...March 11th, 2013 Birth of the Great Depression: Causes of the Stock Market Crash of 1929 It was a time of great economic growth in the United States after World War I. The economy was growing rapidly, fueled by industrialization and the rapid development of new technologies such as the automobile, electricity, telephone, aviation and radio. Many people and businesses began investing in the stock market at this time. The stock market is the organized trading of stocks. The owning of stocks gave people partial ownership of a company while infusing cash into the company. In return, people earned money on their investment as the company grew. The stock market provides financial support required by large business to establish and expand their enterprises. This in turn allows companies to grow and increase employment, provide a community tax base, and other financial benefits for the people and the economy. In the 1920’s the stock market boomed. During the 1920’s people were enthusiastic and more willing to take risks. They brought this attitude to the stock market, causing stock prices to increase exponentially. However, the severely overpriced and unaffordable stocks and willingness of the people to carelessly invest their money lead to one of the darkest days in U.S. history: October 29th, 1929. This is the day the stock market crashed, known in infamy as Black Tuesday. The stock market crash of 1929 was caused by numerous flaws in economic policies and actions taken by banks...
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...Could you imagine not getting whatever you want like you used to because you could no longer afford it? In many occasions people could not relate to this situation but could be very understandable.In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, we learn about the Finch family and the citizens of Maycomb county during the Great Depression. The Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression was an integral part of the history that inspired the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Through the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression we learn about the stock market crash, the impact of the stock market crash on Americans and the economy, and the Great Depression and the factors that led to it. To begin, the Stock Market Crash of...
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...The stock market crash of 1929, was a dramatic decline of stock market prices and was also known as the Great Cash. The 1920s was a period of time when the U.S. stock market was expanding dramatically. Many people were warned about the stock market crash that was coming. However, investors were not afraid, instead, they believed that the stock market decline was a buying opportunity. Later on, as unemployment was increasing, stock prices were beginning to decrease. The crash began when the market opened 11% lower on October 24. The stock market crash wiped out many investors and it had many economical consequences. One of the key factors that led to the crash of 1929 was the Roaring Twenties, also known as the 1920s. At this time,...
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...hit by the Great Depression in 1929 because of increasing restrictions on international trade.' How far do you agree with this opinion? Use Sources 7, 8 and 9 and your own knowledge. The USA was hit by the Great Depression in 1929 because of increasing restrictions on international trade to a small extent, as it was indeed a significant factor in creating the onset of the Great Depression, as it acted as one of the long-term problems with the US economic system. Source 7 supports this argument, and suggests that it made world trade more difficult as it led to the USA not being able to 'expand its foreign markets as rapidly as its production'. However, other factors could also be considered to have started the Great Depression more significantly, with source 8 suggesting that it was due to long-term problems in the economy associated with a lack of purchasing power and the effects of the Wall Street Crash, along with source 9 demonstrating that it was due to the laissez-faire policies pursued by the Coolidge administration. The USA was arguably hit by the Great Depression in 1929 because of the combination of under consumption and overproduction linked to the maldistribution of wealth in US society during the 1920s. The problem with under consumption was mainly due to the fact that a substantial segment of the population that was farmers and workers in declining industries had not shared in the general prosperity of the early 1920s. In 1929, American farmers annual income...
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...started with a shattering collapse of the stock market prices on the New York Stock Exchange in October 1929. Furthermore, throughout the next three years stock prices in the United States continued to fall, until in late 1932 they had decreased to about 20 percent of their worth in 1929. Ruining many thousands of investors, this swift decline in the price of the assets worried banks and other financial institutions, mainly those who hold stocks in their portfolios. In addition, many banks were forced to be ruin and by 1933, 11,000 of the United States' 25,000 banks had fallen. The failure of so many banks, combined with a general and nationwide loss of confidence in the economy, led to bring down the levels of spending, demand and later of production. The result was enormously falling production and rising unemployment and by 1932, U.S. manufacturing output had fallen to 54 percent of its 1929 level, and unemployment had risen to between 12 and 15 million workers. Cochran (1968) reported that “By this time it was clear that the decline in the economy was accentuated by the crash. Almost all indices were off at an increasing rate” (p. 7). However, what many people do not know or contemplate is how The Great Depression started. Responding to the following questions will help reveal the causes: 1. Could one cause be of the Great Depression the Stock Market Crash of 1929? 2. What role did the Federal Reserve play? 3. Could have...
