The desperate conditions drove the survivors out of the Dust Bowl to cities in the north and northeast and the West Coast in search of work. On the southern plains, people and their livestock were dying in a severe drought. The Great Depression, which began with the Stock Market Crash in 1929, reached its worst point that year, when nearly half of the banks in the country failed and fifteen million people were out of work. In 1933, the United States was in dire straits. These stories just scratch the surface of the massive holdings related to the CCC and WPA in the Archives. As they did that, they worked in tandem to expand new and less traditional infrastructure: planting trees, employing artists, and providing childcare. These groundbreaking agencies put Americans to work rebuilding traditional infrastructure like roads and bridges. This week, we’re highlighting the records of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA). FDR’s vision to bring the country out of the Depression was to invest in both our infrastructure and each other. The Great Depression was a cascading crisis that started with the economy and grew to have devastating impacts on all aspects of society. As technology has advanced, our definition has evolved and now includes modernizing power grids and high-speed internet. From the transcontinental railroad to the interstate highway system, the federal government has a long history of investing in people and public works. Infrastructure has always been about connections.
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