The Great Depression and the New Deal

The Great Depression, which began with the stock market crash of 1929, was a severe economic downturn that impacted millions of Americans and reshaped the nation’s social fabric. In response to widespread unemployment and poverty, President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced the New Deal, a series of programs and reforms aimed at economic recovery and social welfare.

These initiatives, which included the establishment of Social Security, the Civilian Conservation Corps, and the Works Progress Administration, sought to provide immediate relief to those suffering and to stimulate long-term economic growth. The New Deal fundamentally altered the relationship between the government and its citizens, expanding the federal government's role in the economy and laying the groundwork for future social safety nets.