Causes of the Great Depression (1929-1940) Income disparity and over-production/under-consumption The US economy was producing more goods than it could consume (Roaring 20’s!) Most people were not wealthy enough to consume massive amounts, wages for most were too low to consume. Massive debt/Irresponsible financial policies Banks were lending out more money than they actually had (banks crashed and closed/massive deflation). The small federal government of the 1920’s let businesses spin out of control (Republicans Coolidge and Harding). Foreign trade policy WWI destabilized European economy, US did nothing to stabilize it, cut ourselves off from foreign trade (Hawley-Smoot Tariff made things worse) Aging Infrastructure The railroads, roads, bridges and building of the US were old and made transportation and costs of doing business more than they should have been. Agricultural Failures Farmer’s prices had been dropping for several decades, farmers responded by producing more causing financial and environmental disasters.

Enduring the Great Depression   Enduring the Great Depression Identify the ways in which the Great Depression impacted men and women and compare and contrast each genders experiences. Whenever you compare and contrast, identify and focus on key issues/ideas to focus your analysis. For the evidence we are about to look at, identify the issues on the left of you notes, on the right describe the experience of either men or women.

"Brother, Can You Spare a Dime," lyrics by Yip Harburg, music by Jay Gorney (1931) They used to tell me I was building a dream, and so I followed the mob, When there was earth to plow, or guns to bear, I was always there right on the job. They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead, Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread? Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time. Once I built a railroad; now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime? Once I built a tower, to the sun, brick, and rivet, and lime; Once I built a tower, now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime? Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell, Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum, Half a million boots went slogging through Hell, And I was the kid with the drum! Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time. Say don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?

6,000 street vendors walked the streets of NYC in 1930 selliong apples

Average income of families $2300 to $1500 per year ($20-25 per week, roughly $350) today

Only one in ten farm families in 1935 had electricity, most of them were urban dwellers

-the percentage of employed women fourteen and older actually rose during the Depression from 24.3 percent in 1930 to 25.4 percent in 1940 -number of married women working doubled during the decade

Who do you think the Great Depression was worse for? 1. Men 521364 2. Women 521365