When this unprecedented wave hit Wall Street in October of 1929 the false prosperity of the 1920s was over. a. buy orders c. margin orders b. sell orders d. mail orders

Collected commentary. As many starstruck first-time investors fueled the unparalleled growth of the stock market in the 1920s, how did financial leaders view the health of an economy so dependent on dreams and credit? Had the frenzied investment fad grown into a "mob movement" courting disaster? Were the "small speculators" who risked their savings for quick profits no better than weekend gamblers? Nonsense, said the Wall Street Journal and others. Such fear-mongering is "sour grapes," they insisted, spurred by "propagandists of gloom and economic terror." Prices would continue to rise; the market would continue to deliver profits for middle class investors. The onslaught of prediction and punditry continued for months before-and after-the calamitous day soon immortalized as "the crash." Presented here is a sampling of the commentary before and after "Black Tuesday," illustrating that "the crash," while a shock, was no surprise. Selections can be divided among students for research and classroom discussion