"While the crash only took place six months ago, I am convinced we have passed the worst and with continued unity of effort we shall rapidly recover."
- President Herbert Hoover, May 1930
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- The Great Depression: 1929-1939
Highlighted by the commentary of Eric Goldman, noted historian of the period, the narrative begins with Black Thursday and the panic on Wall Street. The program describes the effects of unemployment, traces Roosevelt's 'New Deal' and concludes with the coming of World War II and the return of prosperity. - The Great DepressionThe Great Depression following the stock market crash in 1929, alarmed investors and signaled hard times spreading beyond the farms. The causes and affects on Americans, and the crisis on Hoover's administration are analyzed.
- Bust: America—The Story of UsOn October 29th, 1929, the boom era of the Jazz Age came to a crashing halt on Wall Street. The dramatic effects of the Great Depression and New Deal are the main topics of this program. Despite the country’s economic collapse, major public works projects such as the Hoover Dam offered proof of the industrial and technological might of the United States—and of the undeniable abilities of the American worker. Distributed by A&E Television Networks. Part of the series America: The Story of Us.
- The New DealFranklin Delano Roosevelt brought optimism and enthusiasm to the White House when he was elected in 1932. His agenda of swift reforms and the New Deal provided relief for the needy, recovery for the economy, and reform of the American financial system.
- Stock Market Crash & DepressionFollowing the stock market crash in 1929, the Great Depression left Americans unemployed, desperate, and starving. Shantytowns were named "Hoovervilles," while Al Capone funded soup kitchens. Distributed by PBS Distribution.
- The Great Depression and the Keynsian RevolutionIn 1932 President Herbert Hoover spoke enthusiastically about financial recovery while John Maynard Keynes expressed doubts. Keynes published The General Theory of Employment, Interest & Money in 1936, displaying ideas that later became the basis for public policy in Washington. Franklin D. Roosevelt did not generally trust economists, but his increased government spending during WWII proved Keynes's theories correct. These stories discuss the ideas of J.M. Keynes and how the theory behind Keynsian economics explained the Great Depression.
- Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?This program shows the events of the Great Depression and explains how they prepared the way for the rise of Nazism, Japanese expansionism, and the altered role of government in the U.S. It covers the Bonus March in July 1932; the Boom of the 1920s and the Bust, speculation, overconfidence, and an economy out of control; and the end of the Dawes Plan. Would the New Deal solve the nation's problems or usher in the revolution? Archival footage and historical photographs bring this story to life.
- Wall Street CrashThe American Stock Market crash of 1929 is recalled.
- Black TuesdayInflated stock values came crashing down on October 9, 1929, the most distressing day in the history of the New York Stock Exchange. Black Tuesday marked the start of the Great Depression but other factors contributed to the nation's economic troubles.
- FDR and the DepressionProfessor Brinkley continues his story of twentieth century presidents with a profile of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Brinkley paints a picture of America during the Depression and chronicles some of Roosevelt's programmatic and personal efforts to help the country through its worst economic crisis. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt is at FDR's side and, in many respects, ahead of him as the decade unfolds.
- The Great DepressionFrom the collapse of the stock market on October 29, 1929—Black Tuesday—to the many federal initiatives designed to revive the faltering U.S. economy, this program offers an insightful overview of life during the Great Depression. The presidential administrations of Herbert Hoover and FDR; the New Deals and their effects on labor, conservation, and cultural life; the Dust Bowl; and the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act are discussed. Correlates to standards from the National Council for the Social Studies.
- "The Great Depression," 2019
A brief overview of the Great Depression - "Mass Exodus from the Plains," 2019During the Great Depression, many people from the midwest left for California
- "The Works Progress Administration,' 2019The WPA, a New Deal program, helped many people during the Great Depression get jobs
- Iacurci, Greg, "Unemployment is nearing Great Depression levels. Here’s how the eras are similar — and different," May 19, 2020The unemployment drama playing out in the U.S. has drawn comparisons to the Great Depression, the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world. How do the two compare?
- Hansen, Sarah, "The Great Depression Vs. Coronavirus Recession: 3 Metrics That Will Determine How Much Worse It Can Get," March 24, 2020As the United States enters recession territory and investors say goodbye to an 11-year bull market, comparisons to the Great Depression—the worst economic downturn in American history—are inevitable, but how does that comparison actually stack up?
