TASH - Americans 15

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Two-term governor of New York who won an overwhelming victory in 1932 and launched a period of intense legislative activity to combat the Great Depression

New Deal

Program designed to alleviate the problems of the Great Depression, focusing on relief for the needy, economic recovery, and financial reform

Glass-Steagall Act

1933 law that established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and provided federal insurance for individual bank accounts up to $5,000

Federal Securities Act

1933 law that required corporations to provide complete information on all stock offerings and made them liable for misrepresentations

Agricultural Adjustment Act

Law that sought to raise crop prices by lowering production and paying farmers to leave part of their land unseeded

Civilian Conservation Corps

Program that put young men aged 18 to 25 to work building roads, developing parks, planting trees, and helping in soil-erosion and flood-control projects

National Industrial Recovery Act

Law that established codes of fair practice for industries and guaranteed workers the right to unionize and bargain collectively

Deficit spending

Spending more money than the government receives in revenue, used during economic crisis

Huey Long

Louisiana senator who proposed the Share-Our-Wealth program promising a home, food, clothes, education, and other necessities

Eleanor Roosevelt

First lady who traveled the country observing social conditions, urged the president to take stands on issues, and supported equal rights for women and minorities

Works Progress Administration

Agency that spent $11 billion to give jobs to more than 8 million workers building airports, roads, public buildings, and employing professionals

National Youth Administration

Program that provided education, part-time jobs, counseling, and recreation for young people

Wagner Act

1935 law that protected workers’ rights to join unions, engage in collective bargaining, and created a board to settle disputes

Social Security Act

1935 law providing old-age insurance for retirees, unemployment compensation, and aid to families with dependent children and the disabled

Frances Perkins

Secretary of labor who played a major role in creating the Social Security system and supervised labor legislation

Mary McLeod Bethune

Educator appointed to head the Division of Negro Affairs of the National Youth Administration and organizer of a group advising the administration on racial issues

John Collier

Commissioner of Indian affairs who helped create the Indian Reorganization Act, promoting Native American autonomy

New Deal Coalition

Alignment of diverse groups including Southern whites, urban groups, African Americans, and unionized workers supporting the Democratic Party

Congress of Industrial Organizations

Organization formed to organize industrial unions representing all workers in an industry

Gone with the Wind

1939 film that became one of the most popular movies of the era, offering escape from the realities of the Depression

Grapes of Wrath

Novel by John Steinbeck describing the experience of tenant farmers during the Depression

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

Agency that provided federal insurance for individual bank accounts and restored confidence in banks

Securities and Exchange Commission

Agency created in 1934 to regulate the stock market and prevent dishonest practices

National Labor Relations Board

Board established to hear testimony about unfair labor practices and hold elections for union representation