Not everyone, however, lost money during the worst economic downturn in American history. Business titans such as William Boeing and Walter Chrysler actually grew their fortunes during the Great Depression.
Within the overall upswing, the main expansion occurred during the 1922 to 1923 and 1928 to 1929 periods, and it was most pronounced in the automobile, electrical goods, and (to 1926) construction industries.
Even as late as 1939, a decade into the Great Depression, over 60 percent of rural households and 82 percent of farm families were classified as “impoverished.” In larger urban areas, unemployment levels exceeded the national average, with over half million unemployed workers in Chicago, and nearly a million in New ...
The Great Depression that began at the end of the 1920s was a worldwide phenomenon. By 1928, Germany, Brazil, and the economies of Southeast Asia were depressed. By early 1929, the economies of Poland, Argentina, and Canada were contracting, and the U.S. economy followed in the middle of 1929.
For many years, ITR Economics has been forecasting that a second Great Depression will occur in the 2030s. The road leading up to the Great Depression will be consequential in and of itself, with many opportunities and challenges.
Roosevelt's New Deal recovery programs were based on various, not always consistent, theories on the causes of the Depression. They targeted certain sectors of the economy: agriculture, relief, manufacturing, financial reforms, etc.
While many of the richest people in America lost money when the stock market crashed, the upper classes as a whole still retained much of the wealth which they had held before the Depression and in most cases did not suffer from unemployment.
The Great Depression was partly caused by the great inequality between the rich who accounted for a third of all wealth and the poor who had no savings at all. As the economy worsened many lost their fortunes, and some members of high society were forced to curb their extravagant lifestyles.
The Great Depression had devastating effects in countries both rich and poor. Personal income, tax revenue, profits, and prices dropped, while international trade plunged by more than 50%. Unemployment in the U.S. rose to 25% and in some countries as high as 33%.
Cash. Cash is an important asset when it comes to a recession. After all, if you do end up in a situation where you need to pull from your assets, it helps to have a dedicated emergency fund to fall back on, especially if you experience a layoff.
Domestic Bonds, Treasury Bills, & Notes
While Treasury bonds, bills, and notes are more secure investments. These items are issued by the U.S. government. They give the purchaser a fixed rate interest once they mature. Depending on your needs you may choose short term bills that mature in as little as days.
Many families sought to cope by planting gardens, canning food, buying used bread, and using cardboard and cotton for shoe soles. Despite a steep decline in food prices, many families did without milk or meat. In New York City, milk consumption declined a million gallons a day.
There were a lot of people who made money during the Great Depression. People who had money in investments and stocks did very well, as did those who owned land. There were also many people who became very successful by starting their own businesses.
Michael Burry rose to fame after he predicted the 2008 U.S. housing crash and managed to net $100 million in personal profits, and another $700 million for his investors with a few lucrative, out-of-consensus bets.
Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg both are reported to have lost from the funds. So did banks HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland. Tufts University has written off a $20 million investment with Madoff, and Yeshiva University is another reported victim.
Simply put, the stock market crash of 1929 caused the Great Depression because everyone lost money. Investors and businesses both put significant amounts of money into the market, and when it crashed, tremendous amounts of money were lost. Businesses closed and people lost their savings.
Most sources agree that, adjusting for inflation, John D. Rockefeller (d. 1937) was the richest American in history. He amassed a fortune of more than $41 billion, adjusted to 2022.
Not everyone, however, lost money during the worst economic downturn in American history. Business titans such as William Boeing and Walter Chrysler actually grew their fortunes during the Great Depression.
This is what Patterson refers to as the “old poverty.”5 The “new poverty” began with the famous stock market crash of 1929 and the onset of the Great Depression. This is when many middle and upper-income families first experienced poverty in America.
Canned foods, jar foods, powdered foods, dry goods, and anything that was preserved and could be stored for long periods of time became essential during the Great Depression.
The term "Great Depression" refers to the greatest and longest economic recession in modern world history. The Great Depression ran between 1929 and 1941, which was the same year that the United States entered World War II in 1941.
The stress of financial strain took a psychological toll—especially on men who were suddenly unable to provide for their families. The national suicide rate rose to an all-time high in 1933. Marriages became strained, though many couples could not afford to separate.
The Birth Years of the Silent Generation
An often-used range, however, is 1928–1945. These years span from the beginning of the Great Depression to the end of World War II. People born during this time are also sometimes called “Radio Babies” or “Traditionalists.”