The Great Depression is an event in our nation's history that radically changed the lives of the American people in the 1930s and beyond. After a decade of excess, prosperity, and happiness, the Depression plunged our nation into spiraling decline of unprecedented proportions. Signs of these difficult times were experienced again more recently as our country was facing the Great Recession. Several similarities and differences between the Depression of the 1930s and the Recession of the late 2000s are worth noting. The Great Depression significantly changed the social fabric of America in the 1930s. With unemployment peaking at 25% in 1933 (Beyer), a large percentage of people in our country struggled to provide for themselves and their families. As a result, crime rates have skyrocketed. With many women unemployed, prostitution was on the rise. The suicide rate has increased dramatically. Alcoholism became rampant, and many people switched from using expensive cigars to cheaper, but less safe, cigarettes. College enrollment has dropped dramatically, with many schools closing completely. Changes in wealth, education, employment rates, crime, and regional values ​​dramatically altered the social fabric of our country in the 1930s and beyond. The economic and social climates of the 1920s and 1930s were radically different in many ways. In 1920, the average net income was $3,269.40 (IRS 1920). In 1934, the average net income was $3,125.42 (IRS 1924). A difference of $143.98 may not seem like much, but it was quite significant at the time. Adding to this difference is the fact that unemployment rates in the 1930s were dramatically higher than in the 1920s. In the 1930s, the consumer boom and mass production...... middle of paper...... had never been seen. We have been experiencing these difficult times more recently as our country faces the Great Recession. We can learn from the similarities and differences between the depression of the 1930s and the recession of the late 2000s so that we can mitigate devastating economic downturns in the future. Works Cited Beyer, Lisa. “THEN AND NOW: THERE IS SOME WORK TO BE DONE.” Workforce Management 91.7 (2012): 29. ProQuest. Network. 8 June 2014."INCOME STATISTICS FOR THE YEAR 1920." The National Tax Association Bulletin 8.9 (1923): 2. IRS. Government of the United States of America. Network. 8 June 2014."INCOME STATISTICS FOR THE YEAR 1934." The Bulletin of the National Tax Association 8.2 (1936): 5. IRS. Government of the United States of America. Network. June 8, 2014. Johnson, Eddie B. “Bill Will Restore Faith in the System.” Appeal dated May 10, 2010. ProQuest. Network. 8 June 2014 .