Depression Essay, Research Paper

In the 1930s, the world suffered an economic collapse now known as the Great Depression. It was like a disease that afflicted the entire capitalist world. But it struck Canada more severely than every other capitalist country except the United States. It began in 1929, when the other countries stopped buying Canadian goods. This forced many Canadian industries out of business. Thousands of Canadians lost their jobs. Some lost their homes as well. Nearly every Canadian felt the effects of the Depression. However, the hardest hit were single men and Prairie farmers. During the Great Depression, single men suffered the greatest hardship for two reasons. First, they were not able to find jobs. Single women often found jobs cleaning homes for the wealthy, or working for very low wages in a factory. Such work was rarely available for men. People who were lucky enough to find jobs often earned extremely low wages. Second, single men were not able to receive government relief payments or food vouchers. Married unemployed men received these benefits because they had wives and children to support. Single men did not qualify for government relief because they did not have the same responsibilities. The 1930s were even worse for young men just entering the work force. Most of them could not find steady work because there was always someone more experienced applying for the same job. With no money, but plenty of spare time, single men of all ages wandered across the country looking for work. Many could not afford to ride on passenger trains. They often stole rides in, or on, freight trains. “Riding the rails” was illegal, but there were too few police officers to catch the many riders. The unemployed held PM Bennet totally responsible for not solving the situation before the depression really hit. The Depression years were also difficult times for farmers on the Prairies. Their problems began in 1929 when other countries stopped buying Canadian wheat. Farmers, who grew large wheat crops, had to sell their harvests at reduced prices or not sell them at all. $1.03 of wheat in 1928 was worth $0.47 in 1930, in 1931, it was worth $0.37, and $0.29 in 1932. The situation worsened when a long drought hit southern Saskatchewan and Alberta. The drought turned the rich topsoil into dry dust and made it impossible to grow anything valuable. Farmers who tried to plant new seeds could not keep them in the ground because strong winds often blew away both soil and seeds. Farmers who could not afford gasoline removed the engines and used horses to haul their cars. They named these “Bennett buggies” after Prime Minister Richard Bennett. Prairie farmers without crops to harvest could not pay the mortgages on their farms. Thus, many of them lost their farms and homes to the banks. Some people did manage to live well during the Great Depression. Those who had money saved could buy items in quantity because prices had dropped. Income taxes were also low. People with stable incomes bought new clothes or cars, and could afford the luxury of passenger trains.