Great Depression

The Great Depression was a time of economic crisis in the United States and other countries. After a 1929 stock market crash, many people lost their savings. Businesses suffered and unemployment skyrocketed. Meanwhile, American farmers faced devastating droughts. Problems in the United States spread overseas, creating a global depression. President Franklin D. Roosevelt relieved some of the problems with a program called the New Deal. However, only the start of World War II (1939–1945) returned vigor to the economy.

After World War I (1914–1918) ended, the United States experienced a time of great prosperity. The country had participated in the final two years of the war and had helped to bring victory to the Allied nations. The war greatly boosted...