United States History, Chapter 18

In the presidential election of 1928, the Republican candidate was ____ and the Democratic candidate was ____.

Herbert Hoover, Alfred E. Smith

The Democratic candidate practiced the ____ religion, which became a campaign issue.

Roman Catholic

Rising stock prices, also called a ____, convinced many people to invest.

Bull market

By mid-November of 1928, the market price of stocks had dropped about ____.

$30 million

Banks were weakened in two ways:____, and they had ____ in the stock market.

Banks had loaned billions to stock speculators, invested depositors' money

With less credit available, the economy went into a ____.

Recession

Many Americans in the 1920s bought high-cost items on the ____ plan.

Installment

Because they had to pay off their debts, many Americans stopped ____. Manufacturers then cut production, causing employees to ____.

Buying new products, lose their jobs

The ____ Tarriff, meant to protect American businesses, caused ____ American goods to be sold overseas.

Hawley-Smoot, fewer

Low interest rates set by the Federal Reserve encouraged banks to ____ and led business leaders to believe the economy ____.

Make risky loans, was expanding

How did the Great Depression affect the average American?

Many Americans were in debt because of risky investments. Many lost jobs as workers were laid off. Stock values dropped so far that people's fortunes were wiped out. When some banks were closed people lost their savings.

Jobless people often stood in ____ or lined up outside ____ for free food.

Bread lines, Soup kitchens

Homeless people put up shacks forming communities called ____.

Shantytowns

Some homeless, unemployed Americans wandered around the country. They were called ____.

Hoboes

A terrible ____ on the Great Plauns caused U.S. wheat fields to become a huge ____.

Drought, Dust Bowl

Many of Great Plains farmers headed west to ____ in search of a better life.

California

During the 1930s, 60 million Americans went to the ____ each week.

Movies

During this decade ____ produced the first full-length animated feature called ____.

Walt Disney, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

The first African American to win an Academy Award was ____ which appeared in the movie ____.

Hattie McDaniel, Gone With the Wind

Radio programs gave listeners ____ and _____. The first daytime dramas called ____ presented families confronting everyday problems.

Information, entertainment, soap operas

New writing techniques such as ____ were used to show what literary characters were thinking.

Stream of consciousness

Margaret Bourke-White and other ____ captured in pictures how the Great Depression affected many Americans.

Photojournalist

How did Americans cope with hunger and homelessness during the Great Depression?

Many Americans used bread lines and soup kitchens to get free food. Some of the homeless stayed in their homes until they were evicted. Then they made shacks in shantytowns. Some wandered across the country looking for work. Farmers in the Great Plains left for California hoping for a better life. Those lucky enough for work used the movies and radio to

Why did Hoover believe the government should not step in to help individuals?

He believed that American "rugged individualism" would keep the economy moving.

What did he think contributed to Europe's slow recovery?

Many European countries implemented a form of socialism.

How did Hoover hope to rescue banks?

He set up a credit corporation to allow banks to continue lending money.

Why did Congress pass the Emergency Relief and Construction Act?

It provided direct relief funds to state for the poor.

Who organized hunger marches in 1931?

The American Communist Party.

Why did farmers burn their crops?

To reduce the supply and hopefully raise prices.

What did the Bonus Army want?

They wanted Congress to pass a bill authorizing payment of businesses to military veterans of World War I.

How was President Hoover's image tarnished?

The clearing out of the Bonus Army marchers' camps and the lingering economic depression hurt his image.

What was the public mood concerning the economy at the beginning of the 1930s?

Although the president tried to reduce people's fears and inspire confidence, people were afraid and had no confidence in the economy. Gradually, fear gave away to anger and to protest that the government take a more aggressive role in fixing the economy.