Dust storms ravaged the Great Plains, and the economy crashed, leaving thousands unemployed, homeless, and hungry. Nazism began its rise to power in Germany, and a hurricane devastated New England. The 1930s were a time of enormous devastation, but also of great progress. Franklin D. Roosevelt promised a New Deal for America. Amelia Earhart attempted to become the first woman to fly around the world. Walt Disney began a media empire that would change entertainment forever. The 1930s would shape America and the world, with each new policy and invention creating the backdrop for a new world power.