"大萧条"这三个字，现在听来都让人感觉很冷。它并非一般的经济衰退，而是20世纪全球经济遭遇的一场大地震。震中处于美国， 而余震几乎波及整个资本主义世界。直至如今经济学家们还在持续研究那段时期，如同医生研究一场少见的瘟疫，期望找到预防未 来的办法。 那需要从1929年10月的那个黑色星期二开始说起。在这之前美国正处于所谓的柯立芝繁荣之中，股票市场连续上涨了五年时间，普 通民众都通过借贷的方式去进行股票的炒作，认为能够一直保持富裕的状态。但是由于泡沫过于巨大，当破裂的时候就会非常严 重。10月24号，股票市场开始出现崩盘的情况，到了29号，已经完全失去控制，一天之内就蒸发掉140亿美元，这相当于当年美国 国内生产总值的29%。如此看来狂欢的结局往往就是令人猝不及防地陷入坠落的境地。 但是问题出现了，在如此大规模的危机面前，传统的市场自我修复理论不再起作用了。胡佛总统信奉自由放任那一套，反对政府进 行干预，最终导致情况变得越来越糟糕，最后只能灰溜溜地下台。当罗斯福上台后，他的新政实际上是一系列的举措：政府出面充 当最大的消费者以及雇主。对银行进行整顿、修建水利设施、开展公共工程，甚至进行一些赤字货币化的操作，简单来 ...

Core Insights - Richard Hofstadter's "The Age of Reform" is a seminal work in American history, focusing on the cultural and ideological factors influencing social movements from the 1890s to the 1930s [3][6] - The book examines three key social movements: the Populist Movement, the Progressive Movement, and the New Deal, providing a detailed analysis of their impacts on American society [6][7] Group 1: Historical Context - The period from the 1890s to World War II is characterized by significant social upheaval as America transitioned from an agrarian to an industrial society, leading to the emergence of various social movements [6][7] - Hofstadter emphasizes the importance of cultural and ideological factors over mere economic interests in understanding historical developments [3][6] Group 2: Social Movements - The Populist Movement arose as a response to the grievances of farmers against industrialization and urbanization, advocating for the protection of farmers' rights [7][8] - The Progressive Movement, occurring between 1900 and 1914, aimed to address the issues of the Gilded Age, marked by both prosperity and significant social problems [6][7] - The New Deal, introduced in the 1930s, represented a governmental response to the economic crises of the Great Depression, reshaping the role of government in American life [6][7] Group 3: Agricultural Transformation - The commercialization of agriculture became crucial for farmers as they adapted to the pressures of industrialization, leading to a shift in their identity from traditional farmers to "commercial farmers" [9][11] - New farmer organizations emerged to provide market information and improve distribution methods, reflecting a growing awareness of the need for agricultural efficiency [9][11] - The dual identity of farmers as both producers and businesspeople became a significant theme, highlighting the transformation of agricultural practices in response to market demands [11]