.
• Portrayed the desperation of families.
23
Hoover’s Attitude• Believed in laissez-faire - self-regulating
economy with minimal government control.
• Believed that business would recover on its own by adhering to voluntary controls, such as minimum wage rates.
24
Hawley-Smoot Tariff• 1930 - Highest tariff in history.
• Hoover hoped it would help American businesses by raising prices of imported goods.
• Caused a tariff war.
• Slowed international trade and the U.S. economy further.
25
R.F.C.• Reconstruction Finance Corporation• Gave government credit to industries, RR’s,
insurance companies, and banks. • The theory was that prosperity at the upper
levels of society would trickle down to all of society.
• But the poor believed the government was only helping the rich.
26
The Bonus Army• 1932 – 20,000 jobless WWI veterans
marched on Washington, demanding their pensions early.
• Hoover called in the Army.
• Troops under Gen. Douglas MacArthur forced the protesters away from the Capitol and set fire to their camp.
• Hoover was blamed for the debacle.
27
Herbert Hoover, the Incumbent - Republican
Franklin Delano Roosevelt NY Governor - Democrat
28
Continued
• FDR’s relief, recovery, and reform program for the economy.
• Aggressive government action.
• “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
30
• On his 1st day in office, FDR declares a banking holiday.
• All banks are forced to close for one day.
• Once the bank proved its solvency, it was allowed to reopen.
32
• The federal government would insure bank deposits, to prevent more banks from failing and boost peoples confidence about banks.
33
• Securities and Exchange Commission• Regulated the stock-market to help
prevent another crash like the one in 1929.
• Can freeze trading when stocks drop too much, too fast.
34
• Provides pensions, disability payments, and unemployment benefits to citizens who qualify.
• Helps provide for those with little or no income.
35
• Civilian Conservation Corps
• Put young, single men to work maintaining parks, beaches, and forests to help reduce the crime rate.
• Paid $30/month.
36
•Civil Works Administration
•Provided jobs in construction of roads, parks,
airports.
Hobbie Airport, Houston, Texas
37
• Agriculture Adjustment Administration
• Farmers were paid to reduce production of certain crops and livestock.
• It was hoped that the reduction in supply would lead to an increase in prices.
38
• Tennessee Valley Authority
• Built hydroelectric power plants to provide cheap electricity and flood control.
Douglas Dam in Construction 1942
39
• Works Progress Administration
• Employed people in building construction and arts programs.
• Built the River Walk in San Antonio.
40
• Many of FDR’s reforms were cancelled by the supreme court.
• FDR proposed legislation to add 6 more justices to the court.
• He would then appoint justices who would allow his reforms to stay in place.
• Critics accused him of trying to “pack the court” and create a dictatorship.
41
1941 – The U.S. enters WWII. This helps end the Great Depression by creating jobs in factories providing for the war efforts.
42