America 2\3

• What was the general sentiment in America in 1928?

  Feelings of optimism and almost euphoria
• What was the economic condition of the US in 1928?

  The US economy was booming
• What did President Hoover's statements in 1929 indicate?

  His confidence was contradicted by other data
• What significant event occurred on Black Thursday?

  The collapse of the Wall Street Stock Exchange
• What happened to the value of shares during the Wall Street Crash?

  The value of shares tumbled
• What was the immediate effect of the Wall Street Crash on American spending?

  There was an immediate downturn in spending
• What happened to individuals who had bought shares that became worthless?

  They were unable to pay back their loans and went bankrupt
• How many banks went bankrupt by 1933?

  5,000 banks
• What was the unemployment situation in the USA by 1933?

  There were 14 million unemployed
• What percentage of workers were unemployed in Cleveland in 1932?

  50 percent
• What percentage of workers were unemployed in Toledo in 1932?

  80 percent
• What were the makeshift communities for the homeless called?

  Hoovervilles
• What was the condition of families living in Hoovervilles?

  They lived in ramshackle huts while searching for work
• How many people were admitted to hospitals in New York due to malnutrition or starvation in 1931?

  238 people
• How many of the hospitalized individuals died from malnutrition or starvation?

  Forty-five of them died
• What was the impact of the Wall Street Crash on industrial and farm production between 1928 and 1933?

  Both fell by 40 percent
• What happened to average wages between 1928 and 1933?

  Average wages fell by 50 percent
• What did the queues for bread and soup represent during the Depression?

  People relying on charity for food
• What was the condition of rubbish tips during the Depression?

  They were crowded with families hoping to find food
• By 1932, how many people were affected by unemployment in the United States?

  Around 12 million people
• In which areas was unemployment particularly high in the United States during the Depression?

  In the industrial cities of the eastern states
• Which group of workers experienced particularly high unemployment during the Depression?

  Workers in heavy industries
• What were some jobs that people tried to find during the Depression?

  Selling newspapers, apples, or shining shoes
• How much did farm incomes drop by 1933 compared to 1929?

  By about 60 percent
• What happened to the cost of goods that farmers needed to buy by 1933?

  The cost rose by around 15 percent
• What was the impact of the drop in farm incomes on farmers' purchasing power?

  Farmers could only buy about half of what they could afford in 1929
• What was the total farm income by 1933?

  Just $5 billion
• Why did farmers struggle to transport animals to market?

  The cost of transporting was more than the price of the animals
• What actions did some farmers take when they could not pay their mortgages?

  They organized to resist banks selling their homes
• What happened to many farmers as a result of the economic situation?

  Many had to sell their land to repay loans
• How did over-farming contribute to the Dust Bowl?

  It led to the soil becoming infertile
• What was the Dust Bowl known for?

  Severe dust storms
• Where did many farmers move in search of work?

  California
• What happened to tenant farmers during the Depression?

  They were forced off the land
• How did tenant farmers travel in search of work?

  Many traveled in boxcars on American railways
• How many people were traveling around looking for work by 1932?

  About a million people
• What happened to many businesses that had expanded in the 1920s?

  They could not afford to pay back loans
• How many companies went bankrupt between 1929 and 1933?

  Over 300,000 companies
• What was the impact on industrial production during the Depression?

  Industrial production fell by 40 percent
• How much did US exports fall from 1929 to 1932?

  From $50 billion to $3 billion