Key Terms of the Great Depression and New Deal

Herbert Hoover

U.S. president (1929-1933) at the start of the Great Depression; believed in limited government intervention and relied on voluntary business cooperation to fix the economy.

Speculation

Risky stock market investments made in hopes of quick profit, which contributed to the stock market crash of 1929.

Black Tuesday

October 29, 1929, the day the stock market collapsed, marking the beginning of the Great Depression.

Great Depression

A severe economic downturn (1929-1941) marked by high unemployment, bank failures, and widespread poverty.

Hawley-Smoot Tariff

A 1930 law that raised taxes on imports, worsening the global economic crisis by reducing international trade.

Business Cycle

The natural pattern of economic expansion and contraction over time.

Bread Line

A line of people waiting to receive free food during the Great Depression.

Hooverville

Shantytowns built by homeless Americans during the Great Depression, named sarcastically after President Hoover.

Tenant Farmer

A farmer who works land owned by someone else, often struggling during the economic crisis.

Dust Bowl

A period of severe drought and dust storms in the 1930s that devastated farmers in the Great Plains.

Okies

Displaced farmers, mainly from Oklahoma, who migrated westward to escape the Dust Bowl.

Repatriation

The forced return of immigrants, particularly Mexican Americans, during the Great Depression to free up jobs for American-born workers.

Localism

Hoover's policy of relying on local and state governments, rather than federal aid, to address economic problems.

Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC)

A government agency created by Hoover to provide loans to banks and businesses in hopes of stimulating economic recovery.

Trickle-Down Economics

The idea that economic benefits given to businesses and the wealthy will eventually 'trickle down' to lower-income groups.

Hoover Dam

A major public works project built during Hoover's presidency to provide jobs and hydroelectric power.

Bonus Army

A group of WWI veterans who marched on Washington in 1932 to demand early payment of their war bonuses; forcibly removed by the military under Douglas MacArthur.

Douglas MacArthur

Army general who led the violent removal of the Bonus Army from Washington, D.C.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)

U.S. president (1933-1945) who launched the New Deal to combat the Great Depression.

Eleanor Roosevelt

First Lady and activist who championed human rights, women's rights, and New Deal programs.

New Deal

A series of programs and reforms introduced by FDR to provide economic relief, recovery, and reform.

Fireside Chats

Radio addresses by FDR to reassure and inform the public about government actions during the Great Depression.

FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)

A New Deal agency that insures bank deposits, restoring public trust in banks.

TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)

A program that built dams to provide electricity and jobs to rural areas.

CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps)

A New Deal work program that employed young men in environmental conservation projects.

National Recovery Administration (NRA)

A program that regulated industries to promote fair wages and labor conditions.

PWA (Public Works Administration)

A New Deal program that funded large infrastructure projects, creating jobs.

Charles Coughlin

A Catholic priest and radio broadcaster who criticized FDR and the New Deal for not going far enough.

Huey Long

A senator and New Deal critic who promoted the 'Share Our Wealth' plan to heavily tax the rich.

WPA (Works Progress Administration)

A massive work-relief program that provided jobs in construction, arts, and public services.

John Maynard Keynes

An economist who advocated pump priming, or increased government spending to boost demand.

Pump Priming

The idea that government spending should increase to create jobs and stimulate the economy.

Social Security Act

A 1935 law that provided retirement pensions, unemployment insurance, and disability benefits.

Wagner Act

A law that protected workers' rights to form unions and engage in collective bargaining.

Collective Bargaining

The process in which workers negotiate with employers for better wages and working conditions.

Fair Labor Standards Act

A 1938 law establishing minimum wage, maximum working hours, and child labor restrictions.

CIO (Congress of Industrial Organizations)

A labor union that represented industrial workers and supported New Deal labor reforms.

Sit-Down Strikes

A form of protest where workers occupied factories to demand better working conditions.

Court Packing

FDR's controversial attempt to add more justices to the Supreme Court to pass his New Deal policies.

Black Cabinet

A group of African American advisors who influenced FDR's policies on racial issues.

Mary McLeod Bethune

A key member of the Black Cabinet and an advocate for African American rights and education.

Indian New Deal

A set of policies aimed at improving conditions for Native Americans, promoting self-government.

New Deal Coalition

A diverse political alliance that supported FDR and the Democratic Party, including minorities, labor unions, and farmers.

Welfare State

A government system where the state assumes responsibility for citizens' social and economic well-being.

Frank Capra

A filmmaker known for uplifting movies that highlighted ordinary Americans' struggles during the Depression.

Federal Art Project

A WPA program that funded artists to create public murals and other artworks.

Mural

A large painting on a public wall, often depicting social and historical themes.

Dorothea Lange

A photographer who documented the struggles of the Great Depression, especially migrant workers.

John Steinbeck

An author whose novel The Grapes of Wrath depicted the hardships of Dust Bowl migrants.

Lillian Hellman

A playwright known for socially conscious plays that addressed issues like poverty and injustice.