Group 1 - The article discusses the rise of consumer products in the 1920s in the United States, highlighting how items like washing machines and radios became standard for the middle class [1] - The U.S. government and banks encouraged consumerism and borrowing, leading to a culture of spending beyond one's means [3] - The disparity between productivity growth and consumer spending capacity prompted companies to advocate for loan-based consumption to avoid excess inventory [3] Group 2 - The stock market reached a historical peak on September 3, 1929, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average hitting 386 points, a sixfold increase since 1921 [7] - Following this peak, the market experienced a significant decline, with a 10% drop the day after the peak, initially perceived as a normal correction [7] - The infamous "Black Thursday" on October 24, 1929, marked the beginning of a severe stock market crash, leading to widespread panic selling [8][9] Group 3 - The economic downturn resulted in a four-year-long Great Depression, with 140,000 businesses and 10,000 banks failing by 1933 [10] - Unemployment soared to 13 million, drastically affecting the lives of many Americans, leading to extreme poverty and desperation [12] - Families resorted to extreme measures for survival, including rationing food and bartering, reflecting the dire economic conditions [14] Group 4 - The economic crisis in the U.S. quickly spread to Europe, with the UK experiencing over 32,000 business failures and 3 million unemployed by 1933 [14][16] - Initially, France believed it could avoid the crisis, achieving record exports in 1929, but soon faced severe economic decline starting in 1931 [16][17] - France's economic recovery lagged behind that of the U.S. and UK, with its crisis lasting until 1935, two years longer than the others [18]