Studied by 5 people
Stallbaumer's College U.S. History
List examples of how the 1920s were similar to the 1990s.
From the automobile industry to the computer industry
Radio to television (cable and satellite evolving)
Babe Ruth is to Michael Jordan
Jazz is to rap
Bull market economy
List the causes of the Great Depression.
Crash of the stock market in October 1929
Over speculation and people buying stocks without doing research
Overproduction
Struggling agricultural economy: crop prices were extremely low and farmers planted more and more to make a profit
When was the great crash of the stock market?
October 29, 1929
Describe the Depression Cycle.
Companies overproduced their products, workers got laid off, workers had less money, people couldn't afford to buy things, and companies had overflowing products.
What percentage of the workforce was unemployed by 1932?
25%
What was the national income in 1932?
$1,300
What was President Hoover's reaction to the Depression?
He continued the government's hands-off policy in the economy, and he thought that churches/states/charities should be able to help. He did try public works programs to stimulate the economy.
What was Hoover's fear about providing aid to the American people?
That government aid would make people lazy
What United States General was in charge of putting down the bonus army in 1932?
General Douglas MacArthur
Who ran for election in 1932 against Hoover?
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (NY governor)
What was the name given to President Roosevelt's plan for Recovery, Relief and Reform?
New Deal
Describe the Bank Holiday.
All banks in the US were closed; only "sound" banks could reopen, and the poor banks stayed closed. This assured people that banks were safe so that they wouldn't get scared and take their money out.
What organization was created to make the banks more secure?
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
Compare and contrast the two public works programs first tried by the Roosevelt Administration.
Civil Works Administration (CWA): overhired people to work so that more people would be employed, was widely criticized
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC): hired mainly single men 18 - 25; worked for conservation in parks, forests, and rivers; paid $1/day - 75% of paycheck sent home to help family; created 2.5 million jobs; people didn't like the military style with workers living away from home in barracks
What was the TVA, and what three things did it attempt to do?
Tennessee Valley Authority Build 26 hydroelectric dams along the Tennessee River: create jobs, provide electricity in the rural south, and control floods
Why did some people not support Roosevelt's plan?
Electric companies could not compete with cheap government electricity
What were some of the problems that farmers faced in the Great Depression?
Drought and heat wave
Had to fill large amounts of land with crops in order to make any kind of profit - price kept going down so they kept having to produce more
Overproduction and overworking the land caused wind erosion - dried the topsoil to dust that was blown by the wind for miles
What was the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933, and what did it do?
Government paid the farmers to not plant more crops so that the overplanted resources would get used up. Benefitted landowners but was hard on sharecroppers.
What kinds of things did families in the Great Depression try to do to cut back on spending?
Eat cheaper food - more eggs, things from gardens, Jell-O, home-canned goods
Spend less on going out on entertainment - stay home and play games or listen to the radio
What was 1 positive effect of the Great Depression?
The New Deal created modern America. The national government became large, powerful, and responsible to the people; presidents got much more power.
What were some forms of diversion that people indulged in to escape life and the Great Depression for a while?
Reading, radio, cards, board games, stamp collecting, puzzles, dance marathons, bike races, sports, movies
What was the emphasis of the second New Deal?
Reform of the economic system
What was the WPA, and what did it do?
Works Progress Administration It built schools, hospitals, parks, roads, and lakes. It paid workers $55/month and employed 8.5 million people.
What was the result of the 1936 election?
FDR defeated Republican nominee Kansas governor Alf Landon in a 523 - 8 landslide
List at least 3 movies that were escapism-type movies from the 1930s.
Wizard of Oz, King Kong, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
Who was the "IT girl" of the movies in the 1920s?
Clara Bow
Who was the most famous male actor of the 1920s?
Rudolph Valentino
What was the National Origins Act of 1924?
It was an immigration act that put a strict quota on immigration - new immigrants were only allowed in at the same percentage per country as the number of people that were in the country prior to 1924. This act favored immigrants from Western Europe (France, Britain, Germany) over people from Eastern Europe (Italy, Greece, Serbia) - Mexico and Canada were not subject to restrictions.
Who wrote the anti-war novel "Farewell to Arms"?
Ernest Hemingway
What pilot made national fame by making the first ever non-stop flight from NY to Paris?
Charles Lindbergh
Who ran for President against FDR in 1936, and where was he from?
Alf Landon, Kansas
What gangster nicknamed "scarface" made a fortune during prohibition?
Al Capone
Name at least 3 singers from the Jazz age and the Harlem Renaissance.
Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Bessie Smith
What teacher challenged the Tennessee law against the teaching of evolution?
John T. Scopes
What was the first national radio broadcast station?
KDKA (from Pittsburg, PA)
What was nativism?
White protestants thought they were the only "real" Americans; they hated anything "foreign" - anyone Jewish, Catholic, black, or politically radical. Examples of nativism from the 1920s include the Sacco and Vinzetti trial and the KKK.
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Flashcard (62)