Great Depression & New Deal: Key Concepts and Cultural Impact

The Great Depression

It was the worst economic crisis in U.S. History.

Soup kitchens

Places that gave out free food to the poor because they could not survive without it.

Herbert Hoover

Organized food relief for starving people in Belgium during WW1.

U.S. Food Administration

Headed by Herbert Hoover during WW1.

Hoover's nicknames

Included 'Great Engineer' and 'Wonder Boy.'

Secretary of Commerce

Position held by Herbert Hoover under Presidents Harding and Coolidge.

Opposition to socialism

Herbert Hoover opposed socialism and large-scale government intervention.

Progressive beliefs

Hoover believed the government should correct problems only when someone is doing something wrong.

Platform Slogan for 1928 Election

'A Chicken for Every Pot; a car in every garage.'

Poverty claim

Hoover claimed that poverty would be banished from the nation and everyone ought to be rich.

1929 Agricultural Marketing Act

Created the Federal Farm Board.

Federal Farm Board

First agency to stabilize farm prices; gave $500 million to farmers for cooperatives, efficient production, and set maximum prices.

Trickle-Down Theory

Give loans to big corporations to keep them in business.

Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RfC)

A government bank set up to help failing banks.

Smoot-Hawley Tariff

The highest tariff in U.S. history, protected ¾ of American farm products.

Economic conditions in 1930s

Unemployment rose to 12 million; local relief funds ran out.

Shays' Rebellion

Midwest farmers closed courts with hunting rifles to prevent foreclosures.

Hoover blanket

Old newspaper used as blankets.

Hoover flag

Empty pocket turned inside out.

Hoover leather

Cardboard used to line a shoe when the sole was worn out.

Great Depression in San Diego

Businesses closed, many people lost jobs, and the city depended more on federal New Deal programs.

Dust Bowl

A series of windstorms that carried soil high in the air and created massive dark clouds of dust.

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

Created by FDR in 1933 to fight unemployment.

Civil Works Administration (CWA)

Formed in 1933 to create jobs for the unemployed.

Federal Housing Administration (FHA)

Established by FDR in 1934 to address the housing crisis of the Great Depression.

Federal Security Agency (FSA)

Established in 1939 and oversaw several major government programs.

Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC)

Created in 1933 to refinance homes.

National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA)

Designed to balance interest of workers and businesses.

Public Works Administration (PWA)

Created to provide economic stimulus, jobs, and public works projects during the Great Depression.

Social Security Act (SSA)

Created to reduce poverty among senior citizens and help the disabled.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

Established in 1933 to develop the Tennessee Valley.

Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Established in 1935; largest New Deal Agency.

American Gothic

Painted by Grant Wood in 1930, depicting a farmer holding a pitchfork next to a younger woman.

Regionalism

An art movement that depicts rural American life.

Great Depression Symbolism

During the Great Depression, the painting symbolized the hard-working spirit of the American people.

The Marx Brothers

A comedy group known for their chaotic style, consisting of Groucho, Harpo, and Zeppo.

Duck Soup

A 1933 political satire where Groucho became the leader of a bankrupt country called Freedonia.

Monkey Business

A 1931 film about the brothers hiding on a ship, showcasing their humor in luxury settings.

Escapism in Comedy

A major part of comedic relief for people struggling economically during the Great Depression.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Disney's first full animated film made in 1937.

Disney's Folly

The initial name for Snow White, as it was thought no one would sit through a movie that long.

Multiplane Camera

The first use of this technology in Snow White created a 3D feeling.

George Burns and Gracie Allen

A husband and wife comedy duo who transitioned from Vaudeville to radio.

Gracie Allen's Character

Played the 'Ditz' who lived by her own bizarre logic.

The Lone Ranger

A character who started in 1933, featured a masked former Texas Ranger fighting injustice.

The Hindenburg Disaster

On May 6, 1937, the German passenger airship caught fire, killing 36 people.

War of the Worlds Broadcast

Orson Welles performed a radio adaptation that made it seem like aliens were invading.

The Wizard of Oz

A 1939 film famous for using Technicolor and providing escapism during the Depression.

WW1 Aftermath

Left Europe a 'Hot Mess' with tens of millions of casualties and economic instability.

Peace Societies in the 1920s

Many formed in the U.S. to prevent future wars.

Washington Naval Conference

U.S. attempt to slow the arms race and stabilize Asia.

Five Power Treaty

Slowed the arms race between the U.S., England, and Japan by stopping battleship construction.

