1. The Onset of the Great Depression 🌍📉

• The Great Depression started in 1929 and lasted until the mid-1930s. 📆🔻
• It caused severe economic decline in many countries. 🌎💔
• There were sharp falls in production, employment, incomes, and trade. 📉💼💰
• Factories shut down, businesses collapsed, and workers lost jobs. 🏭🚪❌
• The impact varied, but agricultural regions suffered the most. 🚜💔
• Farmers faced greater losses because agricultural prices fell more than industrial goods. 🌾📉🏭
• Many people struggled to afford basic necessities like food and shelter. 🍞🏠💵❌

2. Causes of the Great Depression ⚠️💰

• The post-war economy was weak and unstable. 🏚️💸
• Agricultural overproduction led to too much supply and falling prices. 🚜📉
• As prices dropped, farmers earned less and struggled to survive. 💵❌🥀
• To make up for losses, farmers produced even more, but this only made things worse. 🔄🌾🚜
• Many countries relied on US loans for their economic growth. 💵🌍
• When the US financial system became unstable, lenders pulled back. 💰⚠️❌
• The withdrawal of US loans caused a crisis in many countries. 🌍💔🏦
• This led to bank failures, business shutdowns, and rising unemployment worldwide. 🏦❌📉💼

3. US Loan Crisis and Global Impact 🌍💵

• In the mid-1920s, many countries borrowed US loans to finance their growth. 💰🌎
• By 1928, the US had given over $1 billion in loans. 💵📈
• By 1929, the US cut loans to just one-quarter of the previous amount. 📉💵
• The sudden withdrawal of US loans led to bank failures in Europe. 🏦❌💔
• Major currencies like the British pound collapsed, worsening the crisis. 💱📉
• In Latin America, the economic crisis pushed agricultural and raw material prices even lower. 🚜📉💰❌
• The US raised import duties, making global trade even more difficult. 🚫🌍📉
• Countries dependent on US investments faced economic turmoil. 🔄💔💵

4. The US Economy Collapses 🇺🇸🏦

• The US suffered the most from the Great Depression. 🇺🇸⚠️💔
• Prices dropped sharply, causing panic in markets and businesses. 📉🏭❌
• Banks reduced lending and demanded loan repayments, worsening the crisis. 🏦❌💰🔄
• Farmers couldn’t sell their crops, leading to huge financial losses. 🚜💰❌
• Many businesses shut down, and families lost their homes and savings. 🏚️💔🏦
• The consumer boom of the 1920s disappeared, and millions lost their jobs. 🚶‍♂️💼📉
• By 1933, over 4,000 banks had closed, and between 1929-1932, 110,000 companies collapsed. 🏦❌📉
• The US economy sank into deep crisis, affecting people’s daily lives and future hopes. 🌎💸💔

5. Recovery and Long-Term Impact 🔄📈

• By 1935, a slow economic recovery began in most industrial countries. 🌱📊
• Governments intervened in economies to stabilize banks, industries, and employment. 🏛️💰
• Despite recovery, the Great Depression left lasting scars on society, politics, and international relations. 🌍💔
• Many people lost trust in banks and demanded greater government oversight. 🏦⚖️
• Economic policies changed permanently, leading to stronger financial regulations. 📜🏛️

6. A Personal Story: The Hungry Mother 📸🥀

• Photographer Dorothea Lange captured a heartbreaking image of a struggling mother and her seven children. 📷👩‍👧‍👦
• The family survived on frozen vegetables and birds hunted by the children. ❄️🍽️
• The mother sat helplessly with her children huddled around her, facing extreme poverty. 😞💔
• She allowed Lange to take her picture, hoping it might bring attention to their suffering. 🙏📸
• The photograph became an iconic symbol of the hardships and resilience of people during the Great Depression. 🖼️💔
• It reminded the world of the human cost of economic collapse and inspired future social policies. 🌎⚖️