Great Depression Dbq

“Worst of all, many Americans lost hope. As former president Calvin Coolidge acknowledged in 1932, ‘In other periods of depression, it has always been possible to see some things which were solid and upon which you could base hope. . . but as I look about, I now see nothing to give ground to hope.’” (Emory). The Great Depression (lasting roughly from 1929 to 1939) was, undoubtedly, one of the most troubling and hopeless periods faced by Americans in the early 20th century; inequality prospered as minorities, especially Black people and immigrants, became scapegoats for the country’s record-high unemployment and low quality of life. In addition, suicides skyrocketed as more American businesses faced bankruptcy and let go of their employees,

Another factor in the depression in the U.S. is the nation’s industry, or more specifically, the lack of diversification and overinvestment in relatively niche industries like construction, automobiles, and steel production. There was also a peculiar relationship between Americans and the manufacturing of goods at the time; as the economy began to slow down and the stock market crashed, many businesses continued to overproduce goods that most consumers simply couldn’t afford to buy, thus oversaturating the market and causing the prices for said goods to plummet. One of the most notable examples of this was in agriculture, where farmers, many of whom had record harvests in 1929, made only a tenth of the profit they would have had ten years prior (Emory). Though the exact causes of the Great Depression remain cloudy and debated among scholars today, its impact on American life is clear to

Following Hoover’s presidency and his neglect towards the American people’s livelihoods, Americans believed they needed a president that would prioritize tending to the country’s own needs rather than international conflicts; thus, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected the 32nd president of the U.S. in 1933. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's leadership during the Great Depression was distinguished by expansive government intervention and a fundamental shift in the role of the federal government in the economy, both of which are a stark contrast to Hoover’s leadership style. Roosevelt rejected the idea that the depression was solely a result of external factors, instead attributing it to systemic failures in the U.S. economy, hence his choice to focus on bettering the nation’s economy and the quality of life for his citizens, though he did essentially sacrifice the U.S.’s “spot on the world stage” in doing so (Lecture). He demonstrated a willingness to try new approaches, such as with his use of radio broadcasts to communicate directly with the American people in his famous "fireside chats"