What are some social changes in the 1930s?

The 1930s were a period of large cultural shifts in America and abroad. In the wake of the Great Depression and World War I, the decade saw the development of public works projects in America, catastrophes like the Dust Bowl and the rise of fascism in Europe. The 1930s also contained much of the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the beginning of "Hollywood's Golden Age."

The Great Depression

The Great Depression began in 1929, but mainly occurred in the 1930s. In the wake of the stock market crash of October 29, 1929 (now known as "Black Tuesday", the world economy experienced a period of turmoil that would continue until the start of World War II. In America, unemployment rose to 25 percent, stocks were devalued and businesses closed down. Poverty was widespread and President Herbert Hoover's attempts to stop the economic downturn all failed.

1. FDR

   • Franklin Delano Roosevelt began his presidency in 1932, promising a "New Deal" that would put Americans back to work. Under FDR, many social projects began, including the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This program aimed to recruit civilians for large-scale public works projects, including highways and firehouses. This period also saw the establishment of the Tennessee Valley Authority, which dealt with flooding and power creation in the southeastern United States. The Roosevelt Administration also sponsored federal programs for artists, which funded artists including Jackson Pollock.

   • The Dust Bowl

   • Another major issue in the 1930s was the Dust Bowl in the central plains. This long-lasting drought displaced millions of farmers and led to a large westward migration. Many farmers and their families went to California and the federal government created many new agencies and emergency funds to assist dispossessed farmers and their families, including the Emergency Farm Mortgage Act. In the wake of the Dust Bowl, many new farming practices were implemented to prevent future cataclysmic droughts, including planting trees and digging furrows.

   Hitler and Mussolini

   • In the 1930s, Nazism and Fascism took root in Germany and Italy, which produced some social improvements, but also created dictatorships and led to World War II. In Germany in particular, the growth of the Nazi party in the 1930s led to Germany withdrawing from the League of Nations and then invading Poland in 1939, beginning the war. While Italy did not enter the war until 1940, Benito Mussolini was in place as a dictator throughout the 1930s.