Great Depression vs Today

The great depression in the south

• The Great Depression began on October 29, 1929, after the stock market crashed on "Black Tuesday." Hundreds of people all tried to sell and buy stocks at once, and people quickly withdrew all their money from banks.
• Lots of people were in debt from using the new system of credit.

The great depression in the south

• The southern states of the United States were hit particularly hard by the Great Depression.
• In the south, a majority of people worked on farms without electricity.
• When people had no money, they didn't have funds to buy from farms, so they all had too many crops to sell.

great depression in alabama

• The Great Depression was the hardest in Alabama.
• Alabama, a state that mostly produced cotton, saw the prices of cotton fall to their lowest since the 1880s.
• The unemployment shot up over 28% in Alabama alone.

great depression in alabama

• Farmers could no longer afford to buy the things they needed, or pay for electricity, because people could not afford to buy their crops.
• Many farmers sold their farms and moved to the city, creating further strain on remaining farmers.

to kill a mockingbird and the depression

• The novel to Kill a Mockingbird takes place buring the Great Depression.
• To show the hardship of others, the author creates characters like the Ewells, farmers who are very poor.

to kill a mockingbird and the depression

• The Ewells, and other country folk, cannot afford to pay for doctor's visits, and have to pay debts with crops.
• They cannot afford to send their children to school with lunches.
• This is an accurate way to show the Depression, as many people did not have the money for food or healthcare.