America in 1929

About the lecture

In this module, we explore what America was like in 1929 before the Great Depression. We examine what the American population looked like, who worked and how they worked. While the effects of the Great Depression were not felt in the cities until after the stock market crash of 1929, in the countryside an economic depression had been in force for nearly a decade. The American government was also vastly smaller than it is today, with its affect on people’s lives little felt.

About the lecturer

Professor David Kennedy is Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History Emeritus at Stanford University. His scholarship is notable for its integration of economic and cultural analysis with social and political history. His research focus has largely been on 20th century US History, winning the Pulitzer Prize for History for his book Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929–1945 (1999).