Historical overview of the great depression

1. THE GREAT
DEPRESSION
BY: Michael Grade 11

2. What was The Great Depression
 The Great Depression was the worst economic downturn in the history of
the industrialized world.
 It lasted from the stock market crash of 1929 to 1939.

3. What caused The Great Depression
 It began after the stock market crash of October 1929,
 Sent panic to the Wall Street and wiped out millions of investors.
 Over several years:
 consumer spending and investment dropped
 By 1933, when the Great Depression reached its lowest point,

4. Where/ Who was it caused by
 The stock market, centered at the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street
in New York City
 There was a scene reckless speculation where everyone from millionaire
tycoons to cooks and janitors poured their savings into stocks.
 Result of that was that the stock market underwent rapid expansion and
reached it peak in August 1929

5. Other countries
 During those production crisis in the US other countries also faced similar
crisis.
 Countries like Austria, United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy faced:
 Drastic decline in production
 Fall in prices
 Collapses in the stock market
 Increase in unemployment
 Bankruptcies

6. Effect of the Great Depression
 some 15 million Americans were unemployed and nearly half the country’s
banks had failed.
 Caused steep declines in industrial output and employment as failing
companies laid off workers
 By 1933
 9,000 banks failed
 30,000 companies went out of business
 12 million people had no work
 Income dropped from $2,300 to $1,600

7. Life during the Great Depression
 People were evicted from their homes ended up in the streets
 The poor dug through garbage cans or begged
 Many people were forced to build shacks out of scrap material in which to
live
 The place was called shantytowns which consisted of little shacks where poor
people across the nation.
 Line of people waiting to receive food from charity became a common
sight.

9. How it ended
 The Great Depression ended with the arrival of the World War II.
 Government spending on the war accelerated the recovery from the Great
Depression and reduced unemployment.
 The factories had to make supplies for the war so business started to become
busy once again.
 A lot of factories closed during the Great Depression had to be reopened.

10. THANK YOU