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The stock market grew rapidly during the 1920s and reached its peak in August of 1929. However, what goes up must come down, production rate declined and unemployment rose. Stock prices declined in September and October of 1929. On October 29, 1929, stock prices collapsed completely on a day that became known as "Black Tuesday." Billions of dollars were lost and the United States spiraled into a Great Depression.
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In the election of 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) represented the Democratic Party, while Herbert Hoover represented the Republican Party. The election took place during the Great Depression. In November of 1932, FDR won in a landslide.
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The twenty first amendment ends prohibition by repealing the eighteenth amendment.
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In the election of 1936, Franklin D. Roosevelt ran for reelection against republican candidate, Alf Landon. FDR won in a landslide and was started his second term.
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The Fair Labor Standards Act established the modern minimum wage ans set a national minimum wage of $0.25/hour, which eventually rose to $0.40/hour. It was the last major New Deal measure.
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On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland and initiated the beginning of World War II. While Europe goes off to war, the United states remains neutral until December of 1941.
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In the Presidential Election of 1940, FDR won his third election and became the only president to serve more than two terms. He was first elected on March 4, 1933, and served until April 12, 1945.
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President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared this "a date which will live in infamy." On December 7, 1941, the Japanese raided an American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The raid lasted about two hours and killed 2,300 Americans. Four days after this devastating loss, the US Declared war on Germany and officially entered World War II.