The Great Depression (article) | Khan Academy (2024)

After the stock market crash of 1929, the American economy spiraled into a depression that would plague the nation for a decade.

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  • 🌹яσse 🌹

    8 years agoPosted 8 years ago. Direct link to 🌹яσse 🌹's post “We've helped many other c...”

    We've helped many other countries when they were in a state of "Great Depression" so why didn't they help us?

    (4 votes)

    • ajoy

      7 years agoPosted 7 years ago. Direct link to ajoy's post “Europe was struggling to ...”

      The Great Depression (article) | Khan Academy (4)

      The Great Depression (article) | Khan Academy (5)

      Europe was struggling to recover from WWI, especially Germany and France. Many countries owed the U.S. money that had been lent during the war, but worldwide economic depression and years of destruction meant the countries didn't have the resources to pay back or help support the U.S. Also, after WWI, many countries, including the U.S. became more isolated than interventionalist. This was partly due to the Hawley-Smoot Tariff because the tariff made American goods expensive for foreign buyers, who then raised the prices of their own goods so their industries could make profits and earn money to buy American products and pay off debt to the U.S. This reduced global trade, closing potential markets and worsening the depression.
      The U.S. was able to support European countries during WWI because it continued to trade and farm while Europe was embroiled in conflict and killing each other on fields rather than growing crops. After the war, these countries were already in debt to the U.S. and their economies weren't stable enough to recover from a war and save the United States from overspeculation, insider trading, and the overuse of consumer credit which had been occurring for years. The depression caused radicalism in several countries as capitalism was viewed as a failing economic system and malcontents advocated for socialism, communism, and stronger central government. These new leaders were more concerned about saving their own countrymen (and gaining personal power) than helping a nation across the Atlantic. So political in addition to economic turmoil hindered foreign aid to the U.S.

      (46 votes)

  • Gabrielle Mellen

    6 years agoPosted 6 years ago. Direct link to Gabrielle Mellen's post “how did the great depress...”

    how did the great depression crush some people's ability to achieve the American Dream

    (13 votes)

    • daviondobard0229

      6 years agoPosted 6 years ago. Direct link to daviondobard0229's post “people lost their money a...”

      people lost their money and couldn't buy property or businesses they truly desired

      (7 votes)

  • Alex Hickens

    7 years agoPosted 7 years ago. Direct link to Alex Hickens's post “This may sound like a stu...”

    This may sound like a stupid question, but why exactly did people lose their jobs? As in what was the exact cause of this unemployment?

    (5 votes)

    • Coleman M. Vaughn: Hot Topic Studios

      7 years agoPosted 7 years ago. Direct link to Coleman M. Vaughn: Hot Topic Studios's post “This mostly happened beca...”

      The Great Depression (article) | Khan Academy (12)

      This mostly happened because the employers couldn't pay there workers so the workers had to be laid off.

      (14 votes)

  • wynnifred.hulstine

    a year agoPosted a year ago. Direct link to wynnifred.hulstine's post “The great deprestion is r...”

    The great deprestion is realy sad i am glad i am not in the great depresion

    (7 votes)

    • zoeypalubeckis

      a year agoPosted a year ago. Direct link to zoeypalubeckis's post “same, honestly relatable.”

      same, honestly relatable.

      (6 votes)

  • samuel.martini

    3 years agoPosted 3 years ago. Direct link to samuel.martini's post “Why didn't people take ou...”

    Why didn't people take out their money from the stock market before it hit rock bottom?

    (4 votes)

    • 3 years agoPosted 3 years ago. Direct link to Ponce Kenner's post “During the 1920s, million...”

      The Great Depression (article) | Khan Academy (19)

      During the 1920s, millions of Americans were buying stocks. Some bought them on credit, so they borrowed money, invested it in the stock market and hoped to repay the loan with the money and profits they make. The Roaring 20s was a time of economic prosperity, and the stock market was going up and up. Most people believed that it would go up forever. Some people during that time did point out problems with the stock market and claimed that it was a bubble, meaning that the stock market would eventually fall. However, those people were ignored and the media,press,and others claimed that good times were still ahead. When the Stock Market crashed on October 29, 1929(Black Tuesday) people did rush to sell their shares, but there were no buyers, so most of the money people invested was lost.

      (11 votes)

  • Angel Perez

    a year agoPosted a year ago. Direct link to Angel Perez's post “What would have life in t...”

    What would have life in the Great Depression even been like for the common worker? They were clearly starving and hopeless but what were the day to day challenges other than a lack of food? Disease perhaps?

    (4 votes)

    • David Alexander

      a year agoPosted a year ago. Direct link to David Alexander's post “Keeping a roof over your ...”

      Keeping a roof over your head.
      Keeping clothes on your back.
      Staying healthy.
      Providing a loving and worry free environment to your children.
      These were all challenges.
      By and large, people coped, though enjoyment was in short supply.
      Note that certain sectors of the economy even flourished. Movies and stage plays made huge amounts of money. Large construction companies that built the things the government paid for made a bundle, too.

      (9 votes)

  • KenyonDavila

    7 years agoPosted 7 years ago. Direct link to KenyonDavila's post “Would this happen again i...”

    Would this happen again in the later years

    (3 votes)

    • schneidcolin

      4 years agoPosted 4 years ago. Direct link to schneidcolin's post “Yes and no. In 2008, the ...”

      Yes and no. In 2008, the banks failed again, but President Obama took major loans to get the economy back on its feet, basically skipping the depression stage. And no in 2020, well who knows what will happen.

      (9 votes)

  • Shun Gutierrez

    3 years agoPosted 3 years ago. Direct link to Shun Gutierrez's post “what can we do if the sto...”

    what can we do if the stocks crash again?

    (2 votes)

    • David Alexander

      3 years agoPosted 3 years ago. Direct link to David Alexander's post “They have crashed again, ...”

      The Great Depression (article) | Khan Academy (29)

      They have crashed again, and again, and again. Read up on the final years of the George Bush presidency.

      (10 votes)

  • hunterpaul7878

    a year agoPosted a year ago. Direct link to hunterpaul7878's post “Sucks that Hoover seemed ...”

    Sucks that Hoover seemed to be unnecessarily blamed for the crash. Calling newspapers "Hoover blankets," as if it was soley him that caused them to be homeless, when infact it was all the other higher ups that were too greedy and power hungry that they forgot an economy is necessary.

    (3 votes)

    • David Alexander

      a year agoPosted a year ago. Direct link to David Alexander's post “In political competition,...”

      In political competition, "shorthand" for the people you oppose (calling newspapers Hoover Blankets" or referring to anyone who doesn't agree with you as a "libtard" or "antifa") is part of the game.

      (6 votes)

  • Zev Oster

    a year agoPosted a year ago. Direct link to Zev Oster's post “How did the great depress...”

    How did the great depression affect less industrialized countries, like in Asia and Africa (to the extent Africa had independent nations)?

    (3 votes)

    • David Alexander

      a year agoPosted a year ago. Direct link to David Alexander's post “In the 1930s, the only in...”

      In the 1930s, the only independent nations in all of Africa were Egypt, Ethiopia and South Africa.

      As for the lesser industrialized nations, they relied on their own agricultural production. Energy imports, such as were necessary, were fairly cheap, and not a lot was needed. People starved and died, lessening the burden on societies.

      (6 votes)

The Great Depression (article) | Khan Academy (2024)
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