Great Depression Essay - 1662 Words

Canada is a nation constructed from small stones of determination, and piles of perseverance. Today, Canada stands tall as a beacon of democracy and a fortress of ideological freedom. From the small stones of determination, to the status it wears proudly today, much has changed. It is the history that has shaped Canada into the nation it is; from the victorious moments to the days of misery and hardship. A prominent decade of true misery and hardship recalled by Canadians is the Great Depression. The Great Depression of the 1930s was a time of severe poverty, unemployment and unjust treatment experienced like never before by Canada. The Great Depression was unforeseen, yet inevitable. The Great Depression led many families to undertake†¦show more content†¦The needy families suffered the most. The government offered relief, or welfare, for those who qualified. An odd form of welfare was an open jail for the homeless. Similar to the relief camps, the state of jail was horribl e. It was described as a very old, thick-walled stone building, with two stories. At the end of the corridor stood the toilet and one wash basin. No beds or bedding was provided and the floors were black and swarming with bed bugs. One recalls, â€Å"Men were all suffering from gastric trouble due to hunger and the hard boiled beans, weak kidneys from the freezing cold, and frozen feet. In consequence, there was a steady line-up all night through at the toilet- two to three hundred men to one toilet...† Another form of relief was a soup kitchen. Again, the conditions were terrible. People suffered from hours of waiting in harsh weather conditions to be served dry bread, boiled beans, and coffee or tea. In addition, eating the meal was often done in ankle deep sludge. This was not something to be thankful for, as the cost to feed a single person was four cents. It was clear the soup kitchens could put in more effort. The Prairies suffered the most, as their way of life had al ways been less secure. Moreover, the families required a car and gas in order to get relief, as they had to travel to the city. In addition, many Canadian and American farmers had their property taken away for failing to meetShow MoreRelated The Great Depression Essay1234 Words   |  5 PagesThe Causes of the Great Depression The cause of the Great Depression has been debated for many years. The actual cause of the Great Depression is a multitude of factors, there was no single cause. Several reasons for the Great Depression were supply and demand, the banking system, wages of workers, success and failure of business, government policy, excessive speculation in the stock market and the unequal distribution of wealth between the rich and the middle class. While there are manyRead MoreEssay on Great Depression1174 Words   |  5 PagesThe Great Depression During the 1920’s America was experiencing great economic growth. 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