The Great Depression by Thuan Thien Phan (Student FVHS) https://padlet.com/tphan115/9gspspn70v0u Anjelika Phan en-us 2019-10-22 19:59:23 UTC 2019-10-24 06:24:22 UTC hello@padlet.com Were the steps taken by the country leaders effective in lessening the struggles of the Great Depression? tphan115 https://padlet.com/tphan115/9gspspn70v0u/wish/401128285 The president of the time during the Great Depression was President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was inaugurated on March 4, 1933. On that same day, he gave his first inaugural speech as president. In his speech, Roosevelt asserted his firm belief in saying, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Throughout his speech he assures the American citizens that the nation will thrive after the Great Depression. President Roosevelt stated,“This is no unsolvable problem if we face it wisely and courageously. It can be accomplished in part by direct recruiting by the Government itself, treating the task as we would treat the emergency of a war, but at the same time, through this employment, accomplishing greatly needed projects to stimulate and reorganize the use of our natural resources.” (Roosevelt)  He was hopeful for the nation and he took action within his years of presidency. 

The New Deal was a group of many projects and programs instigated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to relieve the American citizens of the struggles that the Great Depression brought to the country. Throughout 8 years, programs such as the TVA, the Agricultural Adjustment Act, the WPA, and the Wagner Act were put in place to try and restore America. According to the article, “Almost every American found something to be pleased about and something to complain about in this motley collection of bills, but it was clear to all that FDR was taking the “direct, vigorous” action that he’d promised in his inaugural address.” (New Deal) Again, President Roosevelt took action that the previous president hadn’t, but the public was still displeased. However, President Roosevelt’s most prominent change to lessen the struggles brought on by the Great Depression was the Social Security Act , signed in 1935, “...which guaranteed pensions to millions of Americans, set up a system of unemployment insurance and stipulated that the federal government would help care for dependent children and the disabled.” (New Deal)


]]> 2019-10-22 20:14:13 UTC https://padlet.com/tphan115/9gspspn70v0u/wish/401128285 What were the problems citizens faced on a daily basis to live? tphan115 https://padlet.com/tphan115/9gspspn70v0u/wish/401128458 Throughout the years of the Great Depression, so many people suffered to get warm clothes and food to eat on a daily basis. A newspaper article wrote a couple days before Christmas,  “Hooverville has only two problems: How to get enough to eat and sufficient clothing to keep warm undernourished bodies, chilled by biting wind, off the wind.”(Cincinnati Enquirer). The public librarians of the town, even mentioned that people are too busy finding food to read.  Some plant gardens by the banks of the river or collect Junk due to the lack of food during the Great Depression.“One good meal a day makes an optimist in Hooverville and its three little churches will be packed Christmas Day when visiting pastors tell anew the tale of the Christ child. The residents receive a loaf of free bread each time they attend church.” (Cincinnati Enquirer) As long as they had at least one meal or one piece of bread, they were hopeful for the next day. 

Every single person in the nation was stricken with poverty, including the wealthier people. In the July 20, 1934 paper of the Tampa Tribune, Eugene Beason wrote,  “This man of culture, education, and ability was penniless, helpless. With poverty’s bony hand clutching him, he had to fall in line.” (Beason) People could not afford any food at all. Everyone holding one to every last penny trying to get even a scrap of food anywhere for their family. But throughout the Great Depression, Americans died due to the lack of nourishment. “But in many cases, death wins the victory, the bread line a losing number. Fates stern commander sentences this man to the bread line.” (Beason)]]> 2019-10-22 20:14:35 UTC https://padlet.com/tphan115/9gspspn70v0u/wish/401128458 What were some of the events that led up to the Great Depression? tphan115 https://padlet.com/tphan115/9gspspn70v0u/wish/401128789 The beginning of the Great Depression started with the stock market crash also known as “Black Tuesday” on October 29, 1929. “The market crashed losing 12 percent of its value and wiping out $14 billion of investments. By two months later, stockholders had lost more than $40 billion dollars.” (Kelly) Banks began to fail and people lost all of their money. Without the money to buy things, stores closed down and more people began to be unemployed. “The unemployment rate rose above 25 percent, which meant even less spending to help alleviate the economic situation.”(Kelly)

The trade between America and Europe began to fall apart. “The gold standard required foreign central banks to raise interest rates to counteract trade imbalances with the United States, depressing spending and investment in those countries.” (Pells) Interest rates grew to keep the dollar bill’s value. Also the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, made in 1930, “ imposed steep tariffs on many industrial and agricultural goods, inviting retaliatory measures that ultimately reduced output and caused global trade to contract.” (Pells) Due to all the increase in taxes, the increase in the value of the dollar and the exceedingly great investment in other countries raising interest rates in America, this is what caused the Great Depression. 

]]> 2019-10-22 20:15:20 UTC https://padlet.com/tphan115/9gspspn70v0u/wish/401128789 Works Cited and Notes tphan115 https://padlet.com/tphan115/9gspspn70v0u/wish/401858087 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jKYvZCAt4WCF2zd4PMel4DScKdGv2lhse2EwTUpSS7k/edit#]]> 2019-10-24 06:23:58 UTC https://padlet.com/tphan115/9gspspn70v0u/wish/401858087