Great Depression ‑ Videos

Flashback: Robots Smoked Cigarettes at the 1939 World’s Fair

Meant to exhibit the “World of Tomorrow,” the 1939 World’s Fair in New York City tried to predict what life would be like beyond the 20th century. “Elektro” is a perfect example – a humanoid robot who could enjoy a cigarette while cracking a joke.

Here’s How the Great Depression Brought on Social Security

Explore how the Great Depression of the 1930s forced America to consider having a social safety net, leading President FDR to sign the Social Security Act into law via his New Deal programs. Learn how Social Security has changed over time.

The 1930s

Learn more about the 1930s, a particularly tumultuous decade in world history that got its start with a bang – or, more accurately, a crash.

Hoover Announces Campaign for Unemployment Relief

On October 18, 1931, as the nation faces a deepening depression, President Herbert Hoover announces in his radio address the inauguration of a six‑week campaign to raise local relief funds to aid the unemployed.

Deconstructing History: Hoover Dam

Did you know that the Hoover Dam supplies electricity to more than 20 million people? Get all the facts on this marvel of engineering.

The Stock Market Crash of 1929

Black Thursday brings the roaring twenties to a screaming halt, ushering in a world‑wide an economic depression.

Henry J. Kaiser Builds Hoover Dam and U.S. Warships

See how Henry Kaiser’s love for a young lady spurred him to build the Hoover Dam and the great military war ships.

Artists of the New Deal

President Franklin Roosevelt creates a series of programs designed to help America cope with, and recover from the Great Depression.

Tennessee Valley Authority – Nature’s Power Harnessed

In the early 1930’s, every spring in the Tennessee River Valley brought on an onslaught of rain which totaled six feet each year. Roosevelt created the Tennessee Valley Authority to fix the problem.

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal

How did President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal get the American economy back on track, and which components still have a major impact on today’s society?

This Day in History: 06/5/1968 – Robert F. Kennedy Shot

This Day In History: 01/24/1935 – First Canned Beer on Sale