Life in the Great Depression

Construction linked with banks failed due to loss of credit and bankruptcy, leading to the building of Hoovervilles. Shanty houses were the usual living place for most Americans during the Great Depression. Hoovervilles is a more common name. Jobless people relied on the kind deeds of others for basic necessities such as milk and bread. Hoover believed that it was the job of good citizens to help the poor, not the government's. Soup kitchen's were the main dining place for Americans. The middle class was non existent, ranging from the extrememly poor to the extrememly rich. A man's day conisted of searching for a job, and when the search ended with no results, he felt it as a personal failure for his joblessness. Women even went on the hunt for jobs, despite how they were viewed. People had to sell usually expensive goods for significant less amounts. Even families' children were needed for labor. Miniorities, such as African Americans were negatively impacted even more so than whites. White men demanded that African Americans were forced out of their jobs untill, "every white man had a job". In such an economic depression, entertainment was valued. Radio and movie theaters provided a source of relief after a long day of hardships. Entertainment was the only enjoyable thing for people of the Great Depression.

Credit in the Great Depression

The Great Depression's most impactful cause was that of credit. In the roaring 20's money was not used to pay for things. Credit was. When it came time to pay for products obtained through credit, the people could not. This lead to a national debt, as banks ran out of money. Banks had given out risky loans based on credit. When people could not pay back these loans, banks were forced to decalre bankruptcy. When news of banks closing and not having enough money spred, a nation wide panic occured, where people quickly tried to withdraw everything in their savings account. When banks could not give everyone their money, due to extreme withdraws of other members, people were left with nothing. Credit was over used in the 20's leading to the depression through the 30's. Such credit failures are still present today. Banks in the 21st century have given out risky loans to people who can not pay back the credit they have recieved. This is proven in the housing market and increasing forclosure. Credit still impacts the economy now, as it had eighty years ago. The nation is still in debt as a whole, and will be as long as their is credit.

Carnegie Hall

Carnegie was an immigrant from Scotland, immigrating to America as a child. He was the builder of Pittsburgh's Carnegie Steel Company. With the excessive money he made from his steel businesses he founded educational ventures, such as Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Carnegie Mellon University. Carnegie could have ran for Ms. America, considering how he donated most of his money to countries of the world, schools and libraries. As well as the steel industry, Carnegie had investments in the railroad system. The Sherman Antitrust did not really effect Carnegie, thus giving him the title of one of the richest men on Earth. He, however, did not get the bad reputation of most monopolistic men, as he donated much of what he earned.

Progressivism, yo.

The government fought against monopolies by trying to destory trusts. William H. Taft, also known as the "trustbuster", wanted to destory all monopolies. This encluded monopolies on the train transportation system. Tycoons over the railroad were able to control the price of shipping, manipulating how much farmers had to pay to ship their goods. Farmers lost massive profits during this, making many of them have to resosrt to sharecropping. Regulating monopolies was essiential to keep the middle and lower class, or anyone not envolved in monopolies, from encountering massive debt. My regulating monopolies, Taft was truly controlling how well the country would progress. However, the Panic of 1907 occured, deeming his attempts slightly unsuccessful. Woodrow Wilson wanted to expand "The New Freedom", or expand democracy. He enchanced democracy, rather than change it to something new. Roosevelt's attempt to pereserve the land, yet make cheaper engery sources was somewhat successful, as dams currently reside to do so, yet perserving the land in some of these efforts were not.
So, in all, the three leaders of Progressivism were mostly not successful, but they did have some impact on the progress of America.

Back to the Cowhands

Back to the Future III is the ultimate example of the West romanticized. Gun draws in the streets, bandits, broads in distress, train hijackers, and Indians highlight the most romanticized infulences of the west. But such adventure was not available. Fights between Indians were not as heroic as depicted, as hundred of whites were massacred and scalped. Cowboys had a less adventurous tale, as herding cows did not have as many heroic tales in the job description, as depicted by the east coast..

Education is Changing

Public schools became a growing fad as America had a want for better schools to educate their children with. They were truly created for middle class. Though women attended school, they were taught how to sow and be good mothers, rather than learn things such as arithmetic. Women were taught how to become proper wives, while men were taught tools of trade. Men of higher class were taught how to progress in careers such as doctors or lawyers, while the poor were taught things of industrial manner. African Americans education was not furthered as it was illegal to do so in the south, and they were not allowed into the schools in the north. This progress helped select people, mostly the middle class and up. Poorer people rarely attended school, as it was not required and their help was needed on the family farm. Because not all children were educated, and they were not generally educated the same, but for specific areas, this reform was somewhat lacking. It was not a fair system, but at least education was expanding.