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Great Depression


             The Great Depression was a hard time for practically all Americans. First of all, it was caused by a multiple of things all happening at practically the same time. Family life changed to including the health of the American people. Lastly the federal government tried to help people with varies programs, some worked some failed trying.
             All of the hype for the stock market in the roaring twenties lead people to believe that money was to be made for everyone. People began borrowing money to buy stock; others took it as far as borrowing on the collateral of their existing stock to buy more stock. Brokers loans went form five million dollars in 1928 to eight hundred fifty million dollars in 1929. Since the optimism was all a false hope investors begin to lose confidence , thus; the stock market crashed and took everybody down with it. This was not the only reason as some may believe. The government played a big role also by raising tarrifs so high that it hurt American farmers and almost stopped foreign trade. The only people that prospered in the country at this time was only the most wealthy families. They chose to save their money instead of buying American products. This means that the demand was less than the supply which put farmers and workers alike out of work. All this effected the family life too.
             Thousands of people went hungry during this period. Many children suffered long term effects for poor diet and inadequate health care. Quite a few people ate berries that the find in the wild and had to grow their own food; others sold pencils and apples in the city to play for their meals. Land owners planted "relief gardens" for food and to barter with. Living conditions of families changed when they were forced to be able to fit many families into a small apartment or house. Divorces and weddings went down because nobody could afford them any more. Divorces stopped because many families could barely maintain one let alone two.


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