Great Depression: Key Figures, Policies, and Impacts in U.S. History

Herbert Hoover

The Republican president at the start of the Great Depression; believed in limited government, voluntary action, and "rugged individualism."

Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)

Democratic president elected in 1932; created the New Deal to provide Relief, Recovery, and Reform during the Great Depression.

Eleanor Roosevelt

FDR's wife and First Lady; active humanitarian who advocated for the poor, minorities, and women, and changed the role of the First Lady.

Unemployment rate and number (peak)

Nearly 25% of Americans were unemployed, about 15 million people at the height of the Great Depression.

Impacts of the Great Depression on people

Widespread poverty, homelessness, loss of savings, malnutrition, psychological stress, and family separations.

Hoovervilles

Makeshift shantytowns built by homeless people during the Depression, named mockingly after President Hoover.

Bread Lines

Lines of people waiting for free food from charities or public kitchens during the Great Depression.

Urban areas impact

High unemployment, crowded Hoovervilles, increased crime, struggling businesses, and reliance on bread lines.

Rural areas impact

Farm foreclosures, low crop prices, Dust Bowl devastation, and migration to cities or West.

Minorities impact

Often faced higher unemployment, discrimination in relief programs, and increased racial violence.

Dust Bowl

Ecological disaster in the 1930s Great Plains caused by drought and poor farming; led to dust storms and mass migration.

Migrant Workers

People, often from the Dust Bowl, who traveled (especially to California) seeking agricultural work.

How people coped (food/entertainment)

Gardens, simpler meals, radio, movies, board games, and community gatherings for low-cost relief.

Hoover's philosophy

Limited government, self-reliance, voluntary business cooperation, and fear of federal welfare.

FDR's philosophy

Active government intervention, direct federal aid, job programs, and regulation to stabilize the economy.

Conservative vs. Liberal (1930s)

Conservatives favored limited government and states' rights; liberals supported federal action and social welfare programs.

The New Deal

FDR's series of programs, reforms, and regulations to combat the Great Depression and prevent future crises.

The 3 R's

Relief (immediate aid), Recovery (economic revival), Reform (long-term systemic changes).

Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Employed millions in public works projects like buildings, roads, bridges, and arts programs.

Social Security Act

Created pensions for the elderly, unemployment insurance, and aid for dependent children and the disabled.

Fair Labor Standards Act

Established federal minimum wage, maximum work week, and child labor restrictions.

Emergency Banking Relief Act

Declared a bank holiday to inspect banks and restore public confidence in the banking system.

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

Employed young men in conservation projects like planting trees and building parks.

Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)

Paid farmers to reduce production to raise crop prices; controversial for destroying crops/livestock.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

Built dams for electricity and flood control, provided jobs, and modernized the Tennessee Valley.

FDR & Eleanor's government relationship change

Made Americans expect direct federal responsibility for economic security, jobs, and social welfare.