On Tuesday, October 29, 1929, the United States economy plunged into the ground. This was the beginning of the Great Depression. Causes of the economic collapse included overproduction of both farm and factory products, and the credit card. People began buying more than they could afford to buy. The Great Depression was the worst economic crisis the world has ever seen.
*** The depression was so bad that many people lived in tin-and-paper shantytowns called Hoovervilles.