Name: Unit 7 Interactive Vocab: The Great Depression, FDR, and the New Deal WORD DEFINITION ANALYSIS 1. Great Depression (304) An era, lasting from 1929 to 1940, in which the U.S. economy was in severe decline and millions of Americans were unemployed What were ONE of the causes of the Great Depression? 2. Black Tuesday (304) October 29, 1929: the day that the stock market crashed Preceded by Black Thursday (October 24, 1929) where stocks declined, people sold of shares, and top bankers met on Friday October 25 and bought stocks above current market prices to stop decline 3. Speculation (304) Practice of making high risk investments in hopes of obtaining large profits Investors speculating on stocks with money they didn t really have is one cause of the Great Depression 4. Herbert Hoover (301) 31st President of the United States (Republican) Led the country during the beginning of the Great Depression Believed it is NOT the role of government to step in and help people 5. Hawley-Smoot Tariff (305) Highest import tax in U.S. history Attempt to protect domestic industries from foreign imports (help U.S. business) Backfired because Europe raised their tariffs, thus leading to a slowdown in international trade What practices led to the stock market crash? (How were people buying stocks?) What was happening in the 1920s stock market that made speculation seem like a good idea? (term from Unit 6 Vocab) Why was Hoover blamed for the Depression? (What was his view on the role of government?) Why was this tariff so devastating for European countries?
6. Dust Bowl (311-313) A natural disaster in the Great Plains Experienced an extended drought in 1930 s that turned soil to dust Lasted for decades, leaving many farmers without work or substantial (livable) wages Farmers driven from homes and many went to California 7. John Steinbeck (345) Writer who recorded the misery of the Great Depression Wrote Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath (both about Dust Bowl migration) His novel, The Grapes of Wrath, was the best-selling novel of 1939 8. Dorothea Lange (344) Photographer who documented people's lives during the Depression Hired by the government to photograph effects of the Great Depression for the Farm Security Administration The picture provided is one of Dorothea Lange s most famous images 9. Mexican Repatriation Act (314-15) Authorized by President Hoover Sent Mexican Americans to Mexico during the Depression since jobs were scarce and non-mexican Americans needed jobs Some were deported (sent back unwillingly), others went back to Mexico willingly 10. Huey Long (325) A southern senator who wrote Share the Wealth, suggested money should be taken from the rich and re-distributed Also wanted to increase tax on the wealthy, provide better yearly income for everyone, free education, and free medication Assassinated in 1935 What would happen to all these farmers moving to California? What do you think the tone of the Grapes of Wrath was, if it is based on the Dust Bowl? Have you seen this image before? How do you think the Migrant Mother feels? Did the Mexican Repatriation Act consider whether or not these Mexican Americans were U.S. citizens? Or deport anyone of Mexican descent? Do you think Huey Long was a socialist? Why or why not?
11. Hoovervilles (309) Makeshift communities or shantytowns of the homeless and unemployed Mockingly named after President Hoover because they blamed him for Depression After losing homes, people would make shacks out of leftover building materials in open spaces 12. Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) (318) Established in 1932 by Hoover Gave emergency loans to banks and businesses because Hoover believed cheap loans would spur business It granted over 2 billion dollars to the local and state governments Hoover believed the money invested would trickle down to average Americans Too little, too late 13. Bonus Army (319-321) Group of WWI vets that marched to D.C. in 1932 to demand the immediate payment of their government war bonuses in cash Happened during Hoover s presidency General McArthur used tear gas and tanks to push veterans out of DC 14. Franklin D. Roosevelt (320-322) Elected to four terms in office, he served from 1933 to 1945, and is the only U.S. president to have served more than two terms of office Put people back to work using government funds under his New Deal platform 15. Eleanor Roosevelt (320) Wife of FDR Major advocate of human rights, peace, and political activist Served as FDR s eyes and ears by traveling around the U.S. Do you think it is fair to blame Hoover for the Great Depression? Why or why not? How would loaning money to major economic institutions help the economy? (Does this sound familiar to a modern situation?) Do you think it is right of the veterans to demand immediate payment? Why or why not? What was his political party? Why would Americans choose someone from this party at this time? What did Eleanor Roosevelt do as First Lady to help the U.S.?
16. New Deal (320-324) The name of President Roosevelt's program for getting the United States out of the Depression FDR pledged to do whatever was needed to help the needy and promote recovery Does the New Deal increase or decrease the power of the federal government? Why? 17. Deficit Spending (328) A government's spending of more money than it receives in revenue British Economist John Maynard Keynes argued that deficit spending was needed to end the depression putting people to work on public projects would put money into the hands of the consumers who would then buy more goods and stimulate the economy 18. First Hundred Days (322) March 9, 1933--Congress began a special session to review recovery and reform laws submitted by the President for Congressional approval New Deal legislation the three R s Relief, Reform and Recovery Does our current government practice deficit spending? Why do you think most of the legislation was passed in the first 100 days? 19. The Brain Trust (321) College professors, labor leaders, lawyers, and social workers who gave advice on policies Told or advised FDR to be as creative as possible in developing new strategies and programs to deal with crisis Why would it be a good idea to ask college professors, labor leaders, lawyers, and social workers for advice? 20. Fireside Chat (322) President F. Roosevelt's use of radio broadcasts to communicate to the people He explained his policies in simple conversational terms Presented himself as an optimist in order to restore public confidence Do you think this helped the public endure or cope with the Depression? How?
