Untitled Flashcards Set

Black Tuesday” October 29, 1929- The stock market crashed and essentially ushered in the Great Depression
Causes of Depression- The economy was too dependent on a very small number of industries. Too many customers were too poor to purchase the goods of an over-productive economy, too much credit had been extended to too many people. European demand for American goods was decreasing. Europe’s debt to American kept piling up and leading to default
Progress of the Depression- Stock market collapse, Banks began to go bankrupt, Money supply decreased, Purchasing power decreased, companies cut prices, production, and employees.
Simple progress of the Depression- stock market collapsed, companies got into financial trouble. Companies had to lay people off. The unemployed had little money to spend.
Simple progress of the Depression- other companies had to contract or close. More people lost their jobs
Unemployment- estimated at the time (1932) to be 25% or more. Averaged 20% throughout the 1930s and never got below 15%. Some cities in 1932; Cleveland- 50%, Akron- 60%. Toledo- 80%
Relief- Financial assistance to the unemployed, through various government agencies.
Dust Bowl- A large area of the South and mIdwes experienced a sever drought during the 1930s. Millions of acres of farmland simply dried up and blew away in dust storms called “black bliszzards”
Scottsboro Case- In 1931, nine black teenagers were arrested in Alabama for vagrancy and disorder. Accused of raping two white women and quickly found guilty by an all white jury. We’re sentenced to death. All were eventually freed in 1950.
The Depression’s impact on the Families- Women learned to sew their own clothes and preserve their own food. Women took in laundry, sold baked goods, and took in borders. Relatives moved in with each other. Relatives moved in with each other. Families often broke up informally as unemployed men deserted them or tried to find work elsewhere. Many families gained strength and unity in suffering and learning to trust God.
Dale Carnegie- Author of Gow to Win Friends and Influence People. A best-selling self help book promoting the value of individual initiative and understanding other people.
John Steinbeck- Author of the novel The Grapes of Wrath concerning the trials of a family of “Oakies” who were migrating to California.
“Escapist” Radio Shows-
Life Magazine- photojournalism became popular, occasionally to portray depression conditions but more often as another diversion.
Abraham Lincoln Brigade- A group of more than 3000 hyoung Americans who went to Spain to fight against Franco’s rebel fascists.
Popular Front- The American Communist Party began to align itself with various downtrodden groups. Gained some support while taking its orders directly from the Comintern in Moscow.
Agricultural Marketing Act- Hoover established a government bureaucracy to help farmers maintain prices. It didnt work…
Hawley Smoot Tariff- Goover raised the rates to protect farm products. Raised rates on other things the farmers needed. Other countries chose to retaliate with trade restrictions
“Hoovervilles”- People began to blame the President personally for their troubles. “Hoovervilles” were makeshift shantytowns the desetitute established on the outskirts of cities.
Reconstruction Finance Corporation- Hoover established a government agency to provide federal loans to banks, railroads, businesses, and local governments.
Bonus Army- 1932- Veterans of WWI demanded early payment of their promised bonuses. Hoover refused. 20,000 veterans marched to Congress and stayed in makeshift housing
Franklin D. Roosevelt- Wealthy, Educated at Harvard and Columbia. Overcame polio, governor of New York. Promised a “New Deal” for the American people.

