The Great Depression

The Great Depression

The Big Picture

The Great Depression was the longest and most severe economic decline in American history. On October 29, 1929, the stock market crashed and began the depression. Although industry leaders issued optimistic predictions for the nation’s economy, the market crash wiped out nearly 40% of the paper values of stocks.

Great innovations in productive techniques during and after the war raised the output of industry beyond the purchasing capacity of U.S. farmers and working force. As a result of this, unemployment skyrocketed during the years of the Depression, reaching levels as high as one third of the population. Almost half of the commercial banks of the United States failed during the Depression. Crop prices fell by over fifty percent. People went hungry because so much food was produced that production became unprofitable. Others were unemployed because they had produced more than could be sold. Hundreds of thousands roamed the country in search of food, work, and shelter.

Huge numbers of Americans had their lives upset by the Depression. Homelessness, poverty and despair characterized much of the nation in those days. Many of those who could not provide for their families, in larger cities as well as smaller towns, committed suicide to put an end to their troubles.

Small Town Life

The depression was not limited to the confines of large cities, it spread like a disease throughout our great nation. It even managed to find its way into the small town of Oakesdale, Washington. Frances Taylor, a mere child at this time clearly remembers the events that took place.

“As children, we weren’t really aware of what was going on. We simply didn’t understand the concept of being poor.”

Many families in small towns that had never really had much wealth went on with life as normal. Anyone who didn’t lose their land or homes in the Dust Bowl could grow their own food to nourish their families. If they didn’t have those skills, they had to use other resources.

“We didn’t own a farm or much land, but we still managed to produce enough food for our family on the land we did own. Other times, we relied on Government issued ration stamps to help provide. They were use to such things as sugar, gasoline, and other things in bulk. If you didn’t have the stamps, you didn’t have much to go on.”

Clean clothing was a great necessity that not many people could afford. Many poor people would wear the same clothing for years. Food was more important at that time than clothing. What would be the point of buying clothes if you were going to die of starvation?

“My