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...At the end of the 1920s, the United States boasted the largest economy in the world. With the destruction wrought by World War I, Europeans struggled while Americans flourished. Upon succeeding to the Presidency, Herbert Hoover predicted that the United States would soon see the day when poverty was eliminated. Then, in a moment of apparent triumph, everything fell apart. The stock market crash of 1929 touched off a chain of events that plunged the United States into its longest, deepest economic crisis of its history. Nine thousand banks failed during the months following the stock market crash of 1929.It is far too simplistic to view the stock market crash as the single cause of the Great Depression. A healthy economy can recover from such a contraction. Long-term underlying causes sent the nation into a downward spiral of despair. First, American firms earned record profits during the 1920s and reinvested much of these funds into expansion. By 1929, companies had expanded to the bubble point. Workers could no longer continue to fuel further expansion, so a slowdown was inevitable. While corporate profits, skyrocketed, wages increased incrementally, which widened the distribution of wealth. The richest one percent of Americans owned over a third of all American assets. Such wealth concentrated in the hands of a few limits economic growth. The wealthy tended to save money that might have been put back into the economy if it were spread among the middle and lower classes. Middle...
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...Photographs of The Great Depression In the beginning of 1929, people across the United States were scrambling to get into the stock market. The profits appeared so assured that even many companies placed money in the stock market. And even more problematically, some banks placed customers' money in the stock market (without their knowledge). With the stock market prices on the rise, everything seemed great. When the stock market crash hit in October, these people were taken by a bombshell. After nearly a decade of hopefulness and success, the United States was thrown into anguish on Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, the day of the stock market crash and the official beginning of the Great Depression. The photographs above are of The trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange just after the crash of 1929. These photos are in black and white and are kept at the This day in history has been coined with the name Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929 , the day the stock market collapsed. In a single day, sixteen million shares were traded and thirty billion dollars vanished into thin air. To say that the Stock Market Crash of 1929 devastated the economy is an understatement. Although reports of mass suicides in the aftermath of the crash were most likely exaggerations, many people lost their entire savings. Numerous companies were ruined. Faith in banks was destroyed. The Stock Market Crash of 1929 occurred at the beginning of the Great Depression....
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...be deemed the “Great Depression”. Ironically, the roaring twenties became a precursor to the Great Depression leading to one of the main causes, the stock market crash of 1929. The economic growth of the 1920s was unparalleled to any previous time. The United States during the 20s experienced a wave of new technology and growth. Silent Films, which could be viewed on one of the newest inventions, the television had experienced a surge of popularity as well as radios. With the increase in factories came new methods of mass production, which made the automobile affordable now to many households (Scaliger). Skyscrapers were beginning to dot landscapes in larger cities seeming to support the notions of the decade that the sky was the limit. Underneath the glitz and glamour, though a startling truth was starting to emerge. The economic growth of the past decade was partially a façade created by an abundance of newly printed money. (Scaliger). Inexperience combined with arrogance had led members of the Federal Reserve to drop interest rates to all time lows (Scaliger). This led to a frenzy of financing and “easy credit” and artificially increased measures of economic growth as well as unparalleled growth of stocks. During the 1920s, many stocks rose to three and four times their previous values (Stock Market Crash). These increased values heightened investor...
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...were aware of the Great Depression of 1929, few know of the many Americans who lost their homes, life savings, and jobs. The Great Depression was the worst and longest economic downturn in the history of the world. During the Great Depression many people was out of work and people would et on the road to travel from town to town, city to city, state to state, hoping that they will find work and be able to feed their family or even just to feed themselves. October 29th is the day of the stock market crash and it was the official beginning of the Great Depression. The Great Depression is one of the most important events in the history of the United States and the world. The effects of and leading to the Great Depression lasted or several years. The Great Depression was economic downfall with worldwide effects that began with the stock market crash of October 1929; the most intense effect of the Great Depression was the highest rate of unemployment in American history. Banks, factories, and stores that were closing left millions of people jobless with no money. Without money, many Americans had to rely on either the government or donations from charities to obtain food. Men would sell apples for charity to make money to obtain food. People were so poor and hungry. They would stand in bread lines at community kitchens to get free meals. Charities helped out and gave food to the needy people. [pic] The stock market crash was one of the major causes that led...
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...The Great Depression1929 Contents 1.Introduction 2.causes of great depression 3.Consequences of the depression. 4.Conclusion Introduction The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s. It was the longest, most widespread, and deepest depression of the 20th century, and is used in the 21stcentury as an example of how far the world's economy can decline. The depression originated in the United States, triggered by the stock market crash of October 29, 1929 (known as Black Tuesday), but quickly spread to almost every country in the world. The Great Depression had devastating effects in virtually every country, rich and poor. Personal income, tax revenue, profits and prices dropped, and international trade plunged by half to two-thirds. Unemployment in the United States rose to 25% , and in some countries rose as high as 33%. Cities all around the world were hit hard, especially those dependent on heavy industry. Construction was virtually halted in many countries. Farming and rural areas suffered as crop prices fell by approximately 60 percent. Facing plummeting demand with few alternate sources of jobs, areas dependent on primary sector industries such as cash cropping, mining and logging suffered the most. Countries...
