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Migrant Mother, by Dorothea Lange (1936)
USCIS Civics · Question 103 of 128

What was the Great Depression?

Official Answer

Longest economic recession in modern history

In plain English

The Great Depression was the longest economic recession in modern history. It started in 1929 and lasted about ten years. Banks failed, businesses closed, and millions of people lost their jobs. The Great Depression was the longest economic recession in modern history.

From the archives

Migrant Mother, by Dorothea Lange (1936)
Migrant Mother, by Dorothea Lange (1936)Library of Congress / FSA, via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Image: Migrant Mother, by Dorothea Lange (1936) — Library of Congress / FSA, via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.Answers verbatim from USCIS M-1778 (09/25)