Golden Gate Bridge: Depression, Construction, And The Rise of California (Part 1)

About this episode

This episode explores the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge during the Great Depression and its significance in California's history.

For the seventeeth installment of “50 Weeks That Shaped America” we travel to California in the 1930s, where San Francisco planners have a big idea — build a massive suspension bridge across the Golden Gate strait. We discuss how the project came together despite the Great Depression, the big egos involved, what the story says about how audacious projects can pull a country out of malaise… and why the bridge is the color it is. Join our America250 newsletter community ! Subscribe for free to get the latest news and analysis of how America250 is playing out. Paying subscribers get access to early, ad-free versions of the show. Plus bonus features throughout the year. To support our work and get access to everything, subscribe now . This Day is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Follow us on social @thisdaypod Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions…

People in this episode

Host: Jody Avirgan

Topics covered

• Golden Gate Bridge
• Great Depression
• California history
• construction
• audacious projects
• San Francisco

Keywords

• Golden Gate Bridge
• California
• Great Depression
• construction
• San Francisco
• history
• audacious projects

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Radiotopia

Books & works: Golden Gate Bridge

Places: California, San Francisco

More episodes of This Day (An America 250 History Show)

• After Watergate: The Backslide (Part 2) · June 11, 2026 · 40 min
• After Watergate: Reforming Government (Part 1) · June 9, 2026 · 32 min
• A Nation Of Readers: Isabel Wilkerson + Tara Westover · June 7, 2026 · 52 min
• Mariel Boatlift: The Anti-Immigrant Playbook (Part 1) · June 4, 2026 · 32 min
• Mariel Boatlift: Cuba In Crisis (Part 1) · June 2, 2026 · 39 min
• Reckoning With Racial Violence (Some Sunay Context) · May 31, 2026 · 24 min