“The Great Depression”

         The 1930’s was the decade that “The Great Depression” started, it was a hard time of lives of many. The Dust Bowl was a big storm that hurt many people and animals and also wiped out the land. Herbert Hoover was elected president in 1929 and he was the one blamed for The Great Depression. In 1935, many people through out the country formed The United Automobile Workers of America (UAW). And the Union started battling the General Motors.

         In November 11, 1933 the first storm hit South Dakota. The Strom occurred from Chicago to Albany, New York. The Dust Bowl contained dirt and sand flying to the Great Plains. The storm chocked people and suffocated animals. On top of that farmers also lost their farms from the “Farm Holiday Association”. The Association prevented farmers from reaching markets in Sioux City, Iowa. Thousands of farmers lost their farms. Others, when the spring arrived they borrowed to buy seeds and supplies. But when farmers didn’t have money to pay their debts, the banks foreclosed on their mortgages and took over the farms. Then Banks tried to sell the properties of other farmers. This made small businesses crash and lad to fewer but bigger businesses. Some Americans that were unemployed looked for jobs near their homes. Many went to go find jobs in California.

         Hoover’s 1929 Inaugural addressed the pledged to abolish poverty in America. Herbert Hoover was elected president in 1929. He was president up until 1933. Hoover expected the prosperity to continue. Hoover’s response to the “Collective Insanity” of the depression was limited by his belief that the government should not force itself to or interfere with private enterprise. He saw his role as limited to being an “Influential Advisor”. As an advisor he held many conferences with businesses leaders and urged them to work harder and together to not lay off workers or low wages. Hoover was not alone in the advocating a limited government response, he worked with the business people. He seemed to believe in the American dream of his success.

         The United Automobile Workers of America (UAW) formed in 1935. People through out the country joined to work for the UAW. Afterwards the union decided to fight their first battle against General Motors. This was the nations largest industrial employer that contained more than a quarter million workers. In November and December 1936 the UAW leaders formulated their plans. Autoworkers began to stage sit-down strikes in South Bend, Kansas City, Detroit, and Atlanta. The major police chief and three city commissioners Flint’s Newspapers, Radio Stations, and School Officials were on the General Motors payroll. The GM wanted court to evict the strikers to fail. They laid off workers and then the sit-down strike began.

         The 1930’s was a disastrous decade. In 1933 The Dust Bowl hit South Dakota and hurt many people and as well as the land. Herbert Hoover was blamed for when the stock market crashed down and there was trouble with money yet he tried hard for the United States. Then in 1935 over a quarter million people formed the United Automobile Worker of America and decided to battle the General Motors as their first battle.

Bibliography

Wikipedia, The Great Depression, (Author not found), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_great_depression, Date viewed 1/19/09.

Wikipedia, Great Depression In The Untied States, (Author not found), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression_in_the_United_States, Date viewed 1/19/09.