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The Free-Market Economic System In The United States

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Prior to the Great Depression, the United States government was very small and did not possess many agencies or programs. There was also a general belief in a free-market economic system throughout the United States, with the idea that the economy was capable of regulating itself. In 1929, however, the stock market crashed due to speculation. Since there was no regulatory agency to manage and protect investments, many people lost money, their jobs, and banks were forced to close down. In 1930, the southwestern region of the United States suffered a severe drought due to over-farming. This area of land became a gigantic area of unfarmable dust that would spread throughout the continent. The farming families in the area were then unable to provide for their families and struggled financially, which forced them to migrate to the west in search of employment.
Rooseveltʻs “New Deal” programs were intended to reinvigorate the economy as well as provide aid and employment to those who suffered from the Great Depression. One of these programs was Social Security, which intended to generate income for retired …show more content…

The mother, Florence Owens Thompson, and her family had to remove the tires from their car and sell them to buy food. They also had to pitch a tent for shelter. The photographs of the starving family were published in the News and the United Press notified relief authorities of the conditions at the Nipomo camp. The relief authorities then arranged to have food delivered to the camp from Los Angeles. I think that the photograph had a significant impact on the public because it captured the strength of motherhood and the motherʻs will to protect her children. This image is also capable of resonating with mostly anyone because many people have strong connections with their mothers or are mothers themselves and understand the enduring love and strength of

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