Almost everyone has at least heard of the Great Depression that hit America in the early 20th century. Even though people are taught about the Great Depression, I personally think many people don't understand the severity it caused and the livelihoods it changed forever. The Great Depression, which lasted more than ten years, caused great suffering in many nations around the world (Fraser, 2010). As for the United States, the worst period of the Great Depression occurred between 1929 and 1933 (Fraser, 2010). The Great Depression went down in history as the most traumatic economic moment for the United States (Paul Evans). It is still recognized as the longest and most severe depression ever experienced in the Western Hemisphere (Romer). The Great Depression originated in the United States causing a dramatic decline in production, severe unemployment, and increased deflation in nearly every country in the world (Romer). To date, economists and historians are still trying to analyze what really happened during the earthquake of the Great Depression, as well as understanding the true underlying causes that created this serious crisis (Fraser, 2010). Although the Great Depression will forever be etched in the history books as the economic meltdown of the twentieth century, we Americans can learn to oversee and conquer what lies before us by understanding, to begin with, what put us in that dark place. The following describes and analyzes the four main causes that economists believe led to the end of the Great Depression: the stock market crash, the banking panic and monetary contradiction, the gold standard, and international lending and trade (Bernstein). People thank the decline…half of the paper…potential borrowers became confident that their profits would adequately cover loan payments if they chose to take out a loan (Richardson, September 2007). Along with this, the United States has also seen an increase in consumer and business spending (Fraser, 2010). Due to the incredible amount of unemployed workers, Franklin Roosevelt established the Workers Progress Administration as part of the New Deal (Fraser, 2010). This association hired unemployed people to work on government projects. Also part of the New Deal was the Agricultural Adjustment Association which gave large payments to farmers (Fraser, 2010). This inevitably increased the workforce, along with production (Fraser, 2010). Although the Great Depression is considered one of the worst catastrophic economic events our country has ever seen, it is where we can learn from our mistakes and strive for success in the years to come..