Chapter 23: The World at War, 1937–1945 The Great Depression.
Chapter 23: The World at War, 1937–1945
The Great Depression.
Prompt
First, based on the articles “Reporting the Plight of Depression Families” Martha Gellhorn, (Field Report to Harry Hopkins, 1934)_ “Labor Organizer Describes Latino Plight in America” (Luisa Moreno, Caravans of Sorrow, 1940) p. 625-628, describe what the Great Depression was like for ordinary Americans.
Then, in the second part of your essay, based on 23-2: “President Inspires Depressed Nation with Promise of Action” (Franklin D. Roosevelt, Inaugural Address (1933), explain how Roosevelt tried to address the needs of Americans. Make sure that at some point in this section you explain how this was a different approach than the one that Hoover took (See Chapter 23, especially “Early Responses to the Great Depression”).
Criteria
Answer all parts of the question
Provide specific examples to support your description of life during the Great Depression.
Adequately identify what Roosevelt’s plan was
Include references to the three documents listed in the question.
The essay will also be based on information from Chapter 23.
Clearly specify which source you are referring to (when referring to a source)
Demonstrate your work—not plagiarize.
Avoid references to other online sources
Be clearly organized.
Show evidence of careful proofreading
The Great Depression
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Question#1: Describe what the Great Depression was like for ordinary Americans?
Answer: For a large number of people in the United States, the Great Depression meant a significant decline in standards of living. The hallmarks of the Great Depression were unemployment and insufficient healthcare and educational facilities. Various Americans considered it a decline in the value of investments, and the others called it a loss of savings. In one way or the other, the Great Depression left drastic impacts on the public. Those who had lost their jobs were forced to work for pennies in order to support their families, and they did it for their survival as they had no other option. The spending power of various American families decreased, and this resulted in the collapse of banks. In addition, the liquidity crisis that had caused the depression deepened. Men worked for low wages, and they gradually developed depression and anxiety.
The major task to facilitate recovery was to work hard to reestablish the confidence of the public. For this purpose, Harry Hopkins, a senior advisor of Franklin D. Roosevelt, came up with a lot of ideas, and their philosophy encouraged people to look to the federal government for immediate assistance. But before that, it was difficult for people to buy goods of their choice such as threads, clothing, and utensils. Many American children left their schools and were asked by their parents to do jobs in order to earn a living. Hundreds to thousands of people were left homeless and went hungry. They did not have enough money to buy food or find the shelter. There are reports that a large number of women and kids chewed on their own hands out of hunger. In the 1930s, nearly 2.30 million children were found to be doing ordinary jobs. Those who could not find work left their cash-strapped families and were lost somewhere, and it is believed that they had committed suicide.
Some middle-class families managed to hold onto their homes by stretching every available dollar and borrowing money from the rich. Those who had no money were left helpless. For quite a long time, no one came forward to help them get out of this uncertain situation, and it became a matter of great conc...