The Great Depression

America and indeed the world were on a high as the 1920's started coming to a close. The Republican Presidents who had served from the end of the First World War, Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, had an easy time getting the Presidency due to the publics lack of trust in the Democrats. The Republicans position was only strengthened as the economy continued to improve. The seemingly only hope the Democrats had of gaining power and the Presidency was a disaster. And a disaster they got, first obviously noticed with the Wall Street Crash in 1929. Both parties handled matters differently, though they Democrats were more prepared to try ways to ease the hardships. Had the great depression not occurred some important changes might not have come about? There would be no social security, no taxation, quite likely higher unemployment and therefore lower living standards and a larger gap between the rich and poor, and the private sector would have a much greater effect on the running of the country.

English: Civilian Conservation Corps constructing ...

English: Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Herbert Hoo...

Mount Democrat from Climax Mine

As the prosperous twenties grew to a close, none expected the joy and fun to end. None would have predicted the collapse of the Stock Market on "˜Black Thursday', the 24th October 1929. The good times had come to an end and the American people were in for the worst depression ever in the history of the western world. The two major political parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, both held power a some stage during this time and approached the economical and social ramifications of this decade in different ways. The Republican representative at the time was Herbert Hoover and was more the victim of bad timing then anything else as he was elected just months before the Stock Market Crash. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the Democratic President and...