The Cause of the Great Depression Essay - 552 Words

The Cause of the Great Depression The economic expansion of the 1920’s, with its increased production of goods and high profits, culminated in immense consumer speculation that collapsed with disastrous results in 1929 causing America’s Great Depression. There were a number or contributing factors to the depression, with the largest and most important one being a general loss of confidence in the American economy. The reason it escalated was a general misunderstanding of recessions by American policymakers of the time. The U.S. economy was booming in the 1920’s. Stocks prices soared, as they were bought on margin for as little as 10% down. Market speculation is cyclical-that is, if one stock appears profitable, you buy it,†¦show more content†¦Many people lost as much as ten times their initial investment, which shook consumer confidence. In an effort to cover their margins, people rushed the banks in masses, demanding their money. Soon, banks began to run out of cash and went bust. With the economy falling in shambles and companies defaulting on loans, nearly all private and corporate investment ceased. Companies couldn’t afford to expand, and in fact, many had to consolidate in order to cover the margins on their loans. This meant postponing hiring and laying workers off, which caused unemployment to skyrocket. With people now willing to work for less money, wages lessened too. At the same time prices rose in an attempt by companies to make some amount of profit off the goods. Because the governments’ prevailing economic theory was based on laissez-faire economics, the government believed that recessions were self-correcting. Eventually unemployment and inflation stopped declining, but not before the U.S. lost 1/3 of it’s output and 25% of the workforce was unemployed. In the end, it was World War II that brought us out of the Great Depression. With war at hand, the government began pumping massive amounts of money into the economy. Production and inflation increased. More jobs were available and wages rose. At theShow MoreRelatedCauses Of The Great Depression1319 Words   |  6 Pageshaving classic satisfying life concluded when the Great Depression ushered in the negative trend that would impact the U.S. economy in 1929. Therefore, what happened? In this essay, we will discuss what the Great Depression was for the Americans, the causes of the Great Depression, and the U.S.’s recovery from the Great Depression. The Great Depression One of the terrifying times in the U.S. history is the Great Depression. The Great Depression is an economic phenomenon, which according to theRead MoreGreat Depression and Its Causes1256 Words   |  6 PagesThe causes of the Great Depression of the 1920s and 1930s has been argued about for generations. Most people agree on several key topics and that it was the severity and length of time the Depression lasted that was actually the most remarkable. Hoover made many noteworthy attempts to try and solve this crisis, yet in the end it was President Roosevelt and his New Deal, that brought many Americans hope for the future. The first factor in the start of the Depression was the lack of diversityRead MoreCauses of the Great Depression2012 Words   |  9 Pages The causes of the Great Depression in the early 20th century is a matter of active debate between economists. Although the popular belief is that the main cause was the crashing Stock Market in 1929 caused the Great Depression, There were other major economic events that contributed just as much as the crash, such as American’s overextension of credit, an unequal distribution of wealth, over production of goods, and a severe drop in business revenue. As these events transpired the state of economicRead More Causes of the Great Depression Essay1143 Words   |  5 PagesCauses of the Great Depression Throughout the 1920’s, new industries and new methods of production led to prosperity in America. America was able to use its great supply of raw materials to produce steel, chemicals, glass, and machinery that became the foundation of an enormous boom in consumer goods (Samuelson, 2). Many US citizens invested on the stock market, speculating to make a quick profit. This great prosperity ended in October 1929. People began to fear that the boom was going toRead MoreCauses of the Great Depression Essay1108 Words   |  5 PagesThe United States has experienced recessions about every twenty years (give or take) since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Nothing that had happened before was quite this serious, chaotic, or as long lasting as the Great Depression. The crash was felt far beyond those on the trading floors. Speculators who borrowed money from the banks to buy their stocks could not repay the loans because they could not sell stocks, because no one else would buy them. This caused many banks to fail,Read MoreCauses of The Great Depression Essay701 Words   |  3 Pages Imagine a society where over 25% of the population was unemployed. That is what it reached during The Great Depression (â€Å"The Great Depression†). During the depression unemployment rates were the highest they have ever been. It is highly speculated to this day on what exactly caused The Great Depression. Most historians agree it was a chain of events, one after another, that brought our country into chaos. Some events were more impactful than others. These events caused pandemonium amongRead MoreEssay on The Causes of the Great Depression697 Words   |  3 PagesThe Causes of The Great Depression History Imagine waking up one morning, only to find out that all your investments and savings are gone. So if your bank that you invested all your money in collapsed, you didn’t get any money back. This is what happened to millions of Americans during the 1930s. This era was called the great depression. The great depression was one of the worst economy issues we have ever had in history. It was a hard time for everyone. The great depression started in 1929Read MoreCauses Of The Great Depression And The Great Recession2292 Words   |  10 Pages1. Examine the causes of the Great Depression of the 1930s and consider what similarities and differences can be drawn with the problems from the financial and economic crisis which began in 2008. Introduction 2007-2009 in America has often been described as the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression in 1929. There was lots of debate whether the economy was slipping back to double dip recession but there is considerable evidence that the economic crisis in 2008 is worse than the crisisRead MoreCauses of the Great Depression Essay651 Words   |  3 PagesIn the 1920s, American economy had a great time. The vast majority of Americans in 1929 foresaw a continuation of the dizzying economic growth that had taken place in most of the decade. However, the prices of stock crested in early September of 1929. The price of stock fell gradually during most of September and early October. On â€Å"Black Tuesday† 29 October 1929, the stock market fell by forty points. After that, a historically great and long economic depression started and lasted until the start ofRead More Causes of the Great Depression Essay743 Words   |  3 PagesCauses of the Great Depression The Great Depression also called Depression of 1929, or Slump of 1929, began in 1929 and lasted until 1939. It was the longest and most severe depression ever experienced by the industrialized world. Though the United States economy had gone into depression six months earlier, the Great Depression may said to have begun with a catastrophic collapse of the stock market prices on the New York Stock Exchange in October 1929 call the Stock Market Crash of 1929.