"In this volume, Ronald Edsforth presents a fresh synthesis of the most critical years in twentieth-century American history. The book describes the collapse of American capitalism in the early 1930s, and the subsequent remaking of the U.S. economy during Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency. Edsforth places the New Deal in the context of its own time, as a response to both the failed policies of the Hoover years and the rise of fascism overseas. Students and general readers alike will understand and appreciate the swift and effective actions of the Roosevelt administration that reversed the Depression and alleviated human suffering. With notable clarity, Edsforth shows how New Deal reforms created greater economic security and fostered movements for social justice."--BOOK JACKET.