Social Landscape Of America In The 1930's

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The Great Depression was the worst economic disaster in American history. A variety of factors led up to it, including a dangerous amount of stock market speculation and an excessive lending of credit. Other contributing factors were a weak farm economy, lack of government regulation of business, and high tariffs. Unemployment rose as high as twenty-five percent of the workforce and the U.S Gross National Product dropped from $104 billion to $56 billion. This huge depression eventually expanded across the globe, leading to a worldwide economic crisis. However, by the end of the Depression, a variety of changes had occurred that altered the social landscape of America. The main changes that transpired were a greater economic equality, the…show more content…
The programs created by the New Deal legislation employing people who were jobless and/or homeless were the start to this new concept. These programs marked the longest length the government had gone in caring for its citizens, and was a major step in creating a society in which the government takes an active role in caring for its residents. Although the New Deal programs such as the CCC and PWA were significant, the most important legislation was the Social Security Act. This law created a federal insurance program based upon the collection of taxes throughout people's working careers. The Social Security trust fund would then use that tax money to pay a monthly check to people over 65 years of age. Social Security was the biggest step America had ever made in forming a welfare…show more content…
From unemployment and homelessness to the horror of living life just to attempt to meet basic survival needs, the Depression marks the worst economic times in the history of the United States. The farming culture of America was decimated, but out of these hardships emerged some positive effects. The government helped create a welfare state that took an intense interest in the well-beings of its citizens and passed the Social Security Act. Another positive effect surfacing from the Great Depression was the more equal spreading of economic wealth.. There was also a smaller gap between the wealth of all social classes. Overall, the Great Depression forced America to come together to defeat its hardships, which, after over a decade of struggle, it eventually
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