October 29, 1929, was a dark day in
history. "Black Tuesday" is the day that the stock
market crashed, officially setting off the Great Depression.
Unemployment skyrocketed--a quarter of the workforce was
without jobs by 1933 and many people became homeless.
President Herbert Hoover attempted
to handle the crisis but he was unable to improve the
situation. In 1932, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected
president and he promised a "New Deal" for the
American people. Congress created The Works Progress
Administration (WPA) which offered work relief for thousands
of people.
The end to the Great Depression came
about in 1941 with America's entry into World War II.
America sided with Britain, France and the Soviet Union
against Germany, Italy, and Japan. The loss of lives in this
war was staggering. The European part of the war ended with
Germany's surrender in May 1945. Japan surrendered in
September 1945, after the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
More Depression & WWII Stories
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