The Great Depression began after the stock market crash 1929, then bank failures many banks went bankrupt, farmers couldn't repay loans, others were forced to go out of business. Lots of poor people most of the money was enjoyed by a few people so 40% were poor. They were to poor to buy good and pay their debts. Farm failures lots of american farmers were having a hard time because the farm prices where to low. Environmental disasters from WW1 had left the soils dry and had buried farms and small towns into deserts.