By the late 1920s America had entered a new period of disaster and tragedy. The Great Depression was the name of one of the most horrific periods in United States history. The next ten-plus years saw a glut of poverty-stricken people with widespread destitution. With many government programs, which attempted to help the public's problems, most of them were ineffective until the United States was provoked into joining World War II. The war opened many great new doors for the United States. The most important was the retreat from the Great Depression and the development of new technologies. Following the chronology of World War II, industrial and productive labor unrest, as well as lower unemployment rates, the revival of the New Deal, and sharp reductions in government spending and taxes contributed to the end of the Great Depression. These factors, from the beginning to the end of World War II and beyond, changed the course of U.S. history from barely prosperous to thriving. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay When America first entered World War II due to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, it required the development of new technologies. Many men were drafted to serve in the war as women entered the workforce in place of men. While men and women did their part, scientists were asked to develop new weapons to help in the fight. According to the PBS article on war production, not only did women enter the workforce, but also those from minority ethnic groups (such as African Americans or Latinos) were able to obtain job opportunities that had never been offered to them before . This workforce, eventually provided with jobs in the economy, contributed to helping the common family with their income and yet also stimulated the economy by finally having the money to reinvest in consumerism. Even as workers worked to try to end an era of poverty, their main source of motivation was to bring their husbands, fathers, and sons home. Women and other minority workers worked hard to produce quality materials that could help their men abroad (PBS). The economic situation was better than in the more recent past, but the economy did not necessarily recover until the end of World War II. Once the war ended, the economy continued to grow at a steady rate, partly due to the increase in technology during this period, but also because industrial and manufacturing work was a necessary part of winning the war. The many women and minority groups able to find a place in the workforce have brought immeasurable value to the United States. While helping men abroad, they were able to bring money home to help their family. As a result, the extra money they earned could be put back into consumerism. The industry grew enough that both sexes could simultaneously find their place in the workforce once the war was over. This extreme contrast to the last fifteen years formed the backbone of future economic growth in the United States. By 1933, four years after the official stock market crash that marked the start of the Great Depression, the unemployment rate had reached 25 percent. A few years after the United States' decision to participate in World War II, rates ofunemployment began to fall below 5%, with a sharp decline of 20% in the last ten years. One of the many factors that have caused unemployment rates to decline has been the creation of many new job opportunities for both men and women. Not only were men drafted into the war, but women were expected to take men's place in the workforce to continue aiding the war effort at home. These graphs don't even count self-employed workers, such as rural farmers, so therefore unemployment rates could be lower than those shown by these graphs. FDR's original New Deal was put in place, but failed when they decided to join the war effort. They put the program aside to try to focus all objectives on winning the war. These details would later be reinstated after the war ended, continuing to help citizens with their financial needs and growing the economy further. After the war ended FDR wanted to continue with his original New Deal plans, now revised to further integrate America, as an emerging superpower, after World War II. Many of the New Deal efforts include programs and laws that were enacted (but not limited to) such as the WPA, the Social Security Act of 1935, and the National Labor Relations Act. The WPA helps the community by creating jobs that aided public service, in turn helping communities grow and be more successful (Weber.Edu). They attempted to provide jobs rather than welfare. Under the WPA, public facilities such as schools and airports were built. On the other hand, the Social Security Act helped support those who could no longer hold a job, due to their age or their inability to work. If those who can no longer keep their jobs were given extra funds, the money would be pumped back into consumerism and further stimulate the economy. The National Labor Relations Act allowed people to define what labor practices they believed were unfair. It also gave workers the right to bargain through the unions of their choice and prohibited employers from participating in union activities. This merger has continued to help the American people by protecting them from large price increases and unfair employers. Unions came to the aid of the common man, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal plan, later encouraged by Truman, supported this. The final factors in the fall of the Great Depression involved newly elected President Truman ending sharp reductions in spending, taxes, and regulating businesses. In mid-1949, President Truman realized that a balanced budget would not be possible and that it was a good idea to give some businesses a tax break. In 1950, the recovery of the economy proved that this was a good decision to make. As the Korean War began, Americans feared the looming possibility that this could become another costly battle. Many U.S. officials hoped the government would be involved in keeping unemployment rates and inflation under control. Not only that, but they hoped to stabilize wages, prices, and increase military-related production. Subsequently, the strong reductions in public spending also helped a lot. The ability to start investing again at the national level has led to a significant increase in the private economy. In fact, this once again helped boost employment over this period of time. Instead of creating munitions, the occupied now created toasters and other new technologies for everyday use. Without the subsequent collapse.