America Unit 2 Flashcards
Why did people buy stocks and shares before 1929?
Thought stocks would keep rising
Companies were successful and there was more demand so they made a lot of money
People had more money to spare (cycle of prosperity)
People could buy on margin so they could buy stocks they couldn’t afford
Why did share prices begin to fall in 1929?
There was a surplus of goods (overproduction) so prices went down
High tariffs meant people couldn’t afford to pay for goods
Unequal distribution of wealth
What happened when prices of shares went down in 1929?
Investors panicked and started to sell their shares (they feared prices would fall more) - led to a collapse of the stock market
When were 13 million shares sold? What was this also known as?
24th October 1929 - 13 million shares sold
Known as Black Thursday
When were 9 million shares sold? What did this lead to?
28th October - 9 million shares sold
Panic increased
When were 16 million shares sold? For how much were they sold for?
29th October - investors sold 16 million shares
They were sold for whatever price they could
On average, how much did shareholders have in 1929?
$8 million
When did army veterans and their families march on Washington? How many?
1932 - 20,000 veterans and families marched
Why did veterans march on Washington?
They were promised a bonus for fighting in WWI
They wanted this bonus now after the Wall Street crash - but wasn’t due until the 1940s
What was an effect of the Wall Street Crash?
March on Washington
Unemployment
How many workers were laid off from the steel industry after the Wall Street Crash?
225,000
What did people do in the banks after the Wall Street crash?
Everyone went to withdraw savings
How did the crash affect lives of ordinary people?
People lost all their money - sold everything they had
Some lost their homes
Suicide rates rose
Was there any financial support from the government in 1929? Why?
No - there was no social security
Republicans believed in Laissez faire attitude
How were farmers affected by the Wall Street crash?
There were droughts and sand storms
24,000 miles of land lost
Many moved to California
They didn’t sell much as they overproduced crops but now no one could buy them
What party was gaining popularity in early 1930s? What happened as a result?
The communist party
Many Americans fled to the Soviet Union
How many Americans fled to the Soviet Union for work?
100,000
What happened in Germany in early 1930s?
Mass unemployment
Street fights
Needed a powerful leader
Nazis marched and impressed people
What percentage of people in America were unemployed by 1933?
25%
What did Roosevelt do in his first 100 days in government?
Closed banks
Helped farmers
Pumped money into the economy
When were ports closed and strikers killed in strikes in America?
1934
How many strikes happened in 1934?
More than 1800
Who was Huey Long?
A senator and former Louisiana Governor
What did Huey Long say he would do?
Talked about how he would redistribute wealth (strip rich and give money to poor)
What happened in the second hundred days of Roosevelt’s leadership?
Reshaped Americans lives
Opened social security
Jobs were given out
What did families rely on in the early 1930s? Why?
Soup kitchens and charities
Lack of support from the government
What were Shantytowns nicknamed?
Hoovervilles
How many men were trying to sell apples in New York in 1932? What did this show?
6000 men
Showed that people were doing anything to get money - average wage fell
What is a famous quote that sums up the Americans opinions on Hoover?
‘In Hoover we trusted, now we are busted’
Why was Hoover successful?
1932 Emergency relief act - provided help the the unemployed
Signed the Federal Home Loan bank acts - helped citizens buy homes
There were tax cuts in 1930 and 1931
Bought farmers crops
Why was Hoover less successful?
Refused to accept that there was a problem till it was too late
Said that support and social security wasn’t responsibility of government
Criticised for the way he dealt with the bonus army march
Refused to change policies e.g. Laissez faire
What was the Emergency relief act 1932?
Provided help to the unemployed
What was the Bonus Army?
When WWI veterans and their families demonstrated in Washington in 1932 to have a bonus promised in 1924 for payment in 1945
What was Hoovers response to the bonus army?
Refused to meet them
Appointed General MacArthur to handle the situation
Who did General MacArthur think the bonus army were?
Communists
What did General MacArthur do to the bonus army?
Used tear gas
Burned their camps
How did Hoover react to what General MacArthur did to the bonus army?
Supported him - made him unpopular
What party did Hoover represent?
Republican
What party did Roosevelt represent?
Democrats
What did Hoover promise in the 1932 election?
Tariffs
Stop immigration
Pay the bonus army
Repeal of prohibition
What did Roosevelt promise in the 1932 election?
The new deal
Decrease tariffs
Justice for war veterans
Increase employment
What were the results of the 1932 election?
Roosevelt won 42 out of 48 states
Roosevelt won by 7 million votes
How was the 1932 election significant in history?
Biggest defeat in presidential history
Why was Roosevelt able to win the 1932 election?
Would help banking crisis - people wanted this as they needed money
Would increase employment
Would provide more transparency - fireside chats - every Sunday he updated the Americans
Hoover was disliked and believed to have not done enough