Kellogg-Briand Pact

62 nations signed this pact to 'outlaw' war, but it had no enforcement power.

U.S. Economic Expansion in the 1920s

The U.S. became the prominent world creditor, manufacturer, exporter, and investor.

German Reparations

Germany owed $33 billion to Allies after WW1, causing economic fears in the U.S.

Triangle of War Debts

U.S. banks loaned to Germany, who paid Allies, who then paid the U.S. government.

Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act

Allowed the President to lower tariffs for 'favored nations' to boost trade.

Weak League of Nations

Had no control over major conflicts or effective military force.

Adolf Hitler

Leader of Nazi Germany, known for his nationalistic and imperialistic policies.

Munich Agreement

A deal allowing Nazi Germany to take part of Czechoslovakia, which failed to prevent war.

Blitzkrieg

The term for the rapid military tactics used by Germany when invading Poland in September 1939.

German Territorial Gains

Austria, Border of Czechoslovakia, All of Czechoslovakia, Poland, Much of Europe (1940 summer)

Poland Attack/Blitzkrieg

In September 1939, Germany invaded Poland. This invasion caused Britain and France to declare war on Germany, starting World War II.

German annexation of Austria

Anschluss - March 1938.

German occupation of Czechoslovakia

March 1939.

Italian occupation of Albania

April 1939.

Britain and France guarantee of protection for Poland

March 1939 (also Holland and Belgium.)

Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact

August 1939. Non-aggression treaty between Soviet Union and Germany.

Hideki Tojo

Japanese Prime Minister.

Winston Churchill

British Prime Minister.

Anti-imperialist Imperialism

Nationalist destiny. 'Asia for the Asians.'

Autarky

Economic independence. Expanding buffer zones.

Japan Invades Manchuria

China (1931).

Second Sino-Japanese War

Began in 1937 with a battle called the 'Marco Polo Bridge Incident.'

Pearl Harbor

Date: December 7, 1941. Place: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Who attacked: Japan. What happened: Surprise air attack on the US Pacific Fleet. Deaths: 2,403 Americans killed. Big result: US joined WWII the next day, Dec 8, 1941.

Battle of Midway

1942.

Battle of Guadalcanal

1942 to 1943.

D Day, Normandy Invasion

1944.

Battle of the Bulge

1944 to 1945.

Battle of Iwo Jima

1945.

Espionage

Spying to gather secret information, typically government or military-related.

Sabotage

Deliberately destroying or interfering with processes to stop an objective.

Dissent

Publicly disagreeing with an official opinion, decision, or authority.

Executive Order 9066

Official Purpose: To prevent espionage and sabotage of national defense materials during WWII.

Affected Groups by Executive Order 9066

While Japanese Americans were the primary target, people of Italian and German descent were also affected.

Unlimited Military Discretion

The order allowed commanders to exclude 'any or all persons' from areas, stripping citizens of the right to travel or remain in their homes without a trial.

Euphemistic Language

The government used words like 'accommodations' and 'shelter' to mask the reality of seizing property and forcing people into camps.

Korematsu v. United States

The Constitutional Issue: Does the government have the right to violate the civil rights of citizens based solely on their race?

The Ruling of Korematsu v. United States

The Supreme Court upheld Executive Order 9066 as Constitutional.

Rosie the Riveter

A World War II era song celebrating women who worked in assembly lines and on fuselages during the war.

Hedy Lamarr

A famous Hollywood actress who co-invented a frequency-hopping system during World War II, a precursor to modern spread-spectrum technologies like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

War Production Board

Transformed Factory System: Military aircraft production was 6,000 in 1940, up to 85,000 in 1943.

Converted Factories

Silk Ribbons → Parachutes, Automobiles → Tanks, Typewriters → Machine Guns.

Office of Price Administration

Rationing of war materials such as rubber, civilian cars, gasoline, and food items.

Victory gardens

Vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens planted by civilians to boost food supplies and morale during WWII.

Bracero Program

Agreements with Mexico that addressed labor voids in the agricultural sector.

Smith-Connally Act

Gave the president power to seize and operate privately owned war plants during strikes affecting war production.

Zoot Suit Riots

Violence sparked by tensions over the Zoot Suit style, viewed as unpatriotic during WWII.

Detroit Race Riot

A 24-hour period of intense racial violence in June 1943, one of the most destructive civil disturbances of the era.

Casualties and Damages of Detroit Race Riot

Total Deaths: 34 people (25 Black, 9 white); Property Damage: Estimated $2 million (1943 USD).