Final answer:
A stock exchange is an organized system for buying and selling shares in corporations. The stock market crash of 1929 contributed to the Great Depression, but it was not the only cause. President Herbert Hoover implemented measures like public works and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to address the crisis.
Step-by-step explanation:
A stock exchange is an organized system for buying and selling shares in corporations.
Many investors lacked the money to continue purchasing stock, so they bought stocks on margin. Stock prices began to fall in September 1929 and declined steadily until the stock market crash on October 29, 1929, also known as Black Tuesday.
Panicked sellers sold almost thirteen million shares on Black Thursday, October 24, accelerating the decline in stock prices.
The stock market crash of 1929 was one of the main causes of the Great Depression, a severe economic crisis that lasted for several years. However, it was not the only cause.
Income inequality, declining industries like textiles, lumber, mining, and farming, and weaknesses in the banking system also contributed to the economic downturn.
By 1932, a quarter of American workers were unemployed.
To address the crisis, President Herbert Hoover authorized federal spending on public works and the creation of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) to lend money to businesses.
However, these measures were not enough to alleviate the suffering caused by the Great Depression.