Blog #8

Blog 8

Nick Mitterando

            The first reading talks about the effects of the great depression on America for many years. Bernstein starts by saying how no economical event has been as big as the great depression. He then goes into the effects of it on industry and people. Starting with the secular transition that was abruptly ended by the depression. The transition was started but it was in a venerable stage still when the depression hit, and it died off. After the depression there was a shift in consumer demand. Many businesses failed to keep up with this shift while others did okay. “Certain major industries such as textiles, iron and steel, and lumber saw their markets weaken: others, notably appliances, chemicals, and processed foods, faced a new set of opportunities, but were not yet sufficiently strong to sustain a high rate of macroeconomic growth.” He ends by talking about the effects of World War II. World War II saw many changes in economic sectors. Many old economic sectors came back and new industries were invested in because of government help. Getting through the war was not easy but it resulted in a boom afterward.

The second article by Walter Greason talks about the path to freedom in the United States. He starts off by explain how Family and Community are the foundations of how people develop and learn in life. He then leads into how people wanted to seek new horizons and get white collar jobs, dive nice cars, and have big homesteads. This dream is what made people start migrating to different areas of the US. People were in search of their dreams and wanted to accomplish them any way they could. Later Greason talks about how old professions like sharecropping were left behind as people migrated to new lines of work. African Americans who previously were sharecroppers now got jobs as day laborers and live in domestics. They also set up The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Urban League, these were formed to encourage education and religion. He ends by talking about how these foundations along with new ways of living allowed for African Americans to have dreams for the first time in centuries.

The Nations book this week discussed the 1929 crash. This crash was what casued the great depression. At the time it was the biggest crash to ever hit the united states. Becasue of this crash the great depression lasted 10 years and would effect almost every person in america.