DBQ: The Great Depression

The Great Depression in the United States was the worst and the longest economic collapse in the history of the modern industrial world, lasting from the end of 1929 until the early 1940s. The Great Depression saw rapid decline in the production and sale of goods and a sudden, severe rise in unemployment. Businesses and banks closed their doors, stock market crashed (Document 2), people lost their jobs, homes, and savings, and many depended on charity to survive. Natural calamities, such as the dust bowl added to the sufferings of the people. It caused major agricultural and ecological damage, destroying the lives of several thousands of families (Document 1). In 1933, at the worst point in the depression, more than 15 million Americans—one-quarter
Franklin Roosevelt responded differently. His primary task was to put people to work “… It can be accomplished in part by direct recruiting by the government itself … but at the same time, through this employment, accomplishing greatly needed projects to stimulate and reorganize the use of our natural resources.” Also “… we must … endeavor to provide a better use of the land for those best fitted for the land. The task can be helped by definite efforts to raise the values of agricultural products and with this the power to purchase the output of our cities. It can be helped by preventing realistically the tragedy of the growing loss through foreclosure of our small homes and our farms” (Document 4). Roosevelt’s way of spending made funds available for people and was much effective than Hoover’s spending. Spending money on programs jump started the economy by providing aid for the poor. Unlike the Republican Party policy of giving money to the wealthy and waiting on them to hire more workers, Roosevelt planned to spend on government programs without the interference of the wealthy was very impressive and was supported by common middle