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Similarities Between 1929 And The Great Depression

Decent Essays

Economy is a Gamble
A recession is a general downturn in any economy, and it can turn into a depression when business activity, employment, and the stock market severely drop. Recessions can be caused by high interest rates that limit the amount of money available, an increase in the general price of goods, reduced consumer confidence, and reduced real wages. Premature America had only seen brisk recessions before 1929. October 29th, 1929 marked what The People thought was the death of the American dream: the Stock Market Crash, infamously known as Black Tuesday. From 1929 to 1939, Americans buckled down and suffered through one of the worst financial troughs the world had ever experienced to that date. For ten years, most of America suffered …show more content…

A woman’s presence became acknowledged on the ballot; women had earned the right to vote through the nineteenth amendment. Theodore Roosevelt began to dabble in foreign affairs, and the United States’s presence on the world stage expanded tremendously. Credit was introduced to the public, and the sky became the new limit. Anything seemed affordable because the promise to pay for those things caught up with people later. The American dream was finally attainable for those who had almost nothing, and the consequence for attaining these things became less than nothing after the Stock Market …show more content…

Both recessions were drenched in high interest rates. In hopes of limiting liquidity, interests rates rose; this only crushed optimism(“What is Economic…”). Who could promise to pay a loan with ridiculous interest rates when a promise to put food on the table is questioned? Also, reduced wages competed with rising inflation. Workers’ paychecks couldn’t keep up with the inflation(“Financial Crisis…”). The only people who had a chance to save the economy were hopeless and unconfident. Consumers that believe the economy is bad do not spend

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