The events of the 1930s, or the Great Depression, have had the greatest influence on contemporary America. During the 1920s, America was experiencing its most prosperous economic period until the stock market collapsed in 1929. The stock market crash led to a dramatic decline in the American economy. The decline of the economy has changed the daily lives of Americans. In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president and created the New Deal to provide relief, recovery and reform. The Depression impacted America in the 1930s in all aspects of life and still impacts America today. Although contemporary America has been shaped by many events that occurred in the 20th century, America was most influenced by the 1930s due to legislation that improved daily life during the Great Depression, its effects on he economy and how leisure and entertainment have changed our culture. began to adopt new laws and acts to improve the daily life of an American, destroyed due to depression. Americans began to fall into poverty, and during the economic decline, many lost their jobs and homes. In April 1935, “FDR signed legislation creating the Works Progress Administration. The program employs more than 8.5 million people in 3,000 counties across the country” (http://www.pbs.org). This was the beginning of FDR's progress in improving everyday life. The WPA created jobs for unemployed people. This began to promote general welfare as more people began to take jobs to support the economy. One of the most important laws passed during the Great Depression that still impacts us today is the Social Security Act. Historian Kenneth S. Davis calls the Social Security Act “one of the major turning points in American history” (http://www.pbs.org). Social Security...... middle of article.... .hard times would improve and prosperity would soon arrive. Additionally, like movies and radio, music was a large part of the distraction from the hard times Americans faced during the Depression. People enjoyed the popular music of the 1930s which was “Swing” music. Swing music was played by big bands and topped the music charts of the 1930s. In 1930s literature, many working class heroes were trying to make it big in America. John Steinbeck, The Grapes Of Wrath. This explains that instead of achieving the American dream, the Joad family faced difficult times. In English classes across America, The Grapes of Wrath is read to teach students about the effects and history of the Great Depression. in the 1930s The culture of the 1930s shaped our culture and the way we live every day..