General Understanding
When did the Great Depression begin?
1929
What caused food prices to drop in the 1920s?
Overproduction of crops.
How did new farming technology lead to overproduction?
Machines increased the amount of crops produced.
What hardships did families face during the Great Depression?
Poverty, hunger, and homelessness.
How did human actions like over-farming contribute to environmental disasters?
They made the land weaker and more likely to erode.
What was the Great Depression?
A severe worldwide economic downturn during the 1930s.
How did overproduction contribute to the Great Depression?
It caused prices to drop, reducing income for businesses and workers.
What role did over-farming play in the Dust Bowl?
It damaged the soil, making it easier for wind to blow it away.
Why did people lose trust in banks during the Great Depression?
Because many banks failed and people lost their savings.
In what ways did the Great Depression affect both urban and rural communities differently?
Cities had unemployment and homelessness; farms had crop failure and dust storms.
How did the stock market crash affect banks?
Many banks closed because they lost money and people withdrew their savings.
Why did many farmers lose their land during this time?
They could not repay their loans and lost their farms.
What natural events turned the Great Plains into a Dust Bowl?
Drought and high winds.
How did the Great Depression change daily life for Americans?
Many people lost homes, jobs, and lived in poverty.
What were the long-term consequences of the Great Depression on the U.S. economy?
New government programs, financial regulations, and awareness of economic risks.
What event triggered the start of the Great Depression?
The stock market crash
How did unemployment affect consumer spending?
People bought less, hurting businesses.
How did the Dust Bowl worsen the effects of the Great Depression for farmers?
It destroyed crops and farmland, leaving farmers without income.
What kinds of jobs were lost during the Great Depression?
Factory, farm, and office jobs.
How might better soil management have reduced the impact of the Dust Bowl?
It could have kept the soil from blowing away.
Why were so many people unable to pay back their loans during the Great Depression?
Because they lost jobs and income.
What were some consequences of people buying stocks on borrowed money?
When stock prices fell, people couldn’t repay what they borrowed and lost their savings.
What environmental modifications contributed to the Dust Bowl?
Over-farming and removing natural grasses.
What might the woman in the famous Dust Bowl photograph have been feeling?
Fear, worry, or hopelessness.
Why is it important to study the Great Depression today?
To learn from past mistakes and understand how to handle economic problems.