American soldiers in a trench in France during World War I. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
When President Roosevelt was elected in 1933, the U.S. was in the Great Depression. The Great Depression was the worst time for the U.S. economy in American history.
The economic system in the United States is called a "capitalist economy". It is also sometimes called a "market economy". In a market economy, the government does not control the economy. Also, people are free to start a business and make money.
The Great Depression had terrible effects on the American economy. During the Great Depression, banks and businesses around the country closed, and many people could not a get a job. A lot of people in the U.S. lost their homes and their money.
CHAPTER 11: AMERICAN HISTORY 1900 - 2001
In 1914, a war started in Europe. When the war started, it was called The Great War. Today, the Great War is called World War I. There were many countries fighting on each side of the war during World War I.
World War I is one war fought by the United States in the 1900s. World War I was fought by countries from around the world from 1914 - 1918, but the U.S. did not join the war until 1917. The U.S. fought in World War I from 1917-1918.
World War I ended on November 11, 1918. Today, we celebrate Veterans' Day every November 11 in honor of the men and women (alive and deceased) who have served in the military. Veterans' Day is a national
U.S. Holiday.
Woodrow Wilson was President during World War I. Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, and he was President from 1913-1921.
The Chicge Daily
GREAT WAR ENDS
Other wars that the United States fought in the 1900s include:
• World War II
Two sailors read a newspaper with the headline "Great War Ends." Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
• (Persian) Gulf War
Statue of a Depression breadline at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Washington, D.C. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
A migrant agricultural worker's family during the Great Depression. Photograph by Dorothea Lange. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services