Chapter 23 Vocabulary: Great Depression

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering key concepts, people, programs, and legislation of the Great Depression and New Deal era (Sections 23.1 - 23.4).

October 29, 1929 (Black Tuesday)

The day the stock market crashed marking the beginning of the Great Depression.

Overproduction

A situation in which the supply of manufactured goods exceeds the demand.

Great Depression

The period of American history beginning with the stock market crash in October 1929 and lasting until World War II in which the nation suffered its worst economic crisis in its history.

Hoovervilles

Communities of rundown shacks built by homeless people on the outskirts of big cities.

Soup Kitchen

Place where food is provided to the needy at little or no charge.

Bonus Army

The group of 20,000 angry World War I veterans who marched on Washington D.C. demanding immediate payment of the bonus they were to be paid in 1945.

Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC)

The government program created by President Hoover to fund critical businesses, such as banks, insurance companies, and railroads. The program also gave money to local governments to fund public works projects.

Unemployment Rate

The percentage of people who are actively looking for a job and can't find one. A measure of economic strength.

New Deal

The term that came to describe President Roosevelt's entire political program to get the U.S. out of the Great Depression.

Hundred Days

The period of the New Deal which lasted for 3 months in which Roosevelt proposed many new laws and secured passage of every major proposal.

Fireside Chats

Radio addresses used by FDR to reach into American homes and share information with the public. These addresses helped him to gain public support for his programs.

Bank Holiday

The closing of all banks by FDR in order to stop "runs" on banks. During which time he obtained legislation empowering the government to examine banks and reopen those that were sound.

Brain Trust

The group of college professors who served as advisors to FDR. From the clash of ideas among these advisors, Roosevelt was able to evaluate alternative proposals and determine the best course of action.

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

The New Deal agency that hired young, unemployed, city dwellers to work on public works projects that conserved natural resources.

Works Progress Administration (WPA)

The New Deal agency that put the jobless to work building hospitals, schools, parks, playgrounds, and airports. It also hired artists, writers, photographers, actors, and composers.

National Recovery Administration (NRA)

The New Deal agency created to help keep prices stable while boosting employment and buying power.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

The New Deal agency created to build giant dams along the Tennessee River in order to control flooding, provide cheap electricity, and increase jobs and prosperity in one of the country's poorest rural areas.

Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)

The law passed during the New Deal that allowed the government to pay farmers not to grow certain crops and to plow surplus crops under.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

The New Deal banking reform that raised the public's confidence in banks by guaranteeing the protection of savings accounts in banks approved by the government.

Huey Long

The Democratic senator from Louisianna that openly criticized FDR for not doing enough. He wanted to tax the wealthy and distribute their wealth to the poor. (Share Our Wealth Plan)

Court-Packing Plan

This term refers to FDR's attempt to increase the size of the Supreme Court from 9 to 15 which would allow him to appoint 6 new justices. FDR wanted a majority of justices to favor his New Deal programs.

Francis Townsend

The California doctor that called for a system of government pensions. He wanted retired Americans over the age of 60 to get $\$200$ each month. Helped set the stage for Social Security legislation later.

Charles Coughlin

The Catholic priest that used the radio to attract followers. He distrusted FDR's policies on banking and money, and called for the government to take over the banks.

Pensions

Payments made to people after they retire.

Eleanor Roosevelt

She helped to transform the role of First lady by becoming actively involved in her husband's presidency by serving as his "eyes and ears" and championing women's rights.

Black Cabinet

The group of high-ranking appointees who advised FDR on African American issues.

Dust Bowl

The area of the Great Plains spanning parts of six states that suffered through extreme drought and high winds which carried soil away in blinding dust storms.

Black Blizzards

Huge dust storms that buried fences, seeped into houses, and killed people and animals.

John Steinbeck

He wrote "The Grapes of Wrath" which told the heartbreaking story of the Okies who seek a better life in California. Classic example of how writers tried to cope with the Human toll of the Depression.

Dorothea Lange

The photographer who showed the suffering of Dust Bowl families and migrant workers.

Migrant Workers

People who travel from farm to farm picking crops.

Indian New Deal

The new government policy toward Native Americans in the 1930s that aimed to put reservations under Indian control, stop sales of Native American lands, and encourage Indian schools to teach Native American history and arts.

Social Security Act

The act passed in 1935 as part of the New Deal. It gave the federal government a major and lasting role in providing support for the needy including; the elderly, women with dependent children, the disabled, and the unemployed.

Collective Bargaining

The right of a union to negotiate wages and benefits for all of its members.

Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO)

The labor organization founded by John L. Lewis which was an umbrella organization consisting of many other unions. Unlike the AFL, this organization combined all workers in a particular industry skilled and unskilled.

Wagner Act

The act that passed as part of the New Deal in 1935 that guaranteed workers' right to organize into unions and prohibited unfair business practices, such as firing union members. It also upheld collective bargaining.

Fair Labor Standards Act

The act passed as part of the New Deal which helped workers by setting a minimum wage and length of work week. It also established time-and-a-half for overtime work.

Deficit Spending

The situation in which the government spends more money than it receives in taxes.

Payroll Tax

A tax that removes money directly from workers' paychecks.

Sit-Down Strike

The tactic used by unions to have their demands met where workers stay in the factory but stop production.