The Great Depression & New Deal

Herbert Hoover

Herbert Hoover was the 31st U.S. president, serving during the start of the Great Depression.

Passed the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act

Franklin D. Roosevelt

FDR (Franklin D. Roosevelt) was the 32nd U.S. president who led the country through the Great Depression and World War II.

FDR launched the New Deal, a series of programs and reforms to provide relief, recovery, and reform during the Great Depression

Eleanor Roosevelt

FDR’s wife and a prominent activist who redefined the role of First Lady.

advocated for the poor, women, and minorities, and promoted New Deal programs across the country.

John Maynard Keynes

a British economist who promoted government spending to boost the economy during downturns.

known for Keynesian economics, which supports government intervention to manage economics

Frances Perkins

Frances Perkins was the first female U.S. Cabinet member, serving as Secretary of Labor under FDR. She played a key role in shaping New Deal policies, advocating for labor rights and social security.

Mary McLeod Bethune

 Black educator and civil rights leader who advised FDR and promoted African American rights.

John Collier

U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs who promoted Native American rights and cultural preservation during the New Deal.

Marion Anderson

famous African American singer and civil rights figure.

Eleanor Roosevelt helped her arrange her historic 1939 concert at the Lincoln Memorial after The daughters of liberty denied her.

Orson Welles

American actor, director, and writer famous for his innovative work in theater, radio, and film.

Created mass panic for radio Broadcasting War of Worlds

Dorothea Lange

 a photographer known for her powerful Great Depression images, especially of displaced families.

Created reform and influenced legislation

John Steinbeck

American author who wrote about the struggles of ordinary people during the Great Depression.

Wrote The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, and East of Eden.

Credit

 Borrowing Money

Speculation

Risky business investments

Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act

A tariff that hoover passed in hopes of protecting U.S. businesses and industry, but It backfired as other countries put tariffs on U.S. so U.S. exports suffered

Shantytown

Neighborhood where people built shacks

Dust Bowl

A large drought/ dust storm

Bonus Army

Army Verterans who marched on washington and demanded their promised bonuses early

Demand

How much poeple/companies want to buy something

Deflation

When prices fall

Income

Amount of money coming in

Price

Amount something costs

Unemployment rate

The percentage of a group that is unemployed

Bank Run

When many people panic and people want to take their money out because they think the bank is unstable

Bank Failure

when a bank cannot meet its financial obligations and is closed by regulators.

Bank Holiday

When Roosevelt closed the banks for a day or more

New Deal

A set of programs that FDR passed to try to restimulate the economy and provide relief and to restructure the economy

Glass-Steagall Act

An act designed to separate the comercial banking industry from investment banking industry

Federal Securities Act

Legislation trying to stablize the economy

Agricultural Adjustment Act

An act to limit the supply of farm products and compensates farmers for it, eventually ruled unconstitutional

Civilian Conservation Corp

a New Deal program that gave jobs to young men planting trees and doing conservation work.

National Industrial Recovery Act

An act to help factories get back on their feet

Deficit Spending

A policy of going into debt for government programs

Works Progress Administration

Set up many employment programs

National Youth Administration

Set up programs for the youth

National Labor Relations Act

Allows workers to unionize

National Debt

Amount of money the government owes

Wagner Act

protected workers’ rights to unionize and bargain collectively.

Direct Relief

Directly addresses a problem

Social Security Act

a system of pensions and unemployment benefits for Americans.

Included Old-Age Assistance, Unemployment insurance, Aid for disabled and dependent children

Court packing

FDR threatened his executive power to put more supreme court justices in retaliation to the AAA

Why did the work of Dorothea Lange have great impact on government response to socio-economic conditions during the Great Depression?

A photographer hired by the government to take photos of problems 

She reported them to congress and led to legislation being passed

What caused the Dust Bowl, and what was its impact?

• People were farming for money and not taking care of the land 

• Mechanized working caused over farming the land

• Over supply of crops caused more farming to get more money 

• Drought 

• Many families migrated to CA to farm 

• Thousands of people died

What was FDR’s New Deal response to the Great Depression, and why did some regard it a success while others criticized it?

• Federal Works programs

• Federal Writers Program

• Conservation Corps 

• Created the Social Secuity Act which assisted millions 

  • Old-Age Assistance Federal financial support and oversight of state-based welfare programs for the elderly

  • Unemployment Insurance - National unemployment insurance, with federal funding and state administration

• Cons: 

  • Forced people to continue working till extremely old in order to receive enough money

  • Only benefited the trusts and did not fully fix the problems of the poor

  • Many acts caused competition between the Government and companies 

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