The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that took place mostly during the 1930s. It began in the United States after a major fall in stock prices and went on to affect most countries around the world. This period was marked by mass unemployment, poverty, low profits, deflation, plunging farm incomes, and lost opportunities for economic growth and personal advancement. The Great Depression represents one of the most difficult times in modern history.
The Great Depression started in 1929 when the stock market in the United States crashed. The market crashed on October 29, 1929, a day known as Black Tuesday. After the crash, many people panicked and withdrew all their money from banks. This caused many banks to fail and people lost their life savings. Unemployment skyrocketed, peaking at around 25% in 1933. Many businesses failed and prices for crops fell dramatically, hurting farmers. The Depression spread from the United States to the rest of the world, especially Europe. Most countries instituted protectionist policies, like setting quotas and raising tariffs on imports, in an attempt to protect domestic businesses. However, this only made the decline in international trade even worse.
The Great Depression did not just affect the economy. It profoundly impacted society and culture. Many people lived in poverty with insufficient food, healthcare, or housing. Families fell apart and cases of discrimination rose. The arts were also affected, with many writers, musicians, and other artists expressing the realities of the Depression in their works. Movies became important sources of cheap entertainment and escapism for the public.
The Great Depression ended around 1939 as countries started gearing up for World War II. Massive defense spending for the war effort finally revived economies and ended the unemployment crisis. However, the Depression left a lasting mark on those who lived through it, cementing it as one of the bleakest periods in modern history.
Riddles About the Causes
Riddle 1
I’m the break that started the quake,
Billions lost at my uptake.
Overvalued shares were sold,
Then the market’s crash foretold.
Answer: The Wall Street Crash of 1929
Riddle 2
Buy and buy though prices were high,
Thinking the good times would never die.
When things fell apart, many did weep,
Unable to sell, they lost money heap after heap.
Answer: Speculation and the stock market bubble
Riddle 3
I’m a practice quite familiar in name,
Banks used me, ignoring the pain.
Money was lent to buy frilly things,
Creating a crisis when the market sinks.
Answer: Buying stocks on margin
Riddle 4
We’re twin policies raising obstacles abroad,
Other countries couldn’t sell us their goods flawed.
Global trade took a hit you see,
When Smoot and Hawley sheltered industry.
Answer: The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act
Riddle 5
As dust swept in, our numbers grew,
Seeking opportunity, and a living wage too.
But there was not enough work to go around,
No way out of poverty could be found.
Answer: Migration from rural to urban areas
Riddles About Life During the Depression
Riddle 1
We braved the wind, heat, and cold,
Seeking jobs but none to hold.
Sign says “No Help Wanted” here,
Roaming endlessly year after year.
Answer: Hobos/transient workers
Riddle 2
To earn a little, I’ll dance and sing,
Performing casually or at a big wingding.
A diversion for a nickel or dime,
I’ll entertain to get by in this time.
Answer: Buskers
Riddle 3
In rural areas we were quite well known,
As farmers struggled with crops they had sown.
Dust storms arrived, the land was infertile,
Leading many to abandon the pastoral.
Answer: The Dust Bowl
Riddle 4
We set up camps where displaced peoples stayed,
Offering shelter and basic aid.
Hooverville was a common name,
As poverty and homelessness became widespread in the terrain.
Answer: Hoovervilles
Riddle 5
I queue all day for a warm meal,
Numbers grow, it’s a dreadful zeal.
Soup kitchens are where I must go,
When you have nothing, you wait in the cold.
Answer: Soup kitchen lines
Riddle 6
Sickness and hunger were too much to bear,
Children fainting with so little to share.
Finally a voice said “I’ll help you my friends,”
And my caring policies brought the Depression to an end.
Answer: President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal
Riddles About the Arts During the Depression
Riddle 1
I’m paid for in pennies, nickels, and dimes,
But I help ease woes during desperate times.
Singing and dancing to popular hits,
I give folks temporary joy and a few laughs.
Answer: Jukeboxes
Riddle 2
Dastardly villains I fought in disguise,
Symbols of evil I did dramatize.
In zany cartoons I mocking portrayed,
Those who let others starve while they had it made.
Answer: Depression-era animation
Riddle 3
I dance and dream of fortune and fame,
But poverty and woe are my current refrain.
My moves are fantastic, my legs long and lean,
I whirl on stage, the people’s new queen.
Answer: Busby Berkeley musicals
Riddle 4
We were hired by the government back in the day,
To paint Public Works in an uplifting way.
Murals and posters to make buildings bright,
Brought art to the people amidst the blight.
Answer: The Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Art Project
Riddle 5
Snap went the camera wherever I roamed,
Capturing the struggles of people downtrodden.
Migrant Mother now an icon remains,
Her weary face etched into history’s refrain.
Answer: Dorothea Lange’s photography
Riddles About Recovery Efforts
Riddle 1
Banks failed and people’s money disappeared,
So I was created so savings were guaranteed.
FDIC is now a familiar name,
Insuring deposits so banks aren’t to blame.
Answer: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
Riddle 2
I opened my gates for a landmark dedication,
Bringing power and jobs for my state’s population.
I’m Hoover Dam, harnessing the river’s flow,
Putting thousands to work during the Depression’s low.
Answer: Hoover Dam
Riddle 3
We gave out food and goods across the nation,
Helping the unemployed and malnourished population.
Commodities we handed out till they were on their feet,
A little relief though the woes were complete.
Answer: Federal Surplus Relief Administration
Riddle 4
Alphabet soup we were playfully called,
As our numbers and programs endlessly sprawled.
Farm aid, jobs, Social Security for elderly folks,
All part of FDR’s New Deal cookbook.
Answer: New Deal Programs
Riddle 5
I stimulated growth both far and wide,
By keeping interest rates unsatisfied.
Easy money policies let credit expand,
So people spent more to boost demand.
Answer: Federal Reserve monetary policies
Riddles About the End of the Depression
Riddle 1
We mobilized for war across the ocean,
Investing billions to defeat the Nazi notion.
Economic recovery was spurred on by war,
As unemployment fell and production soared.
Answer: Increased spending during World War II
Riddle 2
No longer was I something people tried to hide,
I was faced openly, decisions made wide.
Information flowed more easily at last,
Communication and integration recast.
Answer: Abandonment of isolationist policies
Riddle 3
I helped the unemployed find jobs once again,
Matching workers to openings across the terrain.
Unemployment fell as positions were filled,
Helping millions left broke and distraught.
Answer: Employment service created by the WPA
Riddle 4
Prices could not be too high or low,
They had to follow my careful flow.
I adjusted supply when needed you see,
To create balance in the economy.
Answer: Agricultural price controls
Riddle 5
Youth were put to work to conserve the land,
Planting trees and lending a helping hand.
In Civilian Conservation Corps we did dwell,
Improving parks for the future as well.
Answer: Civilian Conservation Corps
Conclusion
The Great Depression was a trying time that significantly impacted the world. These riddles provide a glimpse into the various causes of the economic decline, the difficult living conditions faced by many, and efforts made to boost recovery. While a dark period, important lessons were learned about financial regulation, social welfare programs, employment, and fiscal policies. The Depression changed economic thought forever, leading to reforms that aimed to prevent another catastrophic global financial crisis. Its legacy remains carved in history and the public consciousness.
