The Impact Of The Great Depression On America

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Recommended: The federal response to the Great Depression by President Franklin Roosevelt

The events of the 1930’s, or the Great Depression, did the most to influence contemporary America. During the twenties, America was at its most prosperous economic times until the stock market crashed in 1929. The stock market crash led to a dramatic decline of the U.S. economy. The decline in the economy changed Americans everyday lives. In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president and he created the New Deal to provide relief, recovery and reform. The Depression impacted America in the 1930’s in every aspect of life and still impacts America today. Although contemporary America was shaped by many events that occurred in the 20th century, America was most influenced by the 1930’s because of legislation that improved daily life during the Depression, the effects on the economy, and how leisure time and entertainment changed our culture.
FDR began to pass new laws and acts to improve the everyday life of an American, which was destroyed because of the depression. Americans began to descend into poverty, during economic decline, many lost their jobs and homes. In April 1935, “FDR signs legislation creating the Works Progress Administration. The program employs more than 8.5 million individuals in 3,000 counties across the nation”(http://www.pbs.org). This was the start of FDR’s progress in improving everyday life. The WPA created jobs for individuals who were unemployed. This began to promote general welfare because more people began having jobs to support the economy. One of the biggest acts passed during the Depression, which still impacts us today is the Social Security Act. Kenneth S. Davis, historian, calls the Social Security act "one of the major turning points of American history”(http://www.pbs.org). Social Securit...

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... the hard time would get better and that prosperity would soon come. Additionally like movies and radio, music was a huge part of the distraction of the hard times that American’s faced during the depression. The people enjoyed the popular music of the 1930’s, which was “Swing” music. Swing music was played by big bands and was the highest on the music charts. In literature during the 1930’s many featured working-class heroes trying to make it in America. One of the most classic American literatures today is John Steinbeck, The Grapes Of Wrath. This explained that instead of achieving the American dream, the Joad family faced struggling times. In English classes all over America, the Grapes of Wrath is read to teach students of the effects and history of the Great Depression in the 1930’s. Culture during the 1930’s shaped our culture and how we live day to day.

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