Chapter 25

Black Tuesday

The day the stock market crashed on October 29, 1929, marking the start of the Great Depression.

Great Depression Causes

Economic dependency on few industries, poor consumer purchasing power, excessive credit, decreasing European demand for American goods, and accumulating European debt.

Dust Bowl

A severe drought in the 1930s affecting the South and Midwest, causing farmlands to dry up and leading to dust storms known as 'black blizzards'.

Scottsboro Case

A 1931 incident where nine black teenagers were wrongfully convicted of raping two white women in Alabama.

Unemployment Rates (1932)

Unemployment reached an estimated 25% or more, averaging 20% throughout the 1930s, with some cities experiencing rates as high as 80%.

Relief during the Depression

Financial assistance provided to the unemployed through various government agencies.

Dale Carnegie

Author of 'How to Win Friends and Influence People', a self-help book advocating individual initiative and understanding of others.

John Steinbeck

Author of 'The Grapes of Wrath', a novel depicting the struggles of a family of 'Oakies' migrating to California.

Hawley Smoot Tariff

A tariff that raised rates to protect farm products, which led to retaliatory trade restrictions from other countries.

Hoovervilles

Makeshift shantytowns established by the destitute on the outskirts of cities during the Great Depression.

Reconstruction Finance Corporation

A government agency established by Hoover to provide federal loans to banks, railroads, businesses, and local governments.

Bonus Army

In 1932, WWI veterans marched to Congress demanding early payment of their bonuses, leading to a refusal by Hoover.

Popular Front

A coalition that aligned the American Communist Party with downtrodden groups, gaining support while following orders from the Comintern.

Agricultural Marketing Act

Act established by Hoover to help farmers maintain prices, which ultimately failed.

Life Magazine

A photojournalism publication that portrayed conditions during the Depression and served as a form of diversion.

“Escapist” Radio Shows

Radio programs designed to provide entertainment and distraction from the harsh realities of the Depression.