The Great Depression

New Woman

Women in the 1920s who pushed for independence, worked more, and challenged traditional expectations.

New Negro

Harlem Renaissance idea promoting Black pride, activism, and rejecting racist stereotypes.

Nativism

Belief favoring native-born Americans and opposing immigrants, leading to strict quotas.

Red Scare

Fear of communism and radical ideas after WWI that led to arrests and deportations.

Rise of the KKK

Growth of the Ku Klux Klan as white Protestants reacted against immigration and social change.

Immigration Laws

1920s quota acts limiting immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe.

Prohibition

Ban on alcohol from 1920

Farming Issues

Overproduction, falling prices, and debt that hurt farmers throughout the 1920s.

Income Inequality

Wealth concentrated at the top, leaving most Americans unable to sustain consumer spending.

Dollar Diplomacy (Failed)

Policy encouraging U.S. banks to invest abroad, collapsed when foreign nations couldn’t repay loans.

Consumer Culture

Growth of advertising and buying goods (often on credit) in the 1920s.

Economic Issues

Hidden weaknesses like debt, low farm income, and risky business practices.

Hoover Elected

Popularity from previous administrations and division of Democrats under Al Smith.

Rugged Individualism

Hoover’s belief in self-reliance and limited government help.

Hoover’s Expected Problems

Rising inequality, social tension, and generational divides.

Causes of the Great Depression

Debt, farm collapse, overproduction, weak banks, tariffs, and Fed inaction.

Smoot-Hawley Tariff

Raised tariffs, triggered retaliation, and hurt global trade.

Black Thursday

October 24, 1929; stock prices dropped sharply before bankers intervened.

Black Tuesday

October 29, 1929; major stock crash with no buyers.

Business Cycle

Natural economic ups and downs; the Depression was the deepest downturn.

Crash Revealed Issues

Problems in farming, wealth distribution, manufacturing, banking, and speculation.

Hoover to Blame?

His limited aid and reliance on volunteerism slowed recovery.

Public Works (Hoover Dam)

Projects meant to create jobs, but too small to fix the crisis.

RFC

Loans to banks and industries, no direct help to individuals, limited effect.

Hoovervilles

Shantytowns symbolizing anger at Hoover.

Bonus Army

Veterans forced out of D.C., damaging Hoover’s reputation.

Dust Bowl

Drought and poor farming practices that destroyed farmland and forced migration.

Okies

Migrants from the Plains to California seeking work.

Other Impacts

Lower marriage and birth rates, more crime, school dropouts, and family adjustments.

Easy Credit

Buying on installment plans created debt that collapsed when incomes fell.

Lack of Diversification

Economy relied on cars and construction; once they declined, the economy fell.

Maldistribution of Wealth

Wealth held by few, lowering demand for goods.

Credit Structure

Farmers and banks were overwhelmed with debt and risky loans.

Declining Exports

High tariffs and weak Europe reduced foreign sales.

International Debt Structure

Germany and Austria couldn’t pay reparations, hurting Britain, France, and the U.S.

Banking Collapse Impact

9,000 banks failed, millions lost savings, money supply shrank, unemployment soared.

Social Darwinism

Justified no government aid by claiming poverty showed weakness.

Farmer Overproduction

New technology and falling prices pushed farmers to grow more to pay debts.

Germany and Austria

Bank failures and collapsed economies made debt payment impossible.

Britain and France

Couldn’t collect reparations, couldn’t repay the U.S.

Africa

Declining demand for exports brought poverty and unemployment.

Russia

Isolated economy meant fewer direct effects.

Japan

Severe economic trouble led to political instability and militarism.

African Americans

First fired, faced discrimination and violence, limited job access.

Mexican Americans

Low wages, discrimination, limited services, some forced to leave.

Asian Americans

Faced job discrimination and competition with unemployed whites.

Women

Expected to stay home but many worked; fewer opportunities and more layoffs.

Families

Cut spending, grew food, combined households, and shifted roles.

Social Values

People held tighter to traditional ideas and individual responsibility.

Art

Focused on social issues and injustice, though popular works provided escape.

Radio

Brought families together, offered entertainment, and created national shared experiences.

Movies

Cheap escape; Hollywood grew and addressed some social issues.

Literature

Shift toward realistic stories about poverty and social struggle.

New Left

Movement focused on civil rights and equality; viewed positively because it aligned with American ideals.

Hoover’s Early Approach

Wanted cooperation between business and government and minimal intervention.

Why Hoover’s Spending Failed

He spent too little and feared deficits.

FDR’s Qualities

Energetic, confident, relatable, and focused on economic relief.

Migration Patterns

People moved widely for work, especially from Dust Bowl regions to the West.

Changing View of the Disadvantaged

People saw poverty as a result of the crisis, not personal failure.