America 250 · 1929–1939
Great Depression & New Deal
The decade the federal government became the thing it is.
From Black Tuesday to the eve of war — Hoovervilles, the Dust Bowl, the bank holiday, the CCC and WPA and Social Security, the Court-packing fight. The decade that built the modern American state and a Democratic coalition that held for forty years.
Presidents who served
Histories
Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945
David M. Kennedy · 1999
Pulitzer winner. Oxford History of the US — the consensus single-volume on both the Depression and WWII.
The Great Depression: America 1929-1941
Robert S. McElvaine · 1984
The Depression as a social experience — letters to Eleanor Roosevelt, ordinary people's words.
Lives
No Ordinary Time
Doris Kearns Goodwin · 1994
Pulitzer winner. FDR and Eleanor during WWII — but half the book is the Depression presidency that made the wartime one possible.
Fiction
The Grapes of Wrath
John Steinbeck · 1939
Pulitzer winner. The Joads from Oklahoma to California — the Dust Bowl novel that made Steinbeck a household name.
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Zora Neale Hurston · 1937
Hurston's novel set in 1930s Florida — Janie Crawford finding her voice. Rediscovered by Alice Walker in the 1970s; now canonical.
On screen
The Dust Bowl
Ken Burns · 2012
PBS two-part Burns documentary — the ecological catastrophe layered on top of the economic one.
Common questions
What is the best book to read about the Great Depression and New Deal?
For a comprehensive look at the era, Freedom from Fear by David M. Kennedy is a primary recommendation. Another essential text is The Great Depression: America 1929-1941 by Robert S. McElvaine, which provides a detailed account of the economic and social shifts during this period.
Why does the Great Depression and New Deal era matter to modern politics?
This decade is significant because it was the period when the federal government established its modern structure. It saw the creation of the Social Security system and the formation of a Democratic coalition that remained influential in American politics for the following forty years.
Where should I start if I want to learn about the Great Depression and New Deal via film?
Ken Burns' 2012 documentary The Dust Bowl is the recommended screen treatment for this era. It provides a visual and narrative exploration of the environmental and social challenges faced by Americans between 1929 and 1939, capturing the harsh realities of life during the Great Depression.
Which U.S. presidents served during the Great Depression and New Deal?
Two U.S. presidents served during the Great Depression and New Deal era. The period began under Herbert Hoover, who was in office during the onset of the crisis, and continued through the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who oversaw the implementation of the New Deal programs.
Move through history
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