america 1930s Flashcards
republican policies
Laissez faire
Protective tariffs
tax cuts
immigration restriction
Smoot-Hawley Tariff in 1930. These acts placed import duties on many goods entering the USA. As a result, foreign goods became more expensive
Impact of the Great Depression
Economic impact
unemployment by 1933 25% of the workforce were unemployed
Cities like Chicago saw rates of 50%
Poverty
Many became homeless calling shanty towns - Hoovervilles
Dust bowl 1930 - caused by drought and poor farming practices which displaced thousands
Bank failures - 9k banks closed
Decline in industrial output - fell by 46% by 1933
Social impact
Homelessness and hunger - families were evicted from their homes and many wandered the streets looking for work, unemployed men would often travel as hobos
Effect on farmers - dust bowl
Herbert Hoovers response to great depression
Herbert Hoovers response
Individualism - Hoover believed in minimal government intervention so Americans should help themselves
Volunteerism and charity - encouraged businesses to maintain wages and employment and urged private charities to help the poor
public work - Hoover dam in 1931 created jobs but these efforts were too limited to significantly reduce unemployment
Hoover created Rfc to provide loans to banks but it didn’t help enough
Bonus army in 1932 around 20k ww1 veterans marched to Washington DC to demand early payment but Hoover refused which damaged Hoovers reputation further
Why did Roosevelt win the election of 1932?
Economic Hardship: The Great Depression devastated the economy, leading to high unemployment, bank failures, Americans blamed Hoover’s policies for failing to address the crisis effectively.
Hoover’s Unpopularity: Hoover was perceived as being out of touch His reluctance to provide direct federal aid to individuals
Roosevelt’s Optimism and Promise of Change: Roosevelt campaigned on a message of hope and promised a “New Deal” for the American people
Coalition Building: Roosevelt built a broad coalition of voters, including working-class Americans, urban dwellers, African Americans
Effective Campaign: Roosevelt’s campaign, which focused on relief, recovery, and reform, was highly effective.
