The Great Depression
The Great Depression started in 1929 and was also known as the "Slump" was the longest and most severe depression ever experienced in America. It was said to have started when stock market prices crashed to rock bottom in October 1929. During the next 3 years stock prices continued to fall. By October 1932, prices had dropped to only 20% of their value in 1929.
Many investors were ruined and 90% of banks couldn't pay off their debts. 11,000 banks had been forced to close down by early 1933. Because of the price drops and failure of many banks many people stopped buying things altogether except for essential needs.
Due to The Great Depression manufacturing output had recent between 12 and 15 million workers. Even though The Great Depression began in America it quickly spread worldwide. However it had some important consequences as it led to the election of Franklin Roosevelt in late 1932.
Franklin Roosevelt
Roosevelt became the 32nd president and the only one to be elected four times. He led America through The Great Depression and the start of World War II.
World War II
By the early part of 1939 the German Dictator Adolf Hitler was determined to invade and take over Poland. Adolf Hitler managed to get the Soviet Union on his side and at 12:40pm on August 31st 1939, Hitler ordered to start the invasion at 4:45pm the next morning. In response to this attack Great Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3rd at 11am and by 5pm the war had begun. The war continued till early 1945 when finally Adolf Hitler backed down and fled to Switzerland.
Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King was born on January 15th 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Martin Luther King was a Baptist minister and social activist who felt very strongly that black people should be treated no different to white. He led the Civil Rights Movement in the USA from mid 1950's until his death by assassination in 1968. Before his death he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964.
Harry Truman
Harry Truman was the 33rd president of the USA, who led his nation through the final stages of World War II and the early stages of the Cold War.
Cold War
The Cold War started on April 25th 1945 straight after World War II had finished. The Soviet Union began overtaking Eastern Europe. America and Britain feared that the Soviet Union might move across to West Country so they aimed to stop them. The Cold War started and reached its peak during 1947-48. From 1953 the countries relaxed after the Soviet Union s dictator Joseph Stalin died. Finally an agreement was made and the war ended in 1957, but because of the Soviets communist battle it had triggered the Korean War.
Korean War
The Korean War started in June 1950 between North Korea and South Korea. The USA took South Koreas side and China took North Koreas. The war ended on July 27th 1953. The Korean War resulted in the deaths of 1 300 000 South Koreans, one million Chinese, 500,000 North Koreans and 37 000 Americans.
After the Korean and Cold Wars had ended America managed to contain the spread of communism.
