The Great Depression

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I was going to make a fortune in my lifetime. I was only the average, everyday factory worker, making money building automobiles. Things were going great for me in the 1920’s while America’s economy was at it’s best. I was making extra money after a raise, and invested that extra money in the stock market. This investment was definitely one of best decisions of my life. After investing, I was constantly keeping up with the stock market, watching my stock value rise tremendously. With enough patience, my stock could rise to one million dollars. Luckily, I thought about the situation, and I realized that times wouldn’t always be great and that I shouldn’t let greed consume me. So, that day I went to the bank and I sold my stock for $823,000. The next day, October 24, 1929, America took a turn for the worst. The stock market crashed, and millions of Americans had lost their money. I was one of the very few people who sold their stocks and made a fortune. Now, millions of people are going to suffer all because of their greed and I will be able to take it easy.

I never thought things could get any worse during the Great Depression, but sure enough, they did. After years of living in Kansas, I’d never had a single problem with dust, but now things have changed. Dust has invaded my home to the point where my wife is constantly housekeeping. Great piles of dust have been swept out of the house and not only that, but my family and I have constantly breathed dust for the past week. Even worse, I had to bury my two year old son who was diagnosed with dust pneumonia. Yesterday, on April 14, I witnessed a colossal dust storm pass over my home for the longest time. These dust storms along with the hardships have taken a toll on my family, but I know things will soon get better. Although I’ve lived in Kansas my whole life, I must do what’s best for my family and move east. Moving east will give us the opportunity to escape these horrific dust storms and it will also benefit my family’s health. I don’t know what I’d do if I managed to lose another member of my family. That’s why I must move from these terrible ruins and come back soon with the hope that things have gotten better.

After the stock market crash, everything has gone horribly for me. I’ve been evicted from my home, fired on the job, and my car has been repossessed. Now I’m just a homeless man trying to get through the day. I’ve walked a countless number of miles in search of food and shelter and haven’t found barely anything. I’ve been living off the garbage of many people, finding crumbs and whatever else. After a few days of searching, I found a junk yard filled with potential supplies. This junk yard had everything I needed to provide shelter for myself. I gathered parts of cars, pieces of metal, and even some wood. These pieces would help me build a shack that would get me through the Great Depression. I would have never had to build this shack if it wasn’t for the sorry leadership of this country. President Herbert Hoover has made many promises to this country and hasn’t fulfilled a single one. His actions have put America in a hole that she won’t soon climb out of. Maybe next election, we’ll actually have a worthy president capable of helping America during her time of desperation.

About eight years ago, congress passed a bill that awarded veterans with bonuses. Ever since the bills passing, I haven’t received a single bonus. In fact, I won’t be able to receive my bonuses until 1945. Yesterday, on July 28, 1932, I decided to pay a visit to the capital and join thousands of other veterans to protest an early bonus payment. The leader of the march was a former Sergeant by the name of Walter Waters. As we stood and protested, President Hoover ordered us to leave the government property. I knew immediately that President Hoover was only wasting his breath because none of us moved an inch. Eventually, the police came and confronted us veterans and started a riot. I immediately started defending myself, fighting for the veteran cause and I knocked out two policemen in the process. In the end, two veterans were killed, around one thousand were injured, and we were driven out with our belongings burned.  All I escaped with after the protest were bloody knuckles, scars, and bruises. After everything I’ve done for this country, this is the thanks I get and my only reward will be given to me thirteen years from now.