Community and Government

Great Depression: History and Effects of the Economic Downturn

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Oct 12, 2022 • 5 min read

In 1929, a stock market crash in the United States of America set off a chain reaction that engulfed the country—as well as Europe and Asia—in financial chaos and despair. The Great Depression lasted through the entirety of the 1930s and left many important lessons in its wake. Learn more about the most consequential economic downturn in US history.