Reflective Essay
The 1930s-A Decade Full of Trials
The 1930s is an extremely well known decade in American history. However, the 1930s
can be remembered as a very ‘infamous’ decade for America. This period in history was very
difficult for the United States due to various setbacks that altered the production and well-being
of the entire country. These setbacks that affected the country were The Great Depression, The
Dust Bowl, and the beginning of World War II.
First, the 1930s is a very memorable decade in American History because the United
States suffered and endured The Great Depression during this time. The Great Depression began
on Tuesday October 29, 1929. This date has been called “Black Tuesday” and has been widely
used to mark the beginning of the Great Depression that occurred in the United States. The Great
Depression lasted ten years and covered the whole decade of the 1930s. It is difficult to identify a
single cause for the Great Depression. However, one of the main causes was the stock market
crash that occurred on “Black Tuesday”. On this day, the stock market crashed and stockholders
across the United States lost more than forty billion dollars.
Another major cause of the Great Depression was the numerous amount of banks that
began to fail. During this decade, more than nine thousand banks failed which meant that a
countless amount of Americans lost their savings. As a result of this, banks that still remained
stable were extremely hesitant in giving out loans to citizens due to the risks that were involved
when handing out loans. The final well-known reason why the United States entered the Great
Depression was due to The Dust Bowl.
Next, the decade of the 1930s is well-known in U.S. history due to the Dust Bowl. The
Dust Bowl was a major drought during the 1930s that affected the area of the Great Plains. The
states most affected by this drought were Oklahoma and Texas and parts of Colorado, Kansas,
and New Mexico. During this time, there was a lot of loose soil and high winds that created dust
clouds that became known as “black blizzards”. As a result of the drought, more than half of the
inhabitants of this region left in order to seek a better shelter. Many farmers were unable to
harvest crops and as a result greatly affected the United States’ economy.
Finally, the 1930s are greatly known for the beginning of World War II. World War II
officially began on September 1, 1939. Even though the actual war began exceptionally late in
the decade, all the major events that actually led to the beginning of the war took place
throughout the 1930s.
It is thus clear that the 1930s are mostly remembered for the negative events that greatly
impacted the entire United States. The Great Depression, The Dust Bowl, and the beginning of
World War II were events that certainly altered the United States forever. These events are all
remembered as catastrophic, but some good certainly came out of them. As a result of The Great
Depression , the United States learned how to prevent an economic depression like that from
arising which explains why the U.S. has not faced another economic recession similar to this
one. Also, as a direct result of The Dust Bowl, farmers learned new methods to better cultivate
the land and protect it from another possible “Dust Bowl”. And finally, World War II helped
stimulate the economy-bringing The Great Depression to an end. Not everything that seems to be
negative is in fact bad; always remember that good may come from something bad.