The 1930s were a decade of enormous hardship and change, marked by economic disaster around the world and growing global tensions that would explode into World War II.

The decade began with the Great Depression, the worst economic collapse in modern history. After the American stock market crashed in 1929, the crisis spread worldwide. Banks failed, businesses closed, and millions of people lost their jobs across North America, Europe, and beyond. In the United States, nearly one in four workers couldn't find employment by 1933. Families lost their homes and farms. People stood in long bread lines just to get food. Many who had been comfortable suddenly found themselves struggling to survive.

American President Franklin D. Roosevelt tried to help with his New Deal programs, creating jobs building roads, bridges, parks, and dams. The government started Social Security to help elderly people. These programs didn't end the Depression, but they gave millions of Americans work and hope during desperate times.

Despite the hardships, the 1930s produced remarkable culture. Hollywood released classic movies like The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind. Families gathered around radios to hear news, music, and comedy shows. Baseball stars like Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio gave people heroes to cheer for.

Meanwhile, in Europe, Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany, and by 1939, World War II had begun. The United States would soon be drawn into the conflict that would define the next decade.