A collection of printable worksheets that explore the worst economic time of the industrialized world.

In October of 1929 the stock market experienced the worst crash in the history of its existence. As a result panic spread through investors who were afraid to invest and consumers that were afraid to spend money. With no one spending money on products and services companies began to fail. Over eleven thousand banks failed during this period leaving citizens with zero savings. Over three hundred thousand companies failed during this era and were driven out of business. This period lasted ten years until an economic shift came about. During the first four years, the stock market lost ninety percent of its value. The failure of companies led to many people becoming unemployed. The policies and actions of President Franklin D. Roosevelt are seen as the driving force that helped get the economy back on course.

These worksheets look at the stock market crash and general causes that led to this desperate period of American and world history. We explore mitigating factors including prohibition and military discernments. We also look at how we clawed our way out of that gloomy time.



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Print The Great Depression Worksheets

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The Problem Reading Passage

At the start of the Great Depression, Herbert Hoover was president, and many people blamed him for what happened.

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The Problem - Multiple Choice Questions

The New Deal created around 100 new government offices and 40 new agencies.

Causes

Mass failures in the banking system was another contributing factor.

Causes - Short Answer Questions

Explain why the economy became progressively worse as the Great Depression went on.

The Stock Market Crash of 1929

One reason for the crash is what is called over speculation, which means that stocks had become worth much more than the actual values of the companies they represented.

QUESTIONS: The Stock Market Crash of 1929

Over 10,000 banks that had invested in the stock market, or who had lent money to investors, went out of business.

The Dust Bowl

The Dust Bowl was a region in the midwestern United States that was afflicted by drought (lack of rain) during the Great Depression.

QUESTIONS: The Dust Bowl

It was difficult, if not impossible, to live in the Dust Bowl, so people began to leave.

Prohibition

Prohibition was a time in U.S. history when it was illegal to make or sell any alcoholic beverages.

QUESTIONS: Prohibition

Selling illegal alcohol became a profitable line of business for many organized crime syndicates.

The Bonus Army Reading Passage

When World War I ended, Congress voted to give World War I veteran soldiers a bonus of $1.25 for every day they had served overseas, and one dollar for every day they had served in the U.S. The problem was that World War I ended in 1918, and the bonuses were not scheduled to be paid out until 1945.

QUESTIONS: The Bonus Army

What happened to the first bill introduced in Congress to pay out the bonuses early?

Fireside Chats

Roosevelt gave his first fireside chat on March 12, 1933, just a few days after taking his oath of office.

QUESTIONS: Fireside Chats

The topics of subsequent fireside chats were contemporary issues.

The First New Deal Reading Worksheet

The First New Deal was the first set of government programs put into place in order to help America recover from the Great Depression.

The First New Deal - Short Answer Questions

The New Deal included a program for public works which built roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, and dams all over the country, improving American infrastructure and creating jobs.

The Second New Deal

Though the First New Deal had instituted new laws and regulations, they weren't enough to make things better, and the Great Depression continued.

The Second New Deal- Questions

The National Labor Relations Act was passed in 1935, guaranteeing certain rights to unions and workers and establishing a federal board to arbitrate wage agreements.

The End

Because the economy was in such dire straights when Roosevelt took office in 1933, he signed many new laws and created new government agencies designed to help the stagnating economy recover.

The End - Short Answer

How did the New Deal change the way that Americans thought about the government?