Final answer:
The 1930s in the U.S. were defined by the Great Depression, an intense economic crisis that spawned Roosevelt's New Deal programs. The correct answer is B
Step-by-step explanation:
The defining characteristic of the United States during the 1930s was B. An extended period of economic depression. This period, known as the Great Depression, was a time of extensive economic hardship characterized by a significant increase in unemployment, widespread poverty, and a deep contraction of the economy. The impact was so severe that it led to the implementation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, a series of programs aimed at stimulating economic recovery and providing social welfare to the American people.