Zaid Mehmood Professor Brucher Paper 2, Draft 1 3 April 2024 A Time of Economic Disparity The Great Depression’s impact on society for the working-class was profound. Sharp economic downfall has resulted in families across the country experiencing financial hardships. Farmers faced challenges with the agricultural economy declining, leading to falling crop prices, which ultimately led to many losing their farms, because they were unable to make enough money to pay their mortgage and debt. Detroit took a severe downturn as the automobile industry collapsed, and thousands of employees lost their jobs. This included immigrants, most notably Mexicans, who faced heightened discrimination and were coerced to return back to Mexico. Growing unrest …show more content…
Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the government took significant action to address the economic crisis and support the working-class. Working-class Americans' participation in strikes, the labor movement, and social movements put pressure on the government to make changes which addressed the concerns raised by workers. One example being: “By early 1933, Americans were lining up to withdraw their money from a banking system on the brink of collapse” (James 6:21). Like the Arkansas farmers, the power of unity proved to be successful as President Roosevelt felt pressure, and subsequently passed an emergency banking bill authorizing two billion dollars in new money to help pay off the positives. Feeling constant pressure from its citizens, the government further addressed the working-class’ concerns through programs created in the New Deal. These programs directly provided relief to the citizens’ worries. Programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps created jobs for two-hundred and fifty-thousand men, and the Relief Act of 1933 provided millions of dollars in relief to people who were in danger of