The Depression :: essays research papers

The Great Depression began in October 1929, when the stock market in the United States dropped rapidly. Thousands of investors lost large sums of money and many were wiped out, lost everything. The crash led us into the Great Depression. This period was the longest and worst period of high unemployment and low business activity, people went along with only the bear necessities, and the families that where hit the hardest where the middle class families.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People stopped buying gods during the depression, because they had no money. The decline in sales of goods caused many factories to close causing unemployment, and worsening the depression, because industries must sell in order to continue. Unemployment was higher than ever many white men where working black men jobs for black men wages. Many men would leave there families and go look for jobs after they had found jobs the would send money back to their families, but some of the men would leave and never be heard from again. Wages where also dropping, companies could not pay as high as wages as they did in the 1920’s because they where not selling good like they where in the 1920’s.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For the average American living in the city, The Great Depression was a time to cut back on luxuries, and find ways to cut cost on even the most basic items. Appliances, jewelry, and furniture were some of the first items that Americans stopped buying. During The Great Depression, people had to find ways to save money on even the bare necessities. One example of this was the widespread use of vacant lots to grow food. Americans now had to live in the manner of their ancestors, making their own clothing, growing their own food, and again depending on their family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The great depression hit middle class families the hardest. It did effect the poor but there where already accustom to not having things and there was not much of an effect on the rich, although there where a some rich families that lost everything in the stock market. The middle class families where already in debt dew to new installment plans.