Study Aid Notes for U.S. History II - Great Depression

Topic 9: The Great Depression

Key Terms

  • Stock Market Crash

    • Event that triggered the Great Depression in October 1929.

  • Hoover & the Depression

    • Herbert Hoover's policies were viewed as ineffective in addressing the crisis.

  • Voluntary Cooperation/Associational Action

    • Idea promoted during Hoover's administration encouraging businesses to maintain employment and wages.

  • “Bonus Army” & March on D.C.

    • Protest by WWI veterans in 1932 demanding early payment of a bonus.

  • Hoovervilles & Hoover Flags

    • Shantytowns named after President Hoover; flags turned inside out as a sign of protest.

  • Scottsboro Boys

    • Nine African American teenagers accused of raping two white women in 1931; pivotal in civil rights activism.

  • Election of 1932

    • FDR vs. Hoover; significant shift in public opinion towards government intervention.

  • Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR)

    • President who implemented the New Deal to counteract the Great Depression.

  • Banking Crisis

    • Mass bank failures leading to loss of savings; prompted reforms in banking regulations.

  • The New Deal

    • Series of programs and reforms aimed at relief, recovery, and reform to restore the economy.

  • Relief, Recovery, Reform

    • Three goals of the New Deal.

  • The First Hundred Days

    • Initial period of FDR's administration marked by rapid legislative action.

  • “Dust Bowl”

    • Severe drought affecting agricultural production; led to migration and displacement.

  • Agricultural Adjustment Act

    • Program to boost agricultural prices by reducing surpluses.

  • Father Charles Coughlin

    • Radio priest who criticized FDR for not doing enough for the poor; exemplified discontent.

  • Dr. Francis Townsend

    • Proposed the Townsend Plan for social security for seniors; influenced the development of Social Security.

  • Senator Huey Long

    • Advocate for wealth redistribution through his "Share Our Wealth" program; challenged FDR’s policies.

  • Social Security

    • Established in 1935 as a safety net for the elderly; a major achievement of the New Deal.

  • NIRA Section 7a & (NLRA) Wagner Act

    • Strengthened labor rights and unionization efforts.

  • Minorities, Women, & the New Deal

    • Examined the New Deal's impact on diverse groups, often highlighting inequalities.

  • Race & the New Deal

    • Discussed the racial dynamics and discrimination that persisted during New Deal programs.

  • “Court Packing” Plan

    • FDR’s controversial proposal to add more justices to the Supreme Court to secure favorable rulings.

Short Answer Questions

  1. Causes of the Great Depression: Over-speculation in the stock market, bank failures, reduction in consumer spending, and international trade collapse.
  2. New Deal Policy Initiatives: Aims included economic recovery, job creation, and social welfare; achievements include Social Security, limitations highlighted by exclusionary policies.
  3. Impact of the New Deal on Various Groups: Evaluated disparities in benefits among women, minorities, and the poor.
  4. America’s Response to International Developments 1930s: Generally isolationist; reluctance to intervene in global conflicts.

Possible Essay Questions

  1. Federal Government Relationship (1920-1939): Analyze historically how the government’s role in welfare evolved through crises.
  2. FDR’s New Deal: Radical or Conservative?: Examine the transformative aspects vs. enduring conservative policies; weigh evidence.
  3. Explaining the Great Depression: Cover causes, contrasts between Hoover and FDR, and the New Deal’s evolution and legacies.
  4. Assessing Significant Turning Points: Evaluate the transformative impacts of WWI, the Great Depression, and WWII on politics, economy, and society.