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Table of Contents
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 1930 and lasted until the late 1930s or mid 1940s. It was the longest, deepest, and most widespread depression of the 20th century.
See the fact file below for more information on the Great Depression or alternatively, you can download our 20-page Great Depression worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
BEHIND THE GREAT DEPRESSION
- The causes of the Great Depression are widely debated. There was no single cause, but several things factored together made it happen. A weak banking system, overproduction of goods, overspending, and bursting credit bubble were just some of the reasons.
- The Wall Street Crash of 1929 was one of the main causes of the Great Depression. This stock market crash was the most devastating crash in the history of the United States. On βBlack Tuesday,β October 29, 1929, the stock market lost $14 billion, bringing the loss for that week to an astounding $30 billion. It took 23 years for the stock market to hit the high it had reached before the crash.
THE WALL STREET CRASH
- Herbert Hoover was President when the Great Depression began. He declared in March, 1930, that the U.S. had βpassed the worstβ and argued that the economy would sort itself out. The worst, however, had just begun and would last until the outbreak of World War II in 1939.
- As news of the stock market crash spread, customers rushed to their banks to withdraw their money, causing disastrous βbank runs.β People who had been very wealthy lost everything they had; some committed suicide.
- Many companies went out of business, and huge numbers of people lost their jobs. At the peak of the depression, 1 out of every 4 people were without a job. Between 1930 and 1935, nearly 750,000 farms were lost through bankruptcy or sheriff sales.
- People who lost their homes often lived in what were called βHoovervilles,β or shanty towns, that were named after President Herbert Hoover.
- There was also βHoover Stew,β which was the name for food handed out to the poor at soup kitchens. βHoover Blanketsβ were newspapers that were being used to cover people like a blanket. βHoover Hogsβ were jack rabbits that were used for food, and βHoover Wagonsβ were broken down cars that were pulled by mules.
- Some people who became homeless would ride on railroad cars because they didnβt have money to travel. Some believe more than 50,000 people were injured or killed while jumping trains. Many of these people traveled together and were called hobos.
- Almost half of the children who were living in the United States at that time did not have enough food, shelter, or medical care. Many suffered diseases.
- By the 1930s, thousands of schools were operating on reduced hours or were closed down entirely. Some three million children had left school, and at least 200,000 took to riding the rails either with their parents or as orphans.
- African Americans, Native Americans, Mexican Americans, and women were bitterly discriminated against and the hardest hit during the Great Depression. They were looked at as the groups that could take jobs away from white men.
- The Great Depression also changed the family in several ways. Many couples delayed getting married, and divorce rates and birth rates dropped. Some men also abandoned their families.
- A 1940 poll revealed that 1.5 million married women had been abandoned by their husbands.
- Severe drought and dust storms made the Great Depression even worse because it dried out farmlands and forced families to leave their farms.
- On May 9, 1934, a dust storm carried about 350 million tons of dirt 2,000 miles eastward and dumped four million tons of prairie dirt in Chicago. The drought and dust killed tens of thousands of animals and some people.
- The board game Monopoly, which first became available in 1935, became popular because players could become rich during the playing of the game. The βThree Little Pigsβ were seen as a symbol of the Great Depression, with the wolf representing the Depression and the three little pigs representing average citizens who eventually succeeded by working together.
- Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) be- came president in March, 1933, and promised a βNew Deal for the American people.β
Great Depression Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Great Depression across 20 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Great Depression worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Great Depression which 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 1930 and lasted until the late 1930s or mid 1940s. It was the longest, deepest, and most widespread depression of the 20th century.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Great Depression Facts
- Hoover Time
- Crossing the Great Depression
- Hoovervilles
- Hobo Symbols
- Dorothea Lange
- Tight Budget I
- Tight Budget II
- Depression Word Bank
- Bull and Bear Markets
- Roosevelt and the New Deal
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Link will appear as Great Depression Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, May 28, 2020
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.