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Fear and the Great Depression
Clip: Season 25 Episode 6 | 18s
Americans were living in fear during the height of the Great Depression.
By the time of the "War of the Worlds" broadcast in 1938, U.S. citizens had been suffering through the Great Depression for nearly ten years. In his 1933 inaugural address, FDR recognized that the dominant mood of the country in the 1930s was not anger or resentment at the capitalist system but in fact was shame and fear.
Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
![American Experience](https://image.pbs.org/contentchannels/zoZJOtC-white-logo-41-2rEQNrf.png?format=webp&resize=200x)
Fear and the Great Depression
Clip: Season 25 Episode 6 | 18s
By the time of the "War of the Worlds" broadcast in 1938, U.S. citizens had been suffering through the Great Depression for nearly ten years. In his 1933 inaugural address, FDR recognized that the dominant mood of the country in the 1930s was not anger or resentment at the capitalist system but in fact was shame and fear.
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When is a photo an act of resistance?
For families that just decades earlier were torn apart by chattel slavery, being photographed together was proof of their resilience.Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipDear Mr. Welles: Uncovering Original Material
Letters from a library archive come alive in the American Experience documentary. (2m 59s)
"Alien army invader in the late '30s was quickly translatable from Martian to German." (48s)
In Oct. 1938, a panicked radio announcer reported that Martians had landed in New Jersey. (22s)
Orson Welles' Best Performance
The press conference was one of Welles great performances as an actor. (32s)
Orson Welles' Press Conference
Orson Welles could not imagine how anyone could believe that Martians had really landed. (23s)
Many Americans were in awe that some people had believed the War of the Worlds broadcast. (18s)
During the height of the Great Depression, radios were being purchased by the millions. (29s)
There Was No Stopping Orson Welles
CBS network executives ordered a break in the broadcast, but Welles could not be stopped. (26s)
Watch chapter 1 of War of the Worlds, premiering on PBS October 29, 2013 at 9/8c. (7m 16s)
Airing October 29, 9/8c. The most famous invasion that never happened. (30s)
In the 1930s, Americans worried when radio programs were interrupted by news bulletins. (16s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipCorporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.