America has experienced several recessions and depressions in the past. More recently, the housing crisis triggered a recession that led to rising unemployment. The greatest recession to date was the Great Depression of the 1930s. A stock market crash in 1929 caused a loss of savings which led to unemployment, falling wages and distrust of the banking system . Its effects lasted until the 1940s. Franklin Roosevelt was elected president during this period; the legislation he passed attempted to alleviate the public's suffering. Following the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps to employ unemployed young men and improve government lands. The decade directly preceding the Great Depression was prosperous and lucrative. Many factors led to this era, often called the Roaring Twenties. The use of labor-saving machines has affected several industries. Henry Ford's Model T was suddenly much cheaper, allowing more families to buy one. Fewer than seven million cars were traveling on American highways in 1919. This number jumped to 23 million by 1929. This increase in cars and travel led to the expansion of gas stations, roadside restaurants and service and repair stations. The use of machinery reduced the amount of labor needed on farms while increasing the yield per acre. With Prohibition still in effect, the need for moonshine created an economic niche for entrepreneurs who were not afraid of the law. Radio sales also grew rapidly. Total radio sales in 1922 were $60 million, while in 1929 radio sales totaled $850 million. This increase in radio has also allowed more advertisements to reach consumers' ears. For the first time, marketing messages were sent directly...... middle of paper ... still conservation. As the Depression slowly eased and the program came to an end, critics began to question whether the Corps was conserving public lands or overdeveloping them ("New Deal for Parks" 8). The looming threat of World War II redirected efforts. of the CCC. While the Corps still worked on government lands, it was primarily on military bases constructing or renovating airfields and artillery ranges. When the United States officially joined World War II, funding for the Corps was cut. Even if funding had been maintained, the program would have declined significantly as many soldiers joined the military and were sent overseas to fight the war. The Civilian Conservation Corps is widely considered one of the most successful programs of the New Deal. It employed half a million young men while improving thousands of acres of public lands (New Deal for Parks 8).