The year was 1933; millions of Americans were fighting a major financial war called the Great Depression. The Great Depression was horrendous, no other panic or depression that came before it can add up to the economic and social devastation that the Great Depression inflicted. However, before the Great Depression even happened, there was a bull market boom. A bull market means a market in which stock prices are rising, encouraging buying. Therefore, with bonds or stocks starting to encourage buying, speculation can occur. Speculation is an investment in shares, property or other business ventures in the hope of profit but with the risk of loss. Speculation can usually cause the stock market to crash. On October 29, 1929, the stock market crashed and the Great Depression struck. But how did the Great Depression happen? Some say it was because of the stock market crash, while others come up with conspiracy theories. Although the stock market is a major contender to the Great Depression, what really caused the Great Depression was consumerism, uneven income dispute, and excessive production. Consumerism means protection or promotion of consumer interests, well interests for people in the 1920s ranged from material goods to the initial purchase of shares. At this time, as bond buying begins, a bull market may be created and along with a bull market and as more and more investors “put their money into securities (stocks) in the hope of making a quick profit on a speculative rise in stocks,… trading has become a round of betting.” (Carmen) With people throwing their money into the stock market just to get rich quick, then withdrawing from the market once they realize that the money that they initially invested is not going away accumulating...... half the paper......the consumer was demanding. With overproduction, the consumer does not purchase items that were once in demand and farmers overproduce their products and those products are marked down once they reach the local supermarket. Then, through consumerism, uneven income dispute, and overproduction, the Great Depression was underway. Nowadays, overproduction and irregular income dispute are still a problem. One item that is in excess is Beanie Babies. Beanie Babies can be located anywhere and their little eyes stare at the consumer begging them to buy them. Irregular disputes still occur today, but in a more secluded way, but a couple of years ago the irregularities were very obvious. President Obama made sure these irregularities were swept under the rug. The Great Depression occurred through consumerism, unequal income disputes, and excessive production.