21. Emergency Banking Act of 1933 (322) 22. Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) (324) 23. Public Works Administration (PWA) (324, 327) March 6, 1933 - FDR ordered a bank holiday Many banks were failing because they had too little capital (money), made too many planning errors, and had poor management Banks were closed and permitted to re-open only after the government found banks to be financially sound Relief Legislation Helped conserve natural resources such as national parks and forests Gave jobs to young men (250,000 men: ages 18-25), such as planting trees and cleaning up forests Men lived in camps and received free food Sent pay to their parents Relief Legislation Began under Hoover and continued under Roosevelt Provided jobs and income to the unemployed but couldn't work more than 30 hours a week. Created federal jobs by building public projects such as schools, roads, courts, post offices, and bridges Relief Legislation What former time period does this legislation seem familiar to? Why would men be the only group employed by the CCC? Why was it important to get people back to work, and why building public projects? 24. Agriculture and Adjustment Administration (AAA) (323) A government agency created because food prices were too low due to overproduction The AAA tried to combat falling crop prices by paying famers not to plant crops and to destroy crops Second AAA (1938)- government bought farm surpluses and stored them in warehouse until prices went up Recovery measure and program Why would destroying crops help crop prices?
25. Schechter Poultry v. US (1937) (331) U.S. Supreme Court case concerning a New Deal agency (National Industrial Recovery Act and Agricultural Adjustment Act) Claimed President overstepped his authority in the Constitution Supreme Court held that Congress could not give the President more power than those granted in the Constitution Encouraged FDR to try the Court Packing Plan Why would private businesses challenge FDR s reform and recovery efforts? 26. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)(322) An independent federal agency created by the Glass-Steagall Reform Act It insured bank deposits up to a certain amount so that people would not lose their savings if a bank failed Helped put faith back into the banks Today insures up to $250,000 A Reform program Why would people not have faith in banks in 1929? 27. Securities Exchange Commission SEC Federal agency established in 1934 to supervise (watch over) the stock market to prevent fraud and guard against another stock market collapse Reform legislation What event that occurred in 1929 was this agency created to prevent from happening in the future? 28. Tennessee Valley Authority (323) An independent government agency Built a series of dams on the Tennessee river that provided flood control and hydroelectric power to 7 southern states Brought needed jobs to the region and encouraged investment Relief and Reform legislation How would the 7 states be impacted by the TVA?
29. Social Security System (329) Provided workers with unemployment insurance, old age pensions, and insurance for if they die early Implemented since the elderly were the largest group in poverty Both workers and employers pay contributions to fund these benefits and receive them when they reached retirement age Reform Legislation 30. Wagner Act of 1935 (330) (AKA) National Labor Relations Act established National Labor Relations Board Recognized the right of employees to join labor unions and gave workers the right to collective bargaining Reform Legislation Do you think the Social Security System works well nowadays? Why or why not? Why was it still important to protect worker s rights during the Depression? 31. Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (330) Provided workers with additional rights such as: minimum wage, maximum work week, and made child labor illegal Minimum wage was originally set at 25 cents and the maximum work week was 44 hours Should the government be able to set a minimum wage? Why or why not? 32. Mary McLeod Bethune Part of FDR s Black Cabinet o Unofficial African American advisors who will rise to positions in the Department of the Interior She became the first African American female to head a federal agency and a special advisor on minority affairs to FDR What did many of the black cabinet, like Mary Bethune, hope FDR would do to affect civil rights in the South?
33. Indian New Deal Part of FDR s new deal Led by John Collier Reversed old government policies like the Dawes Act, encouraging tribal practices Included the Indian Reorganization Act which restored Tribal control over Native American Lands 34. FDR s Court Packing Scheme (331) Because the U.S. Supreme Court was declaring New Deal Legislation unconstitutional, Franklin Roosevelt proposed a plan to allow the President to add new appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court for each justice over 70 ½ If adopted, Roosevelt could add 6 Justices, giving him control of the U.S. Supreme Court It never became a law Do we still have issues affecting the relationship between the federal government and Native Americans today? (If so what?) How would FDR s court packing scheme threaten the separation of powers? (see unit 1 vocab for help) 35. Father Coughlin (325) Catholic priest who used his popular radio program to criticize the New Deal Wanted nationalization of banks and utilities Increasingly anti-roosevelt and anti-semitic Catholic Church took him off the air What is anti-semitic and how does this relate to WWII? (may use Google)