The Great Depression was one of the darkest time periods in history; it was when everything fell apart. Do you want to know how you would have lived during that time? If not, keep reading to find out how you would have lived depending on your class. The Great Depression, which lasted from 1929 to 1939, was a terrible economic downturn (Texas gateway). Every social class suffered horribly from the Great Depression. Some people through stocks, some from living conditions, some from sickness, and much more. Although everyone was affected by the Great Depression, the biggest impact was on the middle class, from the market crash, to rampant unemployment, and a drop in living conditions and family lifestyle. While the lower class suffered from similar events, they did not have much to begin with. The upper class on the other hand were wealthy and kept most of their wealth throughout the Great Depression.
The collapse of the stock market was one point during the Great Depression from which the Middle class suffered deeply. Millions of Americans had invested their savings
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Most stocks quadrupled in value, which is why most Americans chose to invest. They were also “sure” that the stock market would help them, so they kept investing more and more money (PBS, Public Broadcasting Service). Right before the stock market crashed, 16 million stocks were traded (Jimenez, David). Then the stock market crashed in October 1929 (Investopedia). Production started to fall, and unemployment had risen, leaving stocks far in advance of their true value. Low wages, huge bank loans that could not be repaid, an increase in debt, and decreased farming production were all factors in the Market crash of the Great Depression (Stock Market crash of 1929). 14 billion dollars was lost from the market crash that day (Jimenez,