Final Exam Terms #10: The Great Depression and World War II

The Great Depression

• Black Tuesday: October 29, 1929. Stock Market crash that marks the beginning of the Great Depression.

• FDR’s Fireside Chats: FDR’s way of connecting directly with the American people and avoid republican reporters.

• The New Deal: FDR policy that created employment, infrastructure, and social security. 

• Works Progress Administration 1935: largest program of the New Deal, employed approximately 20 million Americans in construction to build infrastructure. 

• Social Security Act: Frances Perkins proposed it, and it was adopted in 1937. Designed to help older Americans who couldn’t find work.

• FDR Four Freedoms: Want, Speech, Worship, and Fear.

World War II

• Panay Incident 1937: Japan bombed an American ship they knew was peaceful.

• Cash and Carry 1939: If you come to the United States with your own ship and crew (no Americans on board), you can buy what you want with cash and bring it back.

• Destroyers for Bases 1940: British and Canadians agree to give the U.S. some of their military bases in the western hemisphere and we agree to give them some of our old destroyers. 

• Lend Lease 1941: U.S. would lend supplies to the Allies now and then and everyone would pay it back later, but they could pay it back in commodities based on a fixed system of exchange rates.