During the Great Depression from 1929 to the early 1940s, many children in the US suffered. Schools closed across many communities from 1932-1933 due to lack of funding. Children experienced malnutrition and lacked access to nutritious foods. Rural children were especially impacted. Unemployment rose dramatically, causing economic decline as consumer spending fell. The monetary system also collapsed as bank failures reduced the money supply, deepening the recession. The global impact was exacerbated when the US called in loans from Europe and enacted trade tariffs, restricting global trade further.