Which event is associated with the start of the Great Depression?

The stock market crash of 1929 is widely recognized as the catalyst for the onset of the Great Depression. On October 29, 1929, known as Black Tuesday, stock prices on the New York Stock Exchange plummeted, leading to a massive loss of wealth and widespread panic among investors. This event triggered a chain reaction of bank failures, business closures, and skyrocketing unemployment, resulting in a severe economic downturn that lasted throughout the 1930s.

While the Dust Bowl caused significant agricultural distress and compounded the economic challenges during the 1930s, its impact was felt after the initial crash and did not initiate the Great Depression itself. World War I, while significant in changing international relations and economies, took place earlier and was not directly responsible for the Depression’s onset. The New Deal programs, introduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, were responses to the economic crisis aimed at recovery and reform, occurring after the Great Depression had already begun. Thus, the stock market crash of 1929 is correctly associated with the start of this pivotal period in American history.