The Great Depression in the United States

This book analyzes and provokes thoughtful discussion about the ways in which the collapse of the American economy in 1929 and 1930 contributed to the onset of a global depression that caused widespread suffering, political instability, and grassroots organizing. In the US, the decade-long Great Depression called into question the viability of capitalism and strained democratic institutions as tens of millions of Americans sank into an abyss of poverty. On top of this catastrophe was a severe drought that turned much of the American Southwest and Midwest into a barren Dust Bowl. Throughout this trying decade, Americans sought to define themselves across regions and as citizens while engaging in debates over the meaning of democracy, the efficacy of capitalism, and the relationship of these two systems to one another. This volume tells the stories of the ordinary and extraordinary people who engaged in those debates. It explains the causes and consequences of the Great Depression, with attention to the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the emergence of the New Deal; and foreign affairs. Exploring the circulation of transformative policies, ideas, and forces that continue to reverberate in the present day, this tightly presented narrative will be of interest to students of American history, and particularly to undergraduate readers desiring a concise and engaging overview of the decade.

Margaret C. Rung is Professor of History and Director of the Center for New Deal Studies at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois. She studies, teaches, and publishes on twentieth-century American politics and society. Her most recent book is Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Reference Guide to His Life and Works.

Part I: Introducing the Great Depression Part II: Analysis 1. A Global Collapse 2. New Deal America 3. Depression Era Culture 4. Democracy and Fascism PART III: Assessment Coda: The Great Depression in American History and Memory PART IV: Documents Glossary Further Reading