more Americans than ever before investing in the stock market, buying on margin, and using credit.( Johnson, Deb ) This was all highlighted by the bootlegging and rum running that kept America wet during prohibition.( History Online ) All this came to a catastrophic end though in 1929 when the stock market crashed. Some of the effects of this decade are with us still today. Like makeup, dancing without chaperones, credit, and people that are more cautious about money usage. Also because of the crash then and another drop in 1987 the government put computer blockers on the stock market to stop it from ever dropping that low again.( Johnson, Deb ) All this combined made the 1920's one of the most important and pivotal decades of the 20th century. The main theme of the 4th decade was the depression that was caused by the stock market crash in 1929.( Grolier ) It concerned and effected Americans then for many reasons. Not only was it a nationwide economic fall, but it caused a collapse of the world market as well.( Grolier ) It eventually effected all Americans and most of them blamed their troubles on President Hoover, because he was President during the crash, and he didn't know what to do. People wanted jobs, but their were no jobs to obtain. In the Midwest the crisis was worsened by the dust bowl.( Stienbeck, John ) It was all too sudden of a change after the roaring 20's and the economic boom. The effects of the depression were harsh and unrelenting. Because of the depression, many people took pay cuts or lost their jobs entirely. Those who had jobs were sometimes forced to move at the will of their employers. An example of this is when many Midwestern farmers traveled to California for jobs during the dust bowl.( Grolier ) The rate of homelessness also increased as a result of the depression and people were forced to live in junk shacks named "Hoovervilles." Some of these people starved to death or committed sui...
