The Great Depression and the New Deal 1929-1940

Flashcards about the Great Depression and the New Deal 1929-1940

Sit-Down Strike

A new and daring tactic gained popularity among American industrial workers during the 1930s.

National Labor Relations Act

Also known as the Wagner Act, made union organizing easier by guaranteeing the right of workers to join unions and bargain collectively.

New Deal

An ambitious collection of measures designed to promote relief, recovery, and reform in response to the Great Depression.

Great Depression

The worst economic crisis in American history, profoundly affecting American life.

Bull Market

A period in the late 1920s when stock prices increased at roughly twice the rate of industrial production.

Black Tuesday

October 29, 1929, the day the stock market crashed, marking a significant turning point and the beginning of the Great Depression.

Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC)

Established in early 1932 to make government credit available to ailing banks, railroads, insurance companies, and other businesses.

Smoot-Hawley Tariff

Passed in 1930, raising import duties to their highest levels in American history, worsening the economic collapse.

Bonus Army

World War I veterans demanding immediate payment of their promised bonuses in 1932.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)

The only president ever elected to four terms, led the country through the Great Depression and global war.

Emergency Banking Relief Act

Gave the president broad discretionary powers over all banking transactions.

Fireside Chats

Radio broadcasts used by Roosevelt to explain policies and reassure the public.

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

Provided work for jobless young men in protecting and conserving the nation's natural resources.

Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA)

Provided direct relief to states during the New Deal.

Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA)

Established a new federal role in agricultural planning and price setting to provide relief to farmers.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

An independent public corporation that built dams and power plants, bringing low-cost electricity to the South.

National Industrial Recovery Act

Attempted a systematic plan for economic recovery through self-regulating industrial codes.

Public Works Administration (PWA)

Authorized construction of roads, public buildings, and other projects to provide jobs.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

Provided protection to individual depositors by guaranteeing accounts up to $5,000.

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

Regulated stock exchanges, brokers, and required full financial disclosures.

American Liberty League

A group of conservative businessmen organized in 1934, vehemently attacked the administration for what they considered its attack on property rights, the growing welfare state, and the alleged decline of personal liberty.

Emergency Relief Appropriation Act

Allocated $5 billion for large-scale public works programs for the jobless.

Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Oversaw the employment of more than 8 million Americans on construction and community service projects.

Social Security Act of 1935

Provided old-age pensions and unemployment insurance.

Wagner Act

Guaranteed the right of American workers to join or form independent labor unions and bargain collectively.

Resettlement Administration (RA)

Helped destitute farm families relocate to more productive areas.

Committee for Industrial Organization (CIO)

Organized mass-production workers by industry, regardless of skill level.

Dust Bowl

Area of the southern Great Plains that suffered ecological disaster in the 1930s.

Okies

Disparaging term for migrants from the Dust Bowl to California.

Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) of 1934

Reversed the allotment provisions of the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887; permitted the restoration of surplus reservation lands to tribal ownership.

Black Cabinet

African Americans appointed to second-level positions in Roosevelt's administration.

Fair Labor Standards Act

Established the first federal minimum wage (twenty-five cents an hour) and a maximum workweek of forty-four hours.

Federal Project No. 1

Umbrella agency covering writing, theater, music, and the visual arts during the New Deal.

Documentary Impulse

The desire to record and communicate the experiences of ordinary Americans during the Great Depression, influencing various forms of cultural expression.

Swing Era

Popularized by Benny Goodman, this music helped make big-band jazz a hit with millions of teenagers and young adults from all backgrounds.