In October 1929, a stock market crash in the United States caused millions of people to suddenly lose their savings, their jobs, and everything they owned. Many had to survive by waiting in long breadlines for free food, building their own homes from trash, and making clothes from scraps. Some rode railroad cars in a desperate search for work, only to end up on farms battling huge dust storms. This was the Great Depression, a time of tragedy but also one where people showed immense grit.