How Did The Great Depression Affect Our Families

As defined by Investopedia, “ The Great Depression was an economic recession that began on October 29, 1929, following the crash of the U.S. stock market…Lasting nearly a decade, the Depression caused massive levels of poverty, hunger, unemployment and political unrest.” Although, in Iowa, The great depression had devastated farming families as early as 1920 . When the stock market crashed in 1929 farming families lost what little they had maintained through the prior decade. The greatest* factors* on Iowa families, and their survival through the great depression, were government regulated prices, family dynamics, and community support.
Primarily, the largest factor that directed Iowa farmers in to the strain* of the great depression was government regulated prices of crops and livestock. Through the duration of World War I, farmers were ensured for high prices from the government . Farmers quickly took out loans to purchase more land and machinery . After the war, the government stopped their grantees and allowed prices to fall back to their natural value . Farmers were still producing high amounts and this saturated the
Support from every member of the family was vital to the family’s survival through the depression. In a study of 12 great depression survives by Iowa State University, every generation of a family utilized a comprehensive type of family support to help meet the emotional and physical needs of every member . Every member of the family, regardless of age, would provide support for the family . Then in turn, each member of the family would receive support . To support children, parents were backed up by aunts, uncles and other relatives . Middle age, unmarried relatives would move to live with the family to bring another source of income into the family . Every member of the family worked hard to contribute to the well-being of the entire family