The Great Depression

  • Herbert Hoover's Presidency

    Herbert Hoover's Presidency

    Herbert Hoover's presidency (1929-1933) was dominated by the Great Depression, a severe economic crisis that began with the stock market crash in 1929
  • Stock Market Crash

    Stock Market Crash

    The Wall Street crash of 1929, also called the Great Crash, was a sudden and steep decline in stock prices in the United States in late October of that year.
  • Hoovervilles

    Hoovervilles

    Hoovervilles were shantytowns that sprung up across the United States during the Great Depression of the 1930s, named as a derogatory reference to President Herbert Hoover, who was blamed for the widespread unemployment and economic hardship.
  • Smoot-Hawley Tariff

    Smoot-Hawley Tariff

    Bank failures significantly worsened the Great Depression by destroying depositor wealth, shrinking the money supply, and creating a domino effect of panic and further bank runs.
  • Dust Bowl

    Dust Bowl

    The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms in the American and Canadian prairies during the 1930s, characterized by drought and poor farming practices that led to ecological devastation and mass migration.
  • Roosevelt's Black Cabinet

    Roosevelt's Black Cabinet

    The "Black Cabinet" was an unofficial but influential group of African American advisors to President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the 1930s and 1940s. As federal appointees in the executive branch, they worked to influence federal policy and ensure that the New Deal relief programs addressed the needs of Black communities.
  • Scottsboro Boys Case

    Scottsboro Boys Case

    The Scottsboro Boys case involved the 1931 arrest and false accusations of rape against nine young Black teenagers in Scottsboro, Alabama, which sparked national outrage and led to multiple trials and appeals over two decades.
  • Bonus Army

    Bonus Army

    Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency during the Great Depression was defined by his "New Deal," a series of programs and reforms focused on relief, recovery, and reform. His policies dramatically expanded the federal government's role in the economy to combat the crisis, which began before he took office in 1933.
  • Bank Failures

    Bank Failures

    Bank failures significantly worsened the Great Depression by destroying depositor wealth, shrinking the money supply, and creating a domino effect of panic and further bank runs.
  • FDIC

    FDIC

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is an independent U.S. government agency that insures deposits in banks and savings associations, protecting depositors' money in case a bank fails.
  • Roosevelt's Presidency

    Roosevelt's Presidency

    Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency during the Great Depression was defined by his "New Deal," a series of programs and reforms focused on relief, recovery, and reform. His policies dramatically expanded the federal government's role in the economy to combat the crisis, which began before he took office in 1933.
  • Bank Holiday

    Bank Holiday

    Bank failures significantly worsened the Great Depression by destroying depositor wealth, shrinking the money supply, and creating a domino effect of panic and further bank runs.
  • First Fireside Chat

    First Fireside Chat

    President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his first fireside chat, on the Emergency Banking Act, eight days after taking office (March 12, 1933).
  • National Housing Act Of 1934

    National Housing Act Of 1934

    The National Housing Act of 1934 (FHA) was a New Deal-era law that created the Federal Housing Administration to insure home mortgages, stimulate the housing market, and expand homeownership.
  • Indian Reorganization Act

    Indian Reorganization Act

    The Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) of 1934, also known as the Wheeler-Howard Act, was a U.S. federal law that ended the forced assimilation of Native Americans and the harmful allotment policy that fragmented tribal lands.
  • The Social Security Act

    The Social Security Act

    The Social Security Act is a federal law signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 14, 1935, as part of his New Deal program. It established the Social Security program, providing financial security through benefits for old age, survivors, and disability, as well as unemployment insurance.