Great Depression Timeline by Josiah Brown

The Wall Street Crash Sparks the Depression: 1929

josiahzb97 — 2024-05-20 13:44:44 UTC

Stock market crash of 1929 was the collapse of the United States stock market in October 1929. This abrupt decline in the value of the market was one of the pivotal events contributing to the Great Depression , a worldwide economic slump of the 1930’s.

President Roosevelt is Elected: 1932

josiahzb97 — 2024-05-20 13:44:44 UTC

Franklin D. Roosevelt, (1882-1945), was the 32nd president of the United States. Roosevelt, a Democrat, held the office from 1933 to 1945. He was elected president four times and occupied the White House for over 12 years which is longer than any other president in American history. Roosevelt led the United States through two of the greatest crises in the country’s history: the Great Depression of the 1930’s and World War II (1939-1945).

Creation of the Works Progress Administration: 1935

josiahzb97 — 2024-05-20 13:44:44 UTC

President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the WPA with an executive order on May 6, 1935. It was part of his New Deal plan to lift the country out of the Great Depression by reforming the financial system and restoring the economy to pre-Depression levels.

President Roosevelt Elected for a Second Term: 1936

josiahzb97 — 2024-05-20 13:44:44 UTC

Despite the recession and other setbacks, Roosevelt had lots of legislative successes in his second term. From 1937 to 1939, Congress passed major farm legislation, created a public housing program, expanded the Social Security system, and established a national system of minimum wages and maximum hours.

Economic Growth: 1938

josiahzb97 — 2024-05-20 13:44:44 UTC

The economy started to grow and expand again this year, eventually bringing the country out of the Great Depression. However, unemployment rates were still extremely high.

United States Enters the War(The Great Depression comes to an end): 1941

josiahzb97 — 2024-05-20 13:44:44 UTC

When the United States enters the war following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the country is finally able to get out of the Great Depression by mobilizing for war. The United States would emerge the only economic superpower in the world after the Second World War, despite the devastating effects.

Bibliography

josiahzb97 — 2024-05-20 13:44:44 UTC

The Dust Bowls Begin: 1930-1936

josiahzb97 — 2024-05-20 14:33:52 UTC

Dust Bowl refers to an area in the United States that was devastated by extreme drought, soil erosion, and economic depression during the 1930’s. The worst conditions struck about 50 million acres , mainly in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Residents learned hard lessons while surviving the Dust Bowl. Once rainfall returned to sufficient levels, however, many farmers abandoned conservation. Some began depleting underground aquifers with modern irrigation systems. During droughts in the 1950's and the 1970's, dust storms again damaged the Dust Bowl region.

The New Deal: 1933

josiahzb97 — 2024-05-20 14:55:59 UTC

New Deal was President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s program to pull the United States out of the Great Depression in the 1930’s. The New Deal did not end the Depression. However, it relieved much economic hardship and gave Americans faith in the democratic system at a time when other nations hit by the Depression turned to dictators. Roosevelt first used the term new deal when he accepted the Democratic presidential nomination in 1932. “I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the American people,” he said.

The Start of World War Two: 1939

2024-05-20 15:34:19 UTC

World War II started in 1939 and ended in 1945. It was the most destructive war in history. It killed more people, destroyed more property, and disrupted more lives than any other war in history. It probably had more far-reaching consequences than any other war. The war brought about the downfall of Western Europe as the center of world power. It led to the dominance of the Soviet Union and the United States. The war along with the Great Depression began destroying the economy.

Dust Storms and Droughts Continue: 1934

2024-05-20 16:22:58 UTC

beginning on May 9, 1934, a strong, two-day dust storm removed massive amounts of Great Plains topsoil in one of the worst such storms of the Dust Bowl. The dust clouds blew all the way to Chicago, where they deposited 12 million pounds (5,400 tonnes) of dust.