[robroys woman]

Unemployment was at 8% in 1930 when the Smoot–Hawley tariff was passed, but the new law failed to lower it. The rate jumped to 16% in 1931, and 25% in 1932–33.[27]

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This also touches on the idea that, if the Great depression was a stick of dynamite, the crash of 1929 was when the fuse was lit. It actually went off in 1932.

[central_va]

Trade was not a factor in the GD but it gets all the blame. It’s an idiotic rewrite of history.

[nicollo]

Zhang Fei: Unemployment was at 8% in 1930 when the Smoot–Hawley tariff was passed, but the new law failed to lower it. The rate jumped to 16% in 1931, and 25% in 1932–33.[27]

robroys woman: This also touches on the idea that, if the Great depression was a stick of dynamite, the crash of 1929 was when the fuse was lit. It actually went off in 1932.

A couple things:

- Unemployment spiked at 25% in 32-33, and fell gradually to just under 15% in 1936/37, the jumped back to 20% in '37/38.
- These numbers in no way reflect real employment, as employment rebounds were primarily through reduced work hours, part-time employment, and government jobs.
- The "Great Depression" is a completely unrelated event from the "Crash of 1929."
- The '29 Crash would have been one among many had not FDR's New Deal compacted it into a full-on, decade-long Depression.
- EVERYTHING Roosevelt did entrenched and prolonged the Depression.
- FDR may have alleviated the pain in many cases, but he CAUSED far more pain than he remedied.

Here for the real story by Walter E Williams: Great Myths of the Great Depression"