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...Maycomb, Alabama was a “tired old town...there was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see...” During the nineteen twenties and thirties America took a big down hill slide. The stock market crashed, people lost their jobs, and most middle class families were in poverty. When the stock market crashed on October 28, 1929 America went rampant. All the citizens who had shares in corporations were trying to sell them back all at once. This led to factories and corporations to close down. Since the factories and corporations were closed, people had no source of income. There was also a glitch in the banking system so everyone who had a bank or savings account lost everything in their account. When people got word of this situation they went to the banks to try to cash out all of their money. This caused a big interruption in the banks counting systems. During this time there was also a drought so farmers income also went away and people now had no source of food....
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...Name Professor Course Date: Analysis and Argument Essay on ‘Black Tuesday’ Stock Market Crash Financial systems both money markets and capital markets all across the world have always been susceptible to shocks of varying proportions. The stock markets for instance are very vulnerable to daily variations in the forces of demand and supply. That is, when supply of a given stock outweighs its demand, the price of that stock is expected to fall and when demand outstrips supply, the price is expected to rally. Though these changes are viewed as normal, at times the prices plummet to a level that it sets in a wave of panic among the investors (Rothman, Par 1). These panicking investors rush to liquidate their stocks leading to further dip in prices. Such huge falls in stock prices can lead to what we call a stock market crash. One of the most documented crashes in the world is the United States stock market crash of 29th October 1929 popularly known as the Black Tuesday. On that dreaded Tuesday Dow Jones had shed 13 % while eight weeks prior to that the bourse had lost 40 % of its value (Lancaster, par 2). This paper aims to analyze what happened on, before and after that Tuesday, what could have caused the crash and what measures can be taken to prevent future crashes. Prior to the 1929 crash, the United States of America had experience a period of stable economic growth. This was characterized by a period of improved industrial production, for instance mass production of cars...
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...THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND THE STOCK MARKET CRASH An Introduction The stock market crash The stock market was created on 1792 to allow stocks and bonds to be traded “bought and sold”. A “stock market crash” is the steep fall of the prices of stocks due to widespread financial panic. America experienced an era of great peace and prosperity during the 1920s. After World War I, the so-called “Roaring Twenties” economic and cultural boom was fueled by industrialization and the popularization of new technologies such as radio and the automobile. Air flight was becoming common as well. The Dow stock average soared throughout the Roaring Twenties and many investors aggressively purchased shares, comforted by the fact that stocks were thought to be extremely safe by most economists due to the country’s powerful economic boom. Investors soon purchased stocks on margin, which is the borrowing of stock for the purpose of gaining financial leverage. For every dollar invested, a margin user would borrow nine dollars worth of stock. The use of leverage meant that if a stock went up 1%, the investor would make 10%. Unfortunately, leverage also works the other way around and amplifies even minor losses. In 1929, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates several times in an attempt to cool the overheated economy and stock market. On Thursday, October 24th 1929, a spate of panic selling occurred as investors began to realize that the stock boom was...
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...RESEARCH QUESTION: How far was the Wall Street Crash the main cause for the Great Depression? A. Plan of the Investigation 1 B. Summary of Evidence 1 C. Evaluation of Sources 3 D. Analysis 5 E. Conclusion 7 F. Bibliography 8 A. Plan of the investigation The investigation considers the extent to which the Wall Street Crash was the main cause for the Great Depression that hit the Unites States throughout the 1930s, whose effects were spread worldwide. For this purpose the investigation assesses the significance of the crash in the stock market in relation to other factors that were also relevant. Through the selection and summary of relevant written sources, the investigation examines the 1920’s the domestic and international problems during the “prosperous” years that triggered the crisis. In order to reach a conclusion two of the sources: The Great Depression by Lionel Robbins and The Great Depression and The New Deal by Robert F. Himmelberg are evaluated for their origin, purpose, values and limitations. Word count: 120 B. Summary of evidence By the time the United States entered the First World War in 1917, the USA was the world’s biggest economic power[1]. Its role in providing extra equipment and a supply of fresh soldiers was instrumental in the final Allied victory[2]. The artificial prosperity of the war years was followed by an inevitable collapse[3]...
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...war one, poor sectors in the economy, and isolationism. The depression was the biggest economic fall in American’s history. This crash stretched throughout the globe and affected the rich as well as the poor. There were many causes that assisted in bringing the depression into existence. However, one of the main causes was the disproportionate riches during the nineteen-twenties. The gap between the rich and the working class people was the enlarged industrialize production during this period. In addition, this periods production cost fell quickly as wages rose slowly and prices remained steady. Following world war, one arrived what we know of today as The Jazz Age. It was movement from the 1920’s that emerged dance and Jazz music. This age glorified city life. Americans and many African American sharecroppers from the South left their farms in record numbers to live and work in places like Chicago and New York City. F. Scott Fitzgerald called it a time when "the parties were bigger, the pace was faster, the buildings were higher, the morals [reduced]". This era was also known as the "anything goes “period, which emerged in America after World War I. “The unbounded optimism of the Jazz Age and the shocking consequences when reality finally hit on October 29th, ultimately lead to the Great Depression” (PBS). Beginning with the stock market crash of 1929, which was originally designed as a corporation owned capital; where “Each share of stock represented a proportionate share of...
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