The Great Depression: A Catalyst For Radical

Change In America’s Economic And Social

Fabric

Sudha Chandrasekaran
Aryash Shyam
Junior Division
Exhibit
Process Paper: 500 words
 Delete this after reading: A new version has been attached below. Please review it. The old
version is below.

In the rich tapestry of American history, several turning points stand out as shaping the nation's
social and economic fabric. From the American Revolution (1775-1783) to the Industrial
Revolution (1820s-1910s), and from the Civil War (1861-1865) to the Civil Rights Movement
(1954-1968), each period has left an indelible mark on society. Yet, amidst these milestones, the
Great Depression stands apart as a truly transformative event. Its impact was not limited to the
United States; it reverberated globally, reshaping economies and societies world-wide.

After brainstorming several topics, we decided to focus on the Great Depression because of its
long-lasting effects on our lives. After looking into different historical events, we found that the
Great Depression stood out because of how widespread and damaging it was. It affected people
all over the world and changed the way they thought about things. Plus, it had a big influence on
how countries make economic policies even today. The Great Depression is a Turning Point in
History, as it had a significant global impact and spurred significant change, aligning with the
NHD theme.

We started our research by going online and creating our own set of questions. Once we finished
the questions, we used the internet to find answers. Next, we visited the library and museums to
find original materials to support our online findings. We made sure to search for reliable sources
on search engines, mainly focusing on educational and government websites. We compared the
information we found online with what we discovered in books from the library's catalog. Our
main goal was to find primary sources. Finally, we visited museums to gather secondary sources,
such as photos and diagrams. After collecting all this information, we combined it to complete
our research.

We created an exhibit to showcase the various facets of the Great Depression. This included
things like hunger and homelessness, the big financial crash called Black Thursday, protests, and
the New Deal that followed.

Our historical argument suggests that the Great Depression caused people to rethink how
economies, governments, and societies worked together, shaping the path of the 20th and 21st
centuries. Today, many older folks are just a couple of generations away from ancestors who
lived through the Great Depression. They often refer back to it to understand how bad things can
get economically when they start to go wrong. This period led to a reassessment of economic
systems, government responsibilities, and societal beliefs, leaving a lasting impact on our world
today. Most of the securities regulations in place today, including the creation of the Securities
and Exchange Commission, were created during that decade.
The Great Depression stands out as the most significant economic event in modern history for
both the United States and the industrialized world. Even nearly a century later, it serves as a
powerful reminder of the profound and widespread effects an economic crisis can have on
people's lives. Lessons learned from the Great Depression are still being used to steer the current
digital economy from collapsing again.

OLD VERSION

The Great Depression: Transforming Society’s

Economic and Social
Landscape

Sudha Chandrasekaran
Aryash Shyam
Junior Division
Exhibit
Process Paper: 485
 We chose the Great Depression because the other topics were not as impactful, and we
felt this was the most economical, and world-changing one. We think that the Great Depression
was the best choice out of all the topics we had brainstormed. We felt curious about this time in
history, not knowing much before this exhibit. It relates to the NHD theme of Turning Points in
history because the Great Depression made a significant impact on the world and is a turning
point because it brought about change. It gave governments a new perspective on how to manage
and prevent disasters like this.

We conducted our research by going online first and began making our premade
questions. After all the questions were done, we began to answer them with our research. Then
we went to the library, and museums to get primary sources and combine those with our online
research about our questions. We went on search engines and looked for the most reliable and
trusted sources. We compared them with the other sources’ information, making sure that the
sources were reliable. We mostly searched for .edu and .gov sources to get the best information.
Then, we went to the library’s online catalog and looked for books that related to our topic. Our
first focus was on primary sources. Lastly, we visited museums which were mostly for secondary
sources. These would be the source of our photos, and diagrams. After all of this research, we
blended all of this information.

We made our project one step at a time so that we could focus on different parts of it and
make sure they were complete before moving to the next step. We first worked on the text in the
presentation, and then the process paper, our research, and our bibliography. Afterward, we
constructed our exhibit. Finally, we put it all together to present to the judges at NHD. This way
of making our project ensured that each step was carefully planned.

Our historical argument is that the Great Depression changed American lives by teaching
all people the importance of money and how they needed to prepare for a financial crisis in the
future. The Great Depression is significant in history because it led to a new view on the
government’s role in the economy, and it led to a change in the way Americans saw the role of
government. It is also important because some world changingworld-changing innovations were
made to prevent this from happening again. The SEC way was created to regulate the stock
market, while the IMF way was created to stabilize world economics. Lots of welfare programs
were created to help people in need. Agencies were created to regulate different sectors, and a lot
of these changes are now followed all over the world. Lessons learned from the Great Depression
are still being used to steer the current digital economy from collapsing again.