The Great Depression

7 Pages 1828 Words

ecause they were certain of the economy. People started selling
their stocks at a fast pace; over sixteen million stocks were sold!
Numerous stock prices dropped to fraction of their value. Banks lost
money from the stock market and from Americans who couldn't pay back
loans. Many factories lost money and went out of business because of
this great tragedy (Drewry and O'connor

By the 1930's, thirteen million workers lost their jobs which is
25 percent of all workers. The blacks and unskilled workers were
always the first to be fired. Farmers had no money and weren't
capable of paying their mortgages. Americans traveled throughout the
country looking for a place to work to support themselves and their
family (Drewry and O'connor 560-561). John Steinbeck, born in 1902,
grew up during the Depression near the fertile Salinas Valley and
wrote many books of fiction based on his background and experiences
during that time and area of the country. One of his great works would
be the Grapes of Wrath In this book, Steinbeck describes the farmers
plight during the Great Depression and drought. Wh...