Frontiers And Innovation In America During The Great Depression

The Great Depression is probably one of the most misunderstood events in American history. It is routinely cited, as proof that unregulated capitalism is not the best in the world, and that only a massive welfare state, huge amounts of economic regulation, and other interventions can save capitalism from itself. The Great Depression had important consequences and was a devastating event in America, however many good policies and programs became available as a result of the great depression, some of which exist even today.

There is no question that certain inventions have had a humongous impact on shaping our society today. They make our day-to-day lives uncomplicated and much more efficient. Inventions have completely changed our lifestyles, to the point where some people can't even imagine living without a telephone. With so many inventions in the world it's hard to choose which ones have had the most influence on us. But I believe the telephone, camera, and the airplane had the most impact on American life and industrialization.

In the beginning the frontier was Atlantic coast. The frontier was Europe in some sort of real sense. While moving towards the west the frontier became more American. Form the frontier being advanced it meant a steady movement away from any influence from Europe, a constant growth of independence in American lines. The only way to study the frontier’s advance, the men who were growing up in the conditions, and the economic, and social results of it, is really the study of American part of our

The journal article begins by introducing an African American couple who resided in Russellville, Kentucky. James Wright held an occupation as a corn cutter while his wife Gladys worked as a cook in a white home. The time span of their journey occurred at the beginning of the great depression all the way through World War II. Seeking better employment opportunities, James traveled to Louisville. Although, his first couple trips were in vain. His resilience and determination eventually lead to a job working for International Harvester. During an era of many trials and tribulations, James found a way to support himself and his family by migrating from a rural to an urban area. By sharing this anecdote the author establishes a mood of hardship

The election of 1932 focused primarily on the Great Depression, the recent economic crisis that had swallowed the nation. At this time, thirteen million people were unemployed and 774 banks were shutting down annually. Economically unstable, Americans turned to Franklin Delano Roosevelt who claimed, “better days were ahead” with his New Deal reformation. He promised economic “recovery, job creation, investment in public works, and civic uplift” (Harvey 88). Immediately upon entering the white house, he began his 3 R process: relief, recovery, and reform (Bateman and Taylor 73). While this revolution would bring reform to U.S banking systems and help improve unemployment, the restoring of economic stability would go unmet; therefore, we must question the true effectiveness of this reformation. Roosevelt is considered to be one of the nation’s greatest and most influential presidents, yet he did not end the great depression as he was expected to. Was FDR as potent as we credit him to be? By exploring society before the depression, comparing presidents prior to FDR, as well as dissecting the success and failures of his New Deal reconstruction, we can analyze and conclude FDR’s true role in healing the nation.

In The More Factor, by Laurence Shames, it is explained that the wholly American views of unending frontier, opportunity, and more have always been a part of who we are as a people. Over time these ideals and their growth have shifted from that of the physical world to that of economic expansion. Eventually society was faced with the realization that this growth is not sustainable, and that we must face this truth in order to reevaluate and shift our values to a more realistic view. I feel that this change in cultural values is something that must be dealt with in order for our society to continue to be relevant in today’s world.

The 1960s to many Americans at the time, was, and continues to be referred to as the

The Great Depression trademarks America at its all-time historical down point. In FDR’s Folly, Powell spotlights the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, astronomical levels of unemployment, as well as the New Deal program developed to combat the Great Depression. Powell, who was born and educated in London, earned a master’s degree in history and he clearly demonstrates his views to the reader. In his words, FDR’s presidency did not aid the economic state but drove it further back as well as his inability to solve of any of the problems within The Great Depression. The main goals of the New Deal programs were to lower the unemployment and help put money back into the U.S. economy which they did not do. With the FDR administration

During the Great Depression era, many presidents found themselves sliding between political ideologies. They would identify with one, but also enact policies that fall unto the other side. They slid back and forth between being Liberal (or more Democratic) and being Conservative (or more Republican). The ideologies for each side bore a massive difference. The Democrats would favor help from the government while the Republicans chose to go with the attitude of it’s up to the people to make a difference - hard work and no help. The two presidents of this era, Herbert Hoover and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, had different policies abiding to their different sides. While these policies differed from the expected ideologies, they fall closely into what one would expect from today’s political parties.

In American history, the Great Depression ranks second as the longest and most severe crisis ever experienced only dislodged from the first position by the Civil War. The Great Depression marked a period of economic downturn that resulted in severe declines in output, acute deflation, financial insecurity and severe unemployment rates. This was a sharp contrast from the early 1920’s when the country was experiencing a period of tremendous economic growth and prosperity. The Great Depression was brought about by a number of factors that included the declining consumer demand, a natural slowdown in the cycle of business, misguided government policies, panics within the financial markets and environmental disasters among others. Everyone felt the effects of the Great Depression on every part of the country, rural or urban. From the rich to the poor, the young to the old, white Americans to African Americans, no one was spared from the devastating effects of the depression. The experience of millions Americans suffering as a result of the Great Depression paint a clear picture on how serious the crisis was. Many Americans believed that it was the government’s role to alleviate them from the suffering and also offer relief aid to curb hunger and starvation. Letters sent to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Mrs. Roosevelt with photographs taken by photographers of the Farm Security Administration (FSA) show and tell the social experiences of many Americans during that period.

Cecchetti, Stephen G. "Understanding the Great Depression: Lessons for Current Policy ." Monetary Economics (1997): 1-26.

In chapter 21, the Great Depression greatly affected the migrant families and local farmers. Mold of cruelty is a metaphor describing the harsh living condition that the migrant workers received from the landowners. In California, the local landowners didn’t want the migrants to take over “their land” so they armed themselves in order to prevent any uprising and threatening actions that will threaten their superiority. They felt they had a right to treat the migrants bad because they were the first to claimed the land. This treatment could be linked to WWII as the Nazi discriminated the Jews in Germany and in the United States, some people are still discriminating that immigrants the moved to the United States. Although, the men that were armed

The Era of the Great Depression was one of both desperation and hope. Americans were desperate for a change, desperate for anything to come along that may improve their situation, yet hopeful that the light at the end of the tunnel was near. For many of those living in poverty during the 1930s, the “radical” leftist movements seen throughout the country appeared to be alternatives to the sometimes ineffective programs of FDR’s New Deal. Two such programs, Huey Long’s “Share Our Wealth” plan and Upton Sinclair’s End Poverty in California (EPIC) were fairly popular, mainly for their appealing alternatives to the

Imagine a drastic occurring in what seems like an instant. This is exactly what happened to many people during the time of the great depression. This time period, which lasted for over ten years, meant no job, possibly no home, and not a lot of food. While the Great Depression didn’t take long to become a worldwide problem, it all started in the United States (“Great Depression”). People had been investing their money into stocks, but in September of 1929, the prices started droping. By October of that same year, the marke”crashed,” and and these stock were worth absolutely nothing (“Great Depression”). Undoubtedly, the econemy had reached its lowest point(“Great Depression”). Despite the fact that the decade of the thirties was marked by the

The Great Depression happened due to the crash of the stock market. This event left many people unemployed and scrambling for jobs. This was considered as the greatest economic crisis in the history of America, and it wasn’t until the bombing of the Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, that many thought was a great way to create jobs for the millions of unemployed Americans. They thought that entering world war II was a way to diminish unemployment and sustain the economy. But was this really a great idea? (Folsom, 2010, PARA, 4.) explains economists Robert Higgs stance on the issue by stating, “If the recipe for economic recovery is putting tens of millions of people in defense plants or military marches, then having them make or drop bombs on our