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Price Supports

Government efforts to stabilize agricultural prices by purchasing surplus goods or setting minimum prices for crops.

Credit

A system allowing consumers to buy goods or services before payment, based on trust that payment will be made in the future.

Alfred E. Smith

A Democratic candidate in the 1928 presidential election, known for opposing Prohibition and being the first Catholic nominee.

Dow Jones Industrial Average

An index measuring the stock performance of 30 prominent companies in the U.S. and a key indicator of economic health.

Buying on Margin

The practice of purchasing stocks with borrowed money, contributing to speculative bubbles.

Black Tuesday

October 29, 1929, the day the stock market crashed, signaling the start of the Great Depression.

Great Depression

A severe global economic downturn lasting from 1929 to the early 1940s, marked by widespread unemployment, poverty, and deflation.

Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act

A 1930 law that raised U.S. tariffs on imported goods, worsening global trade and deepening the Depression.

Shantytowns

Makeshift housing areas, often called 'Hoovervilles,' where homeless people lived during the Great Depression.

Bread Lines

Lines of people waiting to receive free food, such as bread or soup, provided by charitable organizations or public agencies.

Dust Bowl

A series of severe dust storms in the 1930s that devastated the Great Plains, caused by drought and poor agricultural practices.

Direct Relief

Government assistance programs providing food, money, or services directly to those in need.

Herbert Hoover

The 31st U.S. President, criticized for his inadequate response to the Great Depression.

Boulder Dam

Later renamed Hoover Dam, a major public works project initiated under Hoover to create jobs and provide water and electricity.

Federal Home Loan Bank Act

A 1932 law aimed at reducing foreclosures by providing low-interest loans to homeowners and banks.

RFC (Reconstruction Finance Corporation)

A government agency created to provide emergency financing to banks, businesses, and local governments during the Depression.

Bonus Army

A group of WWI veterans who marched on Washington, D.C., in 1932 to demand early payment of promised bonuses.

FDR (Franklin D. Roosevelt)

The 32nd U.S. President who led the country during the Great Depression and implemented the New Deal.

New Deal

A series of programs and policies introduced by FDR to combat the Great Depression, focusing on relief, recovery, and reform.

Glass-Steagall Act

A 1933 law that established the FDIC and separated commercial and investment banking.

Federal Securities Act

A 1933 law requiring companies to provide accurate financial information to protect investors.

AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Act)

A New Deal program designed to raise crop prices by paying farmers to reduce production.

National Industrial Recovery Act

A New Deal law aimed at stimulating industrial growth and establishing fair labor standards.

CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps)

A New Deal program providing jobs in environmental conservation projects for young men.

Deficit Spending

The government practice of spending more money than it collects in revenue, often used to stimulate the economy.

Huey Long

A Louisiana politician and vocal critic of FDR, known for his 'Share Our Wealth' program.

Eleanor Roosevelt

FDR's wife and an active advocate for social reform, civil rights, and women's rights.

WPA (Works Progress Administration)

A New Deal program creating jobs in public works, arts, and education.

Wagner Act

A 1935 law that protected workers' rights to unionize and established the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Mary McLeod Bethune

An African American educator and advocate for civil rights who played a key role in the New Deal’s programs for minority communities.

New Deal Coalition

An alliance of diverse groups, including labor unions, minorities, and farmers, that supported the Democratic Party and New Deal policies.

Gone with the Wind

A 1939 film depicting Southern life during and after the Civil War, offering escapism during the Depression.

Orson Welles

A filmmaker and actor known for his 1938 radio broadcast 'War of the Worlds' and contributions to cinema.

The Grapes of Wrath

A novel by John Steinbeck portraying the struggles of a family during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression.

FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)

A New Deal agency insuring bank deposits to restore public confidence in the banking system.

SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission)

A New Deal agency regulating the stock market and protecting investors.

TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)

A New Deal program providing electricity and economic development in the Tennessee Valley region.

John Dillinger

A notorious bank robber during the Great Depression, often seen as a folk hero.

Baby Face Nelson

A Depression-era gangster involved in bank robberies and organized crime.

James J. Braddock

A heavyweight boxer known as the 'Cinderella Man' for his comeback story during the Great Depression.

Joe Louis

A celebrated African American boxer and heavyweight champion during the 1930s and 1940s.

Jesse Owens

An African American athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

J. Edgar Hoover

The first Director of the FBI, known for his efforts to combat organized crime and domestic threats.

NYA (National Youth Administration)

A New Deal program providing education, jobs, and training for young Americans.

Social Security Act

A 1935 law establishing a system of pensions for the elderly, unemployment insurance, and aid for dependent children and the disabled.