Americans React to the Great Depression  | Great Depression and World War II, 1929-1945  | U.S. History Primary Source Timeline  | Classroom Materials at the Library of Congress  | Library of Congress (2024)

FAQs

How did Americans react to the Great Depression? ›

By 1932, hunger marches and small riots were common throughout the nation. In June of 1932, nearly 20,000 World War I veterans from across the country marched on the United States Capitol to request early payment of cash bonuses for their military service that weren't due to be paid until 1945.

Mobilizing the economy for world war finally cured the depression. Millions of men and women joined the armed forces, and even larger numbers went to work in well-paying defense jobs.

How did the Great Depression affect the American economy? In the United States, where the Depression was generally worst, industrial production between 1929 and 1933 fell by nearly 47 percent, gross domestic product (GDP) declined by 30 percent, and unemployment reached more than 20 percent.

How did Americans react as the Depression continued? Some people started hunger marches, shouting "Feed the hungry, tax the rich!". Farmers began destroying their crops in an effort to raise prices by reducing the supply.

What was the government's response to the great depression? The response to the great depression was FDR's establishment of the New Deal. It was the start of the present Social Security system. The system was established to give payment to retired citizens and to help other in need.

Roosevelt's "New Deal" aimed at promoting economic recovery and putting Americans back to work through Federal activism. New Federal agencies attempted to control agricultural production, stabilize wages and prices, and create a vast public works program for the unemployed.

Factories were shut down, farms and homes were lost to foreclosure, mills and mines were abandoned, and people went hungry. The resulting lower incomes meant the further inability of the people to spend or to save their way out of the crisis, thus perpetuating the economic slowdown in a seemingly never-ending cycle.

The gross national product of the U.S., as measured in constant dollars, grew from $88.6 billion in 1939 — while the country was still suffering from the depression — to $135 billion in 1944. War-related production skyrocketed from just two percent of GNP to 40 percent in 1943 (Milward, 63).

The war production effort brought immense changes to American life. As millions of men and women entered the service and production boomed, unemployment virtually disappeared. The need for labor opened up new opportunities for women and African Americans and other minorities.

Great Depression & WWII, 1929–1945

The Great Depression and World War II redefined the role of government in American society and catapulted the US to a leadership role on the world stage.

What impact did the Great Depression of 1929 have on the role of government in the Canadian economy? ›

In Canada, the changes were dramatic. Between 1929 and 1933, the country's Gross National Expenditure (overall public and private spending) fell by 42 per cent. By 1933, 30 per cent of the labour force was out of work. One in five Canadians became dependent upon government relief for survival.

The Great Depression of the thirties remains the most important economic event in American history. It caused enormous hardship for tens of millions of people and the failure of a large fraction of the nation's banks, businesses, and farms.

The Great Depression brought a rapid rise in the crime rate as many unemployed workers resorted to petty theft to put food on the table. Suicide rates rose, as did reported cases of malnutrition. Prostitution was on the rise as desperate women sought ways to pay the bills.

After the fall of France in June 1940, the United States increasingly committed itself to the fight against fascism. Ironically, it was World War II, which had arisen in part out of the Great Depression, that finally pulled the United States out of its decade-long economic crisis.

The average American family lived by the Depression-era motto: “Use it up, wear it out, make do or do without.” Many tried to keep up appearances and carry on with life as close to normal as possible while they adapted to new economic circ*mstances. Households embraced a new level of frugality in daily life.

The stress of financial strain took a psychological toll—especially on men who were suddenly unable to provide for their families. The national suicide rate rose to an all-time high in 1933. Marriages became strained, though many couples could not afford to separate.

The Great Depression initiated New Deal projects to develop impoverished parts of the United States, crafting a cohesive national culture. Throughout the 1920s, the United States had many distinct regional cultures and social class distinctions.

Psychologists and sociologists have noted that the effects of depression-era hardships can shape the behavior of people for the rest of their lives, impacting activities ranging from saving money to job preferences, food conservation, and even birth rates.

As the financial markets collapsed, hurting the banks that had gambled with their holdings, people began to fear that the money they had in the bank would be lost. This began bank runs across the country, a period of still more panic, where people pulled their money out of banks to keep it hidden at home.