We've all heard that desperate times call for desperate measures. At that time, the American people needed a miracle. The world suffered from a severe economic depression, known as the Great Depression. The Great Depression (1929-1939) preceded World War II (1939-1945) by a decade. Although the timing varied among cities across the United States, it was considered the longest, most widespread, and deepest depression of the 20th century. The Great Depression began with the collapse of stock prices in the United States. Stock markets crashed on October 29, 1929, marking the day known as “Black Tuesday.” The American people needed help more than ever. Due to the Great Depression and war, many hospitals became obsolete and over 40% of the country had no hospitals at all. Fortunately, a new law passed by Congress would solve this problem. After the Great Depression and the war, the Hospital Survey and Construction Act, also known as the Hill-Burton Act, was passed in 1946. The Hill-Burton Act was to provide grants and loans to facilities for the construction of retirement homes, rehabilitation centers, hospitals and health centers (Health & Human Services, 2000). Facilities receiving these funds had to follow three rules: They were not allowed to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin or creed, although some "separate but equal" facilities were allowed, to provide each a “reasonable volume” of free care. year for residents in the facility's area who needed care but could not afford to pay, and states and localities were also required to demonstrate the economic viability of the facility in question (Newman, 2004). The Hill-Burton Act was not the only response to economic depression and war. At the time of...... middle of article...... on.htmlMitchell, R., & Jr, Jones, W. (1994). Public policy and the black hospital, from slavery to segregation and integration. The African American Experience, from http://goo.gl/cRmzxeNewman, Roger K. "Hill-Burton Act (1946)." Major acts of Congress. 2004. Retrieved November 16, 2013 from Encyclopedia.com: http://goo.gl/AyF8FIThe Library of Congress. (nd). President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the New Deal 1933-1945. Retrieved from http://goo.gl/yqGMK1Thomas, Karen K. "The Hill-Burton Act and Civil Rights: Expanding Hospital Care for Southern Blacks, 1939-1960." » Journal of Southern History 72 (November 2006): 823-70U.S. Embassy. (2008, April). The Great Depression and the New Deal. Retrieved from http://usa.usembassy.de/history-depression.htmWikipedia. (April 13, 2013). Hill-Burton Act. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_Burton_Act