US National Archives
National Archives: Bring History to Life
How can you actually bring history to life? Here are some tools from the National Archives that allow students to create their own projects using primary-source based activities that develop historical thinking skills. Special historical...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: The Great Depression
Looks at the impact of the Great Depression and how President Hoover tried to respond to the crisis.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Fdr and the Great Depression
Looks at the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who held this office from 1933 to 1945, and his New Deal policies and initiatives that saw the United States through the Great Depression.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Market Crashes
Although not the only cause for the Great Depression, the stock market crash in October 1929, showed the weakness of the American economy in a concrete way. Read about how the stock market values were run up by speculation, and how it...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Great Depression
Read a brief overview of the causes of the Great Depression. See that there were several reasons which fed on each other to plunge the country into economic chaos.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Memories of the Great Depression
This hands-on instructional activity combines social studies, language arts, and technology. Fourth grade students begin by researching and collecting information from a variety of sources. Students develop an appreciation of the...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Sinking Deeper and Deeper
Read about the creeping descent into depression in the United States upon the crash of the stock market. Find out how the economy collapsed, and how that affected employment and the lives of millions.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: An Evaluation of the New Deal
No discussion about the Great Depression can be complete without a look at the legacy of Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal programs. Read about the changes and effects on the economy brought about by the programs, but see what...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Hoover's Last Stand
The Great Depression was not the fault of Herbert Hoover, but see how he was unable or unwilling to take the steps to address it. Find out how the election of 1932 was the result of his misunderstanding of the economics of the time.
OpenStax
Open Stax: The Great Depression 1929 1932: The Stock Market Crash of 1929
Discusses what caused the 1929 stock market crash and why the American economy went so rapidly and dramatically downhill. Also explains how a stock market crash can have such a far-reaching impact.
OpenStax
Open Stax: Great Depression 1929 1932: Assessing Hoover Years on Eve of New Deal
Examines Herbert Hoover's time as President, what went well and what didn't, as well as whether perceptions about his legacy are accurate and unbiased. Looks at his foreign policy and how he dealt with civil rights.
PBS
Wnet: Thirteen: Freedom: A History of Us. Printable Page
This article "Freedom: A History of US: Webisode 10, Segment 6: Hard Times," from Thirteen WNET New York, gives the reader an informative snapshot of the cause and impact of the Gilded Age depression of 1893. Students and teachers will...
PBS
Wnet: Thirteen: Freedom: A History of Us: Crash
From the extensive and very approachable series, Freedom: A History of US, based on the books by Joy Hakim, read about the stock market crash in 1929 and its ramifications.
PBS
Wnet: Thirteen: Freedom: A History of Us: Down and Out
Read about the response of Herbert Hoover to the suffering of those who were hurting during the Great Depression. From the PBS series, Freedom: A History of US, based on the books by Joy Hakim.
PBS
Wnet: Thirteen: Depression and War: Stock Market Crash of 1929 [Pdf]
A lesson plan from the producers of the 16-episode PBS series "Freedom: A History of US" designed to help learners understand the stock market crash of 1929. They will examine how people got rich in the 1920s (by buying stocks on margin)...
The History Cat
The History Cat: The Great American Dust Bowl
Describes the causes and the events of the Great American Dust Bowl, when farmland was destroyed through misguided practices, famine set in, and dust storms drove people to desperation.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Social and Cultural Effects of the Depression
Read about how the fabric of the nation was changed during the Great Depression. See how the institutions of life--marriage, birth rates, education, public health--all saw disruption because of the compromised economy.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The New Deal
A brief biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the ideas he had for getting the United States back on its feet during the Great Depression.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Writing in u.s. History: Shaping the Postwar World
Consider how U.S. foreign policy changed in the aftermath of WWII, and analyze the philosophical, geopolitical, and economic factors that influenced these changes. In this interactive lesson from WGBH, students develop a written argument...
US House of Representatives
History, Art, and Archives: Us House of Representatives: Onto the National Stage
Women gained the right to vote and began to become active members of Congress as the United States faced many challenges. Early congresswomen served during the Great Depression, WWII, and the start of the Cold War. They had a voice in...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Bonus March
Read how anger about the increasing hardships affecting people in the Great Depression resulted in a march on Washington, D.C., by veterans of World War I. See what the demands were of the so-called Bonus Army, and how the demands were met.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Farming Problem
The farm crisis began years before the stock market crash and was made worse by the Great Depression. Read about the legislation that was passed to stabilize commodity prices and help farmers stay on their farms.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Sickened Economy
The U.S. economy in the 1970s staggered and fell in the 1970s. Read about the reasons for the depressed economy marked by high inflation and high unemployment.
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: War and Neutral Rights
This resource presents a brief discussion of U.S. neutrality early in World War I and of the events which brought the country closer to war.