The Great Depression was “the deepest and longest-lasting economic downturn in the history of the Western industrialized world” (http://www.history.com/topics/great-depression). It lasted ten years, from 1929-1939. Every day was a struggle to provide for families. Overall, the morale of the entire country went down. The public did anything they could to stay alive, even if it was frowned upon, everyone had to take care of themselves one way or another. The Great Depression was an awful time in history, which not only affected the entire country, but migrant workers like George and Lennie. (http://www.history.com/topics/great-depression) The 1920’s were a good time. Everyone was on a post war high. The win of World War I left everyone extremely
…show more content…
Many did not believe it was possible to lose. Over a million Americans had money in the stock market. It only took four years for a majority of stocks to raise four hundred percent! Everything was going well, everyone was making money, until October 29, 1929. On this day the stock market crashed, rendering a million Americans out of their money. Spending and investments slowed immensely, causing an extreme drop in industrial output. Many companies began laying off their workers, therefore the unemployment rate rose steeply. Contrary to the popular belief, the stock market crash and the Great Depression were not the same thing. The stock market crash did happen directly before the Great Depression but it did not cause it, in fact, economists are still trying to discover what did cause the Great Depression so it never happens again. Many rich people lost their money in the crash, which was …show more content…
When the Great Depression was at its worst, in 1933, between thirteen and fifteen million Americans were unemployed. By this point, over half the country’s banks had failed as well. Wages fell and buying power decreased for those who were fortunate enough to stay employed. Many did not have steady jobs, they went to where the work was, like George and Lennie. George says “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place. They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake and then they go inta town and blow their stake, and the first thing you know they’re poundin’ their tail on some other ranch. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to” (Steinbeck 14-15).
Many did not believe it was possible to lose. Over a million Americans had money in the stock market. It only took four years for a majority of stocks to raise four hundred percent! Everything was going well, everyone was making money, until October 29, 1929. On this day the stock market crashed, rendering a million Americans out of their money. Spending and investments slowed immensely, causing an extreme drop in industrial output. Many companies began laying off their workers, therefore the unemployment rate rose steeply. Contrary to the popular belief, the stock market crash and the Great Depression were not the same thing. The stock market crash did happen directly before the Great Depression but it did not cause it, in fact, economists are still trying to discover what did cause the Great Depression so it never happens again. Many rich people lost their money in the crash, which was …show more content…
When the Great Depression was at its worst, in 1933, between thirteen and fifteen million Americans were unemployed. By this point, over half the country’s banks had failed as well. Wages fell and buying power decreased for those who were fortunate enough to stay employed. Many did not have steady jobs, they went to where the work was, like George and Lennie. George says “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place. They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake and then they go inta town and blow their stake, and the first thing you know they’re poundin’ their tail on some other ranch. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to” (Steinbeck 14-15).