The Spread of the Great Depression

Question 1

Unemployment

Answer 1

Before:

• Was as low as 3.2% in 1929
• Employment rates had fluctuated during the 1920s

During:

• 25.2% by 1933.
• A different report says 17 million people

Question 2

GDP

Answer 2

Before:

• 1920 - $73 billion
• 1929 - $104 billion

During:
- 1933 - Half of the 1929 figure (around $54 billion)

Question 3

Car sales

Answer 3

Before:

• 1929 - Car sales were 4,455,178
• 27 million cars on the road
• 75% purchased on credit

During:

• 1933- Car sales were 1,103,557
• Credit was virtually unavailable

Question 4

Bank closures

Answer 4

Before:

• 1920s - Around 30,000 banks
• About 5,000 banks closed during the decade

During:
- 1929-1933 - 10,000 bank closures

Question 5

National Wage Bill

Answer 5

During:

- 1932: Wages 62% lower than in 1929

Question 6

Suicide rates:

Answer 6

Before:

• 1929 - 14 per 10,000.
• 1932 - 17.4 per 10,000.

Question 7

Black Americans

Answer 7

During:

- April 1931 - The amount of unemployed Black Americans was 4 to 6x higher than white Americans.

Question 8

Family Aid

Answer 8

During:

• 1931 - 3.8 million one-parent families headed by women
• Only 19,280 received any aid

Question 9

Homelessness

Answer 9

During:

• Lived in shanty towns called Hoovervilles
• Large metropolitan areas had thousands of inhabitants
  
  • Eg, New York, Washington DC
• St Louis, Missouri, was home to the largest and longest-standing Hooverville.