In chapter two of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus refers to "the crash." He is explaining why the Cunninghams are poor to Jem and Scout. He says,
The Cunninghams are country folks, farmers, and the crash hit them hardest.
"The crash" is a reference to the 1929 stock market crash that plunged the United States into the Great Depression. The Great Depression affected people from all walks of life, from farmers to millionaires.
Atticus also explains how the Great Depression affects many people in town. He tells them how the farmers no longer have cash to pay professional people, like doctors and lawyers. This causes professional people to live in poverty, too. Atticus tells his children they are poor for this reason. For example, Mr. Cunningham has no cash so he pays Atticus for legal services in stovewood and turnip greens.
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