Study Guide--EDIT

Here are your detailed flashcards with in-depth answers for studying:

Causes of the Great Depression

❓ What were the main causes of the Great Depression?
📌 The Great Depression was caused by a combination of economic and environmental factors:

1. Stock Market Crash of 1929 – Over-speculation and buying stocks on margin (borrowed money) led to a market collapse, wiping out millions in investments.

2. Bank Failures – Weak banking regulations meant that when the market crashed, banks failed, and people lost their savings.

3. Overproduction & Underconsumption – Factories and farms produced more than people could afford to buy, leading to surplus goods, lower prices, and business closures.

4. Decline in International Trade – The Smoot-Hawley Tariff (1930) raised taxes on foreign goods, causing other countries to retaliate, reducing global trade.

5. Unequal Wealth Distribution – The gap between the rich and poor meant that most Americans had little disposable income, reducing consumer spending.

6. Dust Bowl – Drought and poor farming practices led to soil erosion, destroying farms and forcing people to migrate.

❓ What was the impact of the Stock Market Crash?
📌 The crash caused widespread panic, leading to:

• Businesses shutting down due to lost investments.

• Unemployment rising as companies laid off workers.

• A decline in consumer confidence, worsening the economic downturn.

❓ How did bank failures worsen the Depression?
📌 Banks had loaned money to stock market investors, and when the market collapsed, they couldn’t get their money back. This caused:

• Bank runs (people rushing to withdraw their money).

• Loss of life savings.

• Reduction in available credit, further weakening the economy.

❓ What was the Smoot-Hawley Tariff?
📌 A 1930 law that raised tariffs on foreign goods to protect American businesses. However, it backfired because:

• Other countries retaliated with their own tariffs.

• International trade declined, hurting U.S. businesses that relied on exports.

Dust Bowl

❓ What caused the Dust Bowl?
📌 A combination of environmental and human factors:

• Severe drought in the 1930s dried up farmland.

• Over-farming and removal of natural grasses led to soil erosion.

• High winds created massive dust storms.

❓ What were the effects of the Dust Bowl?
📌 The Dust Bowl devastated farmers:

• Crops failed, leading to loss of income.

• People migrated, especially to California (e.g., "Okies" from Oklahoma).

• Health issues arose due to inhaling dust.

❓ How did the government respond to the Dust Bowl?
📌 The Soil Conservation Service was created to teach farmers better methods, like crop rotation and planting trees to prevent erosion.

Hoover’s Response

❓ What was Hoover’s idea of "Rugged Individualism"?
📌 Hoover believed that people should be responsible for their own success and that government should not interfere in the economy.

❓ What was Hoover’s approach to the Great Depression?
📌 His response was limited government intervention, believing that:

• Private businesses and charities should help, not the federal government.

• He created some public works projects (like the Hoover Dam) to provide jobs.

• He refused to provide direct relief (welfare) to struggling Americans.

❓ What major project did Hoover support to provide jobs?
📌 The Hoover Dam, built to generate electricity and provide jobs during the Depression.

FDR & The New Deal

❓ What were the three main goals of the New Deal?
📌 The New Deal focused on:

1. Relief – Immediate help for struggling Americans (jobs, food aid).

2. Recovery – Programs to restart the economy and get people back to work.

3. Reform – Long-term changes to prevent future depressions (banking regulations, Social Security).

❓ How did the New Deal change the role of government?
📌 The federal government took a more active role in the economy, including:

• Creating jobs programs.

• Regulating businesses and banks.

• Providing financial aid through welfare and Social Security.

New Deal Programs

❓ What did the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) do?
📌 Provided jobs for young men in conservation projects (planting trees, building parks, preventing erosion).

❓ What was the purpose of the WPA (Works Progress Administration)?
📌 Created millions of jobs in public works, including:

• Building roads, bridges, and schools.

• Funding arts and theater projects to employ artists and writers.

❓ How did the TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) help the South?
📌 The TVA:

• Built dams to provide electricity to rural areas.

• Controlled flooding and improved farming.

❓ What did the Social Security Act establish?
📌 Created a pension system for retirees, unemployment insurance, and aid for disabled Americans.

❓ What New Deal program insured bank deposits?
📌 The FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) – guaranteed people wouldn’t lose their money if a bank failed.

World War II - Causes

❓ What is totalitarianism?
📌 A government where one leader or party controls everything (no democracy, no individual freedoms).

❓ Which countries were led by totalitarian leaders?
📌

• Germany – Adolf Hitler (Nazi Party)

• Italy – Benito Mussolini (Fascist Party)

• Japan – Emperor Hirohito (military dictatorship)

• Soviet Union – Joseph Stalin (Communist Party)

❓ What was the policy of appeasement?
📌 Britain and France gave in to Hitler’s demands to avoid war (e.g., Munich Agreement).

❓ What event started WWII?
📌 Germany invaded Poland (1939), causing Britain and France to declare war.

WWII - Key Battles

❓ What was the turning point in the Pacific?
📌 Battle of Midway (1942) – U.S. destroyed Japan’s fleet, stopping its expansion.

❓ What was D-Day?
📌 June 6, 1944 – The Allies invaded Normandy, France, forcing Germany to retreat.

❓ What was the Battle of the Bulge?
📌 Germany’s last major attack, but they were defeated, leading to the war’s end in Europe.

WWII - Homefront

❓ How did women contribute to the war effort?
📌 Took over factory jobs, producing weapons and supplies (Rosie the Riveter).

❓ How did African Americans contribute to the war?
📌 Served in segregated military units, worked in war industries.

❓ What happened to Japanese Americans during WWII?
📌 Internment camps – Over 120,000 Japanese Americans were forced into camps due to Executive Order 9066, fearing they were a threat.

Primary Source Analysis

❓ What does "HAPPY" stand for in document analysis?
📌

• Historical Context – When/why was it made?

• Audience – Who was it intended for?

• Point of View – Who created it? What biases?

• Purpose – Why was it created?

• You – How does it relate to what you know?

❓ What makes a photograph a reliable source?
📌 Check:

• Who took it and why.

• Is it staged or edited?

• Does it show full context?

These detailed flashcards cover everything you need to know. Let me know if you need more! 📖🔥