The Great Depression of the 1930s in Canada Essay -- World History

The Great Depression of the 1930s in Canada The Great Depression of the 1930's is a benchmark for all depressions and recessions in the past and in the future. In the booklet "The Great Depression of the 1930s in Canada" , Michiel Horn gives an intellectual dissection of the events that occurred during the Great Depression. Michiel Horn's approach leaves the reader with a foul taste for the Dirty Thirties. This essay will summarize Michiel Horns key points as well as discuss the ability of Michiel Horn to report his findings. Michiel Horn is currently the Chairman of the History Department at York University. His interests in the Great Depression revolve around the history of taxation. Therefore, he is interested in making sure that this sequence of events is fully understood so that future generations never allow it to happen again. There are several causes of the Great Depression which Michiel Horn touches on throughout his writings. The initial tool that he used to help understand the situation was to look at statistical data from that time. Through use of this data, a greater understanding of the physical hardships could be quantified and compared to present day. The reading begins with statistics about the shocking rate of unemployment. In 1933, at the height of the depression, the unemployment rate was between 19.3and 27 percent. The industrial activity in 1933 was only 57 percent of the average activity for the years 1925-29. The causes for the Great Depression were easy to see, but hard to fix. The problems included the inability of foreign countries to purchase surplus goods produced by other countries. Before the Great Depression, the British used this tactic to stabilize the market. Unfort... ...ults of the recession. In order for this never to happen again, there is a need to learn from the mistakes in the past and to look for the warning signs. The problem is not just restricted to one country, but is a global problem and needs to be addressed as such. The Great Depression often seems very distant to people of the 21st century. This article is a good reminder of potential problems that may reoccur. The article showed in a very literal way the idea that a depression can bring a growing country to its knees. The overall ramifications of the event were never discussed in detail, but the historical significance is that people's lives were put on hold while they tried to struggle through an extremely difficult time. Bibliography Michiel, Horn. The Great Depression of the 1930s in Canada. Ottawa: The Canadian Historical Association, 1984.