In the unit, Prosperity and Depression, students in U.S. History II learned about the Roaring 20’s followed by the Great Depression. They examined the causes of the Great Depression and how it affected every aspect of life in America. Students also examined how the Great Depression had a harsher effect on African Americans. The Great Migration lasted from 1916 – 1970.  More than 6 million African Americans left the South for cities in the North and West. Harlem, became the center of African American culture in the 1920s. They hoped to build better lives for themselves but still faced adversity in the North. As the 1920s roared on, life as Americans knew and enjoyed drastically change. The Stock Market crashed on October 29, 1929 and began the Great Depression. 1932 also brought about political change as Franklin Delano Roosevelt defeated incumbent, Herbert Hoover in the 1932 presidential election. In 1933, Congress passed the 21st Amendment, which overturned the 18th Amendment and ended prohibition. Crime and employment were up. At the end of this unit, students completed a project about the stock market (RH.11-12.7 and W.11-12.2) . To better understand the stock market, students chose three companies on the New York Stock Exchange and researched the closing price for each day in January. Then, they analyzed the data and created a graph with the information.  Finally, students researched the causes of the Great Depression and more information about the New York Stock Exchange. To conclude their project, students explained if they would have invested their own money into any of the companies they chose.

Enjoy the pictures!