★ AMERICA 250

American History Timeline

1929: The Great Depression Begins

The stock market crash begins a long economic crisis that tests families, communities, and national leadership.

October 1929 · Chapter 6 · Pages 85-88

Dorothea Lange photograph of a migrant agricultural worker's family during the Great Depression
Visual direction: Library of Congress FSA photograph

What Happened

The Great Depression reshaped American life through bank failures, unemployment, farm hardship, migration, and public works. It also changed expectations about the relationship between citizens, markets, and government.

Why It Matters

The Depression is not just an economic event. It is a human story of endurance, improvisation, and recovery.

Worth Knowing

The Dust Bowl compounded economic crisis for many farm families during the 1930s.

Where It Fits in the America 250 Book

This story appears in Chapter 6, Pages 85-88, as part of the 160-page landscape collector edition. The book expands timeline moments like this with archival imagery, maps, concise narrative context, and feature spreads designed for browsing and display.

Related Search Topics

Great Depression timeline1929 crashDust Bowl history