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Great Depression DBQ

Decent Essays

The Great Depression was a devastating time for many Americans. From 1929 to 1932, the US experienced an economic downturn that was calamitous to the lives of many people. Millions upon millions of Americans lost everything when the stock market crashed on October 29, 1929. After exiting an era that left people living a life of luxury, the stock market crash came as a surprise. As a result of the stock market crash, many became unemployed and many families were being forced to close their businesses. Although there were many factors that contributed to the cause of the Great Depression, the three main causes were The Stock Market Crash of 1929, high unemployment, a decrease in consumer purchases due to being “stuffed with stuff” during the roaring twenties. The first main cause of the Great Depression was The Stock Market Crash of 1929. On October 29, 1929 the New York Stock Exchange experienced a huge downfall that was detrimental to the US economy. For example, in Document 3 the title of the newspaper article is, “Stock prices Slump $14,000,000,000 In Nationwide Stampede To Unload Bankers To Support The Market Today.” These losses that occurred because of this crash were probably the most devastating ever experienced in the stock market. Because of …show more content…

As people became unemployed, the economy suffered because these workers were unable to purchase things. For example, Document 4 shows that at the beginning of 1933, the US employment percentage was above a quarter of the population, and from 1931 to 1940 the unemployment percentage was in the double digits. These large unemployment percentages had a devastating effect on companies who were trying to sell their products to consumers who are always a major driver of the economy. High unemployment along with the stock market crash were a few of the main causes of the Great

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