Great Depression
The Great Depression was the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world, lasting from 1929 to 1939. Explore every angle of the crisis and how it affected everyday Americans, from the stock market crash of 1929, to the Dust Bowl, to FDR’s response to the economic calamity—the New Deal.
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In 1929, several factors, including the stock market crash, caused the Great Depression, the worst economic downturn in world history.
As left the drought-ravaged Midwest, American-born migrants were viewed as disease-ridden intruders who sponged off the government.
As Americans confronted a banking crisis, the Great Depression and then World War II, FDR talked to Americans through radio broadcasts.
The Hoover Dam, LaGuardia Airport and the Bay Bridge were all part of FDR's New Deal investment.
3 Pillars of FDR’s New Deal
How Artists Helped End the Great Depression
History Shorts: How Artists Helped End the Great Depression
By giving support to an army of creative workers, the government was able to lift the prospects of an entire nation.
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As Americans confronted a banking crisis, the Great Depression and then World War II, FDR talked to Americans through radio broadcasts.
The Fireside Chats refer to some 30 speeches President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed to the American people via radio from March 1933 to June 1944. Roosevelt spoke on a variety of topics from banking to unemployment to fighting fascism in Europe. Millions of people found comfort and renewed confidence in these speeches.
The Dust Bowl, the drought-stricken Southern and Central Plains during the 1930s, was one of the worst disasters in U.S. history.
During the Great Depression, St. Louis residents who were down on their luck built their own city on the banks of the Mississippi River.
Hoovervilles, named after unpopular President Herbert Hoover, were encampments of crude dwellings for poor and homeless people during the Great Depression.
While the New Deal did have a lasting impact on the U.S. economy, other significant factors contributed toward ending the Great Depression by June 1938.
With millions of Americans unable to find employment, working wives became scapegoats.
During the 20th century, Americans’ lifespans tended to rise and fall depending on the economy—but not in the way you might think.
A historic surplus and a bright idea led to relief for thousands of unemployed men during the height of the Depression.
Desperate times call for creative measures.
More women entered the workforce during the economically tough era, but the jobs they took were relegated to "women's work" and poorly paid.
By the time Thanksgiving became an official U.S. holiday in 1863, wild turkeys had nearly disappeared. But Depression-era shifts in land use helped the animals rebound.
The Great Depression was the worst economic downturn in modern history, lasting from the stock market crash of 1929 until 1939.
These 23 historic photos show the turmoil of the crash that helped usher in the Great Depression.
In the Stock Market Crash of 1929, about 16 million shares were traded on Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, ushering in the Great Depression.
In 1929, several factors, including the stock market crash, caused the Great Depression, the worst economic downturn in world history.
