Briefing on the 1929 Stock Market Crash and Its Aftermath Executive Summary This document synthesizes an in-depth narrative of the 1929 stock market crash, its causes, and its profound consequences for American finance and society. The analysis reveals that the crash was not merely a technical market event but a deeply human drama driven by the ambitions, flaws, and rivalries of a handful of powerful figures on Wall Street and in Washington. The central theme is the corrosive power of debt and the fragility of economic confidence. The Roaring Twenties saw the birth of a modern consumer economy fueled by unprecedented access to credit, which extended into the stock market through "on margin" buying, creating a speculative bubble. Key figures like Charles "Sunshine Charlie" Mitchell of National City Bank championed this new era of democratized investment, while others, such as Jesse Livermore and William C. Durant, became celebrity speculators. The Federal Reserve, a relatively new institution, struggled to contain the bubble, leading to a direct confrontation in March 1929 when Mitchell defied the Fed to avert a credit crisis, a move that made him a temporary hero but a long-term political target. The crash itself, unfolding over a series of catastrophic days in late October 1929, wiped out fortunes, exposed the systemic risks of leveraged speculation, and revealed the inability of Wall Street's titans, including Thomas Lamont of J.P. Morgan & Co., to control the panic as they had in the past. The aftermath saw the nation slide into the Great Depression, a relentless unraveling marked by mass unemployment and thousands of bank failures. The search for accountability led to the celebrated Pecora Hearings, which exposed the ethically dubious, though often legal, practices of Wall Street's elite, including tax avoidance schemes by Mitchell and preferential stock offerings by the House of Morgan. This public excoriation paved the way for landmark reforms under the Roosevelt administration, most notably the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, which fundamentally reshaped the American banking system by separating commercial and investment banking. The narrative concludes by chronicling the dramatic falls from grace of the era's titans, illustrating that the ultimate lesson of 1929 is the cyclical nature of human folly, the dangers of collective delusion, and the need for humility in the face of market forces. Principal Actors and Institutions The narrative of the 1929 crash is driven by a cast of powerful and complex individuals whose decisions shaped the era. Wall Street Titans Name Role & Significance Charles E. Mitchell Chairman & CEO of National City Bank. A primary architect of the "democratized" stock market, aggressively promoting margin loans to small investors. He was dubbed "Sunshine Charlie" for his optimism. His defiance of the Federal Reserve in March 1929 made him a hero to Wall Street but a primary target for investigators after the crash, leading to his indictment for tax evasion. Thomas W. Lamont Senior partner at J.P. Morgan & Co. An influential "ambassador of American affluence," he was a central figure in international finance, including the German war reparations negotiations. He organized the bankers' pool in an attempt to halt the October 1929 panic, emulating J.P. Morgan Sr.'s actions in 1907. J.P. "Jack" Morgan Jr. Head of J.P. Morgan & Co. and son of the legendary founder. A more private and less domineering figure than his father, he relied heavily on partners like Lamont. The Pecora hearings exposed his and his partners' non-payment of income taxes, tarnishing the firm's reputation. Richard Whitney Vice President of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and broker for J.P. Morgan & Co. Hailed as the "White Knight of Wall Street" for his dramatic bid to buy U.S. Steel on Black Thursday. He later became NYSE President and a fierce defender of Wall Street