Great Depression of 1929
Though most Americans are aware of the Great Depression of 1929, which may well be "the most serious problem facing our free enterprise economic system", few know of the many Americans who lost their homes, life savings and jobs. This paper briefly states the causes of the depression and summarizes the vast problems Americans faced during the eleven years of its span. This paper primarily focuses on what life was like for farmers during the time of the Depression, as portrayed in John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath, and tells what the government did to end the Depression. In the 1920s, after World War 1, danger signals were apparent that a great Depression was coming. A major cause of the Depression was that the pay of workers did not increase at all. ... In 1929 the stock market crashed. ... Many factories lost money and went out of business because of this great tragedy (Drewry and Oconnor By the 1930s, thirteen million workers lost their jobs which is 25 percent of all workers. ... John Steinbeck, born in 1902, grew up during the Depression near the fertile Salinas Valley and wrote many books of fiction based on his background and experiences during that time and area of the country. One of his great works would be the Grapes of Wrath In this book, Steinbeck describes the farmers plight during the Great Depression and drought. ... The dust became so bad they had to cover their mouths with handkerchiefs so they could breath (Steinbeck 3- When the drought hit the Great Plains and the soil turned to dust, many farmers moved to California because they could no longer farm their land(Drewry and OConnor 561). ... Ponds, streams, and springs all dried up and the great Mississippi River water level sank lower than ever recorded. ... The Great Depression was the end result of World War I. ... The Great Depression is known to be the worst economic disaster in U. ... For this reason, the Depression caused many people to change their ideas about the government and economy.