Final answer:
The Great Depression was a period in the 1930s of high unemployment and economic hardship in the U.S. following the 1929 stock market crash. It saw up to 25% unemployment and spawned 'Hoovervilles,' with the New Deal providing recovery efforts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The time period in the United States during the 1930s when millions of people were out of work is known as the Great Depression. This era began after the stock market crash of October 1929 and lasted until the onset of World War II. Unemployment rates soared as high as 25 percent, and the nation's industrial output was cut in half. Americans experienced severe economic hardships including bank failures, widespread foreclosures, and the appearance of shantytowns known as 'Hoovervilles' which sprung up across the nation as people lost their homes and livelihoods.
The New Deal, introduced by Franklin D. Roosevelt, aimed to address the economic crisis with various government programs designed to provide relief, recovery, and reform. One of the New Deal programs, the Works Progress Administration (WPA), was instrumental in providing employment to millions, thereby initiating the slow recovery of the American economy.