- Chan, Szu Ping, "Coronavirus: 'World faces worst recession since Great Depression," April 14, 2020The global economy will contract by 3% this year as countries around the world shrink at the fastest pace in decades, the International Monetary Fund says.
- Cohen, Lizabeth, "The Lessons of the Great Depression," May 17, 2020In the 1930s, Americans responded to economic calamity by creating a richer and more equitable society. We can do it again.
- Rosentiel, Tom; Alle, Jodie (ed.), "How a Different America Responded to the Great Depression," Dec.14, 2010Differences between American's reactions and attitudes to the Federal Government during the Great Depression and the 2010 midterms.
- "Art and the Great Depression," 2021A look at the relationship between the Great Depression and American art.
- Inman, Phillip, "A hundred years on, will there be another Great Depression?" March 21, 2020Government indecision amid the coronavirus crisis has fuelled fears of a long recession – unless there is a huge fiscal response
- Richardson, Gary "The Great Depression," Nov. 22, 2013The longest and deepest downturn in the history of the United States and the modern industrial economy lasted more than a decade, beginning in 1929 and ending during World War II in 1941.
- Richardson, Gary, Komai, Alejandro, Gou, Michael, Park, Daniel, "Stock Market Crash of 1929," Nov. 22, 2013On Black Monday, October 28, 1929, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined nearly 13 percent. Federal Reserve leaders differed on how to respond to the event and support the financial system.
- Granados, Jose A., Diez Roux, Ana V., "Life and Death During the Great Depression," Oct. 13, 2009Recent events highlight the importance of examining the impact of economic downturns on population health. The Great Depression of the 1930s was the most important economic downturn in the U.S. in the twentieth century. The authors used historical life expectancy and mortality data to examine associations of economic growth with population health for the period 1920–1940.
- Zumbrun, Josh, "Coronavirus Slump is Worst Since Great Depression. Will It Be Painful?" May 10, 2020Today’s downturn is comparable in scale to that of the 1930s, but it probably won’t be as damaging or long-lasting, economists say
- Throughline: Lives of the Great Depression
The Great Depression was a revolutionary spark for all kinds of things — health insurance, social safety nets, big government — all of which were in response to a national crisis. Through the personal accounts of four people who lived during the Great Depression, we look back at what life was like back then and what those stories can teach us about the last time the U.S. went through a national economic cataclysm. - Planet Money: The Tuesday Podcast: Inside The Great Depression"On today's Planet Money, we hear the words of ordinary man — Benjamin Roth, a lawyer in Youngstown, Ohio — trying to come to grips with the Great Depression."
- American History Tellers: The Great Depression - Justice and InfamyPart of a 7-part series about The Great Depression.
- Witness History: The Great DepressionTwo people discuss their experiences during The Great Depression.
- Hope Through History: FDR and The Great Depression"With the help of Pulitzer Prize-winners Doris Kearns Goodwin and David M. Kennedy, along with Allida Black, the Director of The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Jon Meacham delivers a vivid and intimate look at a President who countered depression with action, and who conquered fear with hope."
- The Mr.T Podcast Studio: The Great Depression"In The Great Depression Andrew Cole tells us about the period between 1929 and 1939. Whilst much of his talk is about the US he also tells us about the global context."
- American Experience: Surviving the Dust BowlIn 1931 the rains stopped and the “black blizzards” began. Powerful dust storms carrying millions of tons of stinging, blinding black dirt swept across the Southern Plains — the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma, western Kansas, and the eastern portions of Colorado and New Mexico. One journalist traveling through the devastated region dubbed it the “Dust Bowl.” Surviving the Dust Bowl is the remarkable story of the determined people who clung to their homes and way of life, enduring drought, dust, disease — even death — for nearly a decade.
- Library of Congress OC: 1929 to 1945 Primary Source TimelineExplore important topics and moments in U.S. history through historical primary sources from the Library of Congress. Presented here are primary source material for the Great Depression and World War II.
- FDR Presidential LibraryFranklin Delano Roosevelt was an American politician who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. He won a record four presidential elections and became a central figure in world events during the first half of the 20th century. Roosevelt directed the federal government during most of the Great Depression, implementing his New Deal domestic agenda in response to the worst economic crisis in U.S. history. Here is the website for his Presidential Library, where you can learn more about his life and access digital archives and collections.