At the Depression’s lowest point, over 9,000 banks failed, wiping out millions of Americans’ savings.

Many unemployed Americans lived in shantytowns sarcastically called “Hoovervilles” and newspapers used the term “Hoover blanket” to describe newspapers used for warmth by the homeless.

Breadlines could stretch for blocks in major cities, even while food was being destroyed to keep prices up.

Children often left school to work or help support their families, reversing decades of educational progress.

The Depression did not fully end until World War II mobilization drastically increased government spending and employment.