Chapter 26

“Fireside chats”- FDR informal radio broadcasts. He explained his plans and programs to the American people personally and made them feel as if they had a president who truly cared about them
”Bank Holiday”- SHortly after taking office, FDR ordered all banks to be closed for four days until Congress could pass the Emergency Banking Act. All banks had to be examined as certified by the Treasury Department before they could reopen
21st amendment- Prohibition was repealed in 1933
Henry Wallace- Secretary of Agriculture
Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)- The government would pay farmers subsidies to make up for the lost production. The Supreme Court struck down the AAA in 1936.
Rural Electrification Administration (REA)- led by Hugh Johnson, aimed at regulating industries, ruled unconstitutional by Supreme Court
National Recovery Administration (NRA)- The government involved itself in regulating industries in order to stimulate economic recovery.
Tennessee Valley Authority- The government took over development of the Tennessee Rover watershed, building many dams and canals, solving the flooding problems, and producing cheap electricity that was sold to the public
Gold standard (1933)— FDR took the country off the gold standards so that the government could manipulate the value of the currency
Federal deposit insurance corporation (FDIC)- The government personally guaranteed the security of all bank deposits up to $2500. Now the limit is 250,000
Securities and Exchange Commission- The government set itself up to police the stock market
Federal Emergency Relief Administration- Gave cash grants to states to fund bankrupt local relief agencies, Led by Harry Hopkins
Civil Works Administration (CWA)- Its basic principle was to allow people to work for the money the government was giving to them.
Keynesian Economics- philosophy that government spending is the cause of a sluggish economy
Civilian Conservation corps (CCC)- Provided over 500000 young men with jobs on various conservation and environmental projects
American Liberty League- A group formed wealthy opponents of FDR, who were being hurt by his socialistic and “dictatorial” policies.
Dr. Francis E. Townsend Popular following with his plan for retiring the elderly. All Americans over age 60 retire so that the younger unemployed could have their jobs. Those who retired would receive a government pension of $200 a month. They should spend this entire pension in order to keep the economy “Lubricated”
Father Coughlin- catholic priest that advocated monetary reform. National union for social justice
Huey Long- Louisiana governor and late senator. Share-our-Wealth Plan. Assassinated in 1936
National Labor relations act (Wagner act) 1935- Force employers to bargain with legitimate unions
Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO)- AFL
United Auto Workers- Their use of the “sit-down-strike” in 1936 forced General Motors to recognize them, but this tactic was unpopular with the public and eventually abandoned.
Social Security Act- 1935- An important piece of social welfare legislation in American History. Provided financial help for the elderly and retired, to the disabled and unemployed, and to dependent children.
Works Progress Administration (WPA)- founded by Harry Hopkins. Extension version of CWA
Alfred M. Landon- Kansas governor, ran for Pres in 1936.
“Court-packing Plan” - The Supreme Court had given FDR’s programs much opposition during his first term. FDR appointed justices who would support his policies
Recession of 1937- The worst economic crisis since 1932 seemed to result from FDR’s decision to cut spending.
Broker State- One effect of the new deal was to elevate new interest groups and to regulate competition among all of the various economic groups
Indian Reorganization Act- Commissioner of Indians Affairs, John Collier, had legislation passed that enabled Indians to preserve tribal identities and resist being assimilated into white society.
Cultural Relativism- The philosophy that every culture is equally valid and important and should be respected on its own merits.
Frances Perkins- Secretary of Labor
Economic Impact of the New Deal- It worked to protect various groups from suffering. It helped prevent further decay of the economy. It put the government in the drivers seat of the economy, It

Chapter 27

Isolationism- A term applied by crisis to describe America’s seeming desire to close itself off from the rest of the world and shrink its international responsibilities
Washington Conference- Produced several agreements among the major world powers in an effort to preserve world peace. Among them the five power pact which set a ration of allowed naval tonnage: American, Britain (5), Japan (3) France Italy, (1.75)
Kellogg-Briand Pact- Fourteen nations signed a solemn agreement to outlaw war as an instrument of national policy, but no provisions were made for enforcement
Mussolini- Leader of Italy- 1922- 1943
Hitler- Leader of Germany
Neutrality Acts of 1935-1937- Growing European turmoil prompted the US congress to ensure that we would not be dragged into another war
Axis- between Germany and Italy
”Panay” incident- something about singing an American gunboat
German Aggression- 1936-1939.
Munich Conference- 1938- Neville Chamberlain really thought
Blitzkrieg- Sudden and overwhelming attack by German armed forces, successful in taking over much of continental Europe.
World War II 1939-1945
Winston Churchill- British Prime Minister
Lend-Lease- American Placed its vast armament resources at the disposal of Britain and later Russia
Atlantic Charter-
Hideki Tojo- WAR LEADER of Japan
Pearl Harbor- You know this