1. United States History II
Road Map for Success:
The Great Depression
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The late 1920’s and early 1930’s brought about one of the most devastating periods in American History. Overproduction, Unequal distribution of wealth, the failure of American farms, and unrestricted buying on credit lead to the largest financial disaster our country had known.
The Great Depression was caused in part by underlying weaknesses and imbalances within the U.S. economy that had been obscured by the boom psychology and speculative euphoria of the 1920s. After the crash of 1929, many Americans lost everything. Businesses were ruined, life-savings disappeared, and Americans were faced with an economic environment that forced many to re-evaluate their concept of the United States. The massive drought in the Midwest combined with highest unemployment rate the country had ever seen, forced many to travel west in search of work.
Government action, whether in the form of taxation, industrial regulation, public works, social insurance, social-welfare services, or deficit spending, came to assume a principal role in ensuring economic stability in most industrial nations with market economies. While the lack of a response by the Hoover Administration and the Federal Government paved the way for Franklin Delano Roosevelt to win the election of 1933 by a landslide.
You will master the following learning standards:
USII. 11 Describe the various causes and consequences of the global depression of the 1930’s, and analyze how Americans responded to the Great Depression.

2. Depth of Understanding (1-4)
Skill
I CAN…
Classroom Activities
Depth of Understanding (1-4)
How do I get there?
1) Identify the reasons behind the large gap that existed between the rich and poor in the United States during the 20’s
2) Explain how buying on credit/buying on margin contributed to crash of the stock market
3) Summarize the reaction of the United States Government to the widespread unemployment that existed after the crash of ‘1929’
SELF ASSESSMENT
HOW ARE YOU DOING SO FAR???
4) Describe the numerous causes and effects of the Great Depression
5) Explain how the economic and political climate of America during the depression created new support for Federal reform