The Great Depression, which took place between 1929 and 1941, was the deepest and most prolonged economic crisis in United States history. It is a story of great human suffering for many and the inspiring rise of some to meet the challenge. President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced a diverse series of new federal programs, known collectively as the New Deal, that revamped the nation's governmental system. From the strife came the modern bureaucratic state providing economic safeguards for its citizens. America emerged as a profoundly different nation by 1941 than it had been in 1929. The New Deal did not end the Great Depression and lead to full economic recovery, but it did end the dramatic economic plunge, gave those most affected food and shelter, and reestablished hope in the future and faith in the U.S. economic system.

Great Depression and New Deal: Almanac presents a comprehensive overview of the period in American history known as the Great Depression, from the crash of the U.S. stock market in October 1929 until the end of the Depression in 1941 that came as a result of mobilization for World War II (1939–45). During this time the role of the United States government expanded to protect its citizens from unpredictable economic fluctuations and to provide an economic safety net for future times of trouble. Government became involved in business regulation, labor organizations, public support of the arts, social security, federal law enforcement, resource conservation, development of inexpensive and plentiful energy sources, stock market reform, farming reform, photodocumentary journalism, housing reform, public health programs, and increasing the number of minorities and women in public life. The volume covers the causes of the Depression; all the major legislation and programs of the New Deal; how the general public, including minorities, was affected by the Depression; and governmental changes that made society more comfortable.

Features

Great Depression and New Deal: Almanac is divided into sixteen chapters, each focusing on a particular topic, such as banking and housing, electrification, farming, industry and labor, social security, Works Progress Administration, news and entertainment, crime, education, and everyday life. The chapters contain sidebar boxes that highlight people and events of special interest, and each chapter offers a list of additional sources students can go to for more information. Ninety-five black-and-white photographs help illustrate the material. The volume begins with a timeline of important events in the history of the Great Depression; a "Words to Know" section that introduces students to difficult or unfamiliar terms (terms are also defined within the text); and a "Research and Activity Ideas" section. The volume concludes with a general bibliography and a subject index so students can easily find the people, places, and events discussed throughout Great Depression and New Deal: Almanac.

Great Depression and New Deal Reference Library

Great Depression and New Deal: Almanac is only one component of the three-part U•X•L Great Depression and New Deal Reference Library. The other two titles in this set are:

• Great Depression and New Deal: Biographies (one volume) presents the life stories of twenty-nine individuals who played key roles in the governmental and social responses to the Depression. Profiled are well-known figures such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, Will Rogers, Frances Perkins, and Woody Guthrie, as well as lesser-known individuals such as Hallie Flanagan, head of the Federal Theatre Project, and Mary McLeod Bethune, educator and the first black American to head a federal agency.
• Great Depression and New Deal: Primary Sources (one volume) tells the story of the Great Depression in the words of the people who lived it. Thirty full or excerpted documents provide a wide range of perspectives on this period in history. Included are excerpts from presidential press conferences, inaugural speeches, addresses to Congress, and radio addresses; later reflections by key government leaders; oral histories of those who experienced the economic crisis, including youth who rode the rails; lyrics of songs derived from the Great Depression experience; and reflections by photographers who recorded the poverty and desperation of the time.
• A cumulative index of all three titles in the U•X•L Great Depression and New Deal Reference Library is also available.

Advisors

A note of appreciation is extended to the Great Depression and New Deal: Almanac advisors who provided invaluable suggestions when the work was in its formative stages:

Frances Bryant Bradburn
Director of Educational Technologies
North Carolina Public Schools
Raleigh, North Carolina

Elaine Ezell
Media Specialist
Bowling Green Junior High School
Bowling Green, Ohio

Dedication

To our son, Dustin, who endured numerous discussions and debates of New Deal policy and Great Depression issues over dinner and during car trips.

Special Thanks

Catherine Filip typed much of the manuscript. Much gratitude also goes to the advisors who guided the project throughout its course.

Comments and Suggestions

We welcome your comments on Great Depression and New Deal: Almanac and suggestions for other topics to consider. Please write: Editors, Great Depression and New Deal: Almanac, U•X•L, 27500 Drake Rd., Farmington Hills, Michigan 48331-3535; call toll-free: 1-800-877-4253; fax to (248) 699-8097; or send e-mail via http://www.gale.com.