1929年10月29日是美國歷史上最黑暗的一天。「黑色星期二」是股票市場崩盤的日子，「經濟大蕭條」 (Great
Depression) 也正式開始。失業率攀升到最高點，西元1933年，有四分之一的勞工失業，許多人因此無家可歸。賀柏特‧胡佛 (Hebert
Hoover) 總統企圖控制危機，但是卻無能為力。西元1932年，法蘭克林‧得雷諾‧羅斯福 (Franklin
Delano Roosevelt) 獲選為美國總統，他推動了「新政」 (New
Deal) 以解決美國的經濟危機。國會也配合通過設立「工作改進組織」 (Works
Progress Administration，WPA) ，負責為美國人民提供工作機會。
美國於1941年加入第二次世界大戰後，經濟大蕭條也隨之結束。美國與英國、法國語蘇聯等同盟國共同對抗德國、義大利，與日本。這場戰爭死亡的人數不斷增加。在德國於1945年5月投降之後，歐洲區的戰火也隨之熄滅。在美國於廣島與長崎投下原子彈，日本也隨即在1945年9月投降。
October 29, 1929, was a dark day in history. "Black Tuesday" is the day that the stock market crashed, officially setting off the Great Depression. Unemployment skyrocketed--a quarter of the workforce was without jobs by 1933 and many people became homeless. President Herbert Hoover attempted to handle the crisis but he was unable to improve the situation. In 1932, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected president and he promised a "New Deal" for the American people. Congress created The Works Progress Administration (WPA) which offered work relief for thousands of people.
The end to the Great Depression came about in 1941 with America's entry into World War II. America sided with Britain, France and the Soviet Union against Germany, Italy, and Japan. The loss of lives in this war was staggering. The European part of the war ended with Germany's surrender in May 1945. Japan surrendered in September 1945, after the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
 |
