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THE GREAT DEPRESSION

Although the U.S. had experienced several depressions before the stock market crash of October 27, 1929, none had been as severe or long-lasting before "Black Tuesday". Economists and politicians thought thought the crash a correction of the market, no worse than the recession the States experienced after World War I.

However, the depression steadily worsened. By spring of 1933, when FDR took the oath of office, unemployment had risen from 8 to 15 million, and the gross national product had decreased from $103.8 billion to $55.7 billion. Forty percent of the farms in Mississippi were on the auction block on inauguration day. Farmers in the Midwest were hit by both the recession and the Dust Bowl.

No one knew how best to respond to this situation. President Hoover believed charity would do more harm then good and that the "Economic wounds" must be healed by the producers and consumers themselves. By 1932, only 1/4 of American unemployed families received any relief, with only about 1.5% of government funding going to relief funds. Breadlines and Hoovervilles started appearing across the nation.

During this time, resistance to protest often turned violent. Four members of the Dearborn hunger march were killed when 1000 soldiers, accompanied by tanks and machine guns, evicted veterans living in the Bonus Army camp in Washington D.C.