history

Black Tuesday

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

Herbert Hoover

The 31st President of the United States, in office during the onset of the Great Depression; was criticized for his inadequate response to the crisis.

Bank Runs

Occurrences when a large number of people withdraw their money from banks due to fears of the bank's insolvency, leading to bank failures.

Hawley-Smoot Tariff

A 1930 tariff that raised U.S. import duties to protect American businesses, which worsened the global economic depression by stifling international trade.

Hoovervilles

Shantytowns built by homeless people during the Great Depression, named sarcastically after President Hoover, who was blamed for the suffering.

Dust Bowl

Severe dust storms in the 1930s that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of U.S. prairies, exacerbating the economic difficulties of the Great Depression.

Okies

Displaced farm families from the Dust Bowl who migrated to California during the 1930s in search of work and better living conditions.

Hoover Dam

A massive public works project initiated during Hoover's presidency, completed in 1936, that provided jobs and water management in the Southwest.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The 32nd President of the United States, who implemented the New Deal to combat the Great Depression and led the country during World War II.

Eleanor Roosevelt

The First Lady, advocate for civil rights and social welfare, who played a significant role in the New Deal and later served as a diplomat in the United Nations.

First Hundred Days

The initial phase of FDR's presidency, marked by rapid legislative action to address the Great Depression through New Deal programs.

Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC)

A government agency created in 1932 to provide financial support to banks, industries, and other institutions to stimulate economic activity.

Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)

A New Deal program that aimed to boost agricultural prices by reducing surpluses through government subsidies to farmers.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

A federal corporation created in 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley region.

Civilian Conservation Corps. (CCC)

A New Deal program that provided jobs to young men for environmental conservation projects, such as planting trees and building parks.

National Recovery Act (NRA)

A 1933 New Deal measure designed to stimulate industrial recovery by establishing fair-practice codes and promoting labor rights.

Public Works Administration (PWA)

Aimed to stimulate the economy through large-scale public works projects, such as building dams, bridges, schools, and hospitals

Federal Deposits Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

Established in 1933 to insure bank deposits, restore trust in the American banking system, and prevent future bank failures.

Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Primarily focused on providing jobs for unemployed Americans through public works projects and other community services

Social Security Act

A 1935 law that established a system of old-age benefits, unemployment insurance, and welfare programs for the needy, laying the foundation for the modern welfare state.

Wagner Act

Also known as the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, it protected workers' rights to unionize and engage in collective bargaining.

Court Packing Plan

FDR's controversial proposal to expand the Supreme Court by adding more justices to obtain favorable rulings for New Deal legislation.

Huey Long

A populist Louisiana politician and critic of the New Deal who advocated for wealth redistribution through his "Share Our Wealth" program.

Fr. Charles Coughlin

A Roman Catholic priest and influential radio broadcaster who initially supported, but later criticized, FDR and the New Deal for not going far enough in reforming the economy.

Fireside Chats

A series of radio addresses by FDR to directly communicate with the American public, explaining his policies and reassuring citizens during the Great Depression.