The Great Depression - Essay 6

The Great Depression was a time of economic turmoil in America that lasted from 1929 to 1941, during which people suffered in the streets without money, shelter, or food. Many pivotal events happened in 1936, including the completion of Hoover Dam, the generators at Boulder Dam (Hoover Dam) beginning to transmit electricity, the first edition of Life being published, and the re-election of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The Great Depression was unexpected, yet inevitable. The stock market prices were inflated to nearly breaking point, but there were no actions to show for it. Eventually, people started to realize nothing was resulting from all the stock buying - and panicked. Everyone started selling as much as they could, as fast as they could so they could still make some profit. The major economic figures of the time tried to sustain the stock market by investing all they could, but to no avail - the prices took a huge tumble, and it would be a long time before they would manage to rise up again. "The Depression altered established perceptions of the economy and the role of the state."1 Several influential political figures - J. S. Woodsworth, W. L. M. King, William Aberhart, and R. B. Bennett - had strong opinions regarding the correct course of action for the Great Depression. Some of these ideas were new, and required a good deal of 'faith', such as Aberhart's, and King's. Others were more rational, with a detailed plan in mind, like Woodsworth's, and Bennett's. People finally understood that the carefree days of the 20s were gone, and they needed some sort of direction in order to recover from this catastrophe. 
the Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s. It was the longest, most widespread, and deepest depression of the 20th century. The depression...