Workers march peacefully in Washington DC in 1930

The video discusses one of the darkest periods in American history, the Great Depression, which was marked by widespread unemployment and economic despair following the 1929 stock market crash. Under President Herbert Hoover's leadership, the nation struggled to cope with the crisis.

What does it mean that the country was in the 'throes of a paralyzing depression'?

Describe the state of despair in the economy during the Great Depression.