FDR Flashcards
Who is Florence Owen Jenkins? /3
Migrant mother (32 y/o)
Was escaping the dust bowl towards California
The face of the Great Depression: tattered clothes, dirty
Who is Franklin Delano Roosevelt? /6
Becomes president during the worst year of the depression (1933)
Longest serving president (4 terms)
Dies before WWII
Shows he is aware of the State’s issues during his inauguration speech
Creator of fire-side chats
“We have nothing to fear, but fear itself”
What is a consequence of FDR serving for 4 terms?
After his presidency, America only allows 2 terms per president
What is an inauguration? /2
The day one oaths for be a good leader
Officially becomes the president
What are fire-side chats? /4
FDR speaking directly to the American population on Sunday nights
Chatted about laws that were passed and what he hopes they can achieve
People would huddle around the radio—like a campfire
Good presidential tactic as if he were accepted comfortably in the living room of his people
What issues did FDR face when becoming president in 1933? /6
Unemployment
Low production
Poverty
Bank failures/lack of trust in banks
Farmers/agriculture production
|-> crops are at low prices
Dust bowl
How did FDR solve unemployment?
Public works
How did FDR solve poverty? /3
Relief
Food stamps
Government offered money
How did FDR solve bank failures/lack of trust in banks? /4
Closes all banks
Verify if they are safe for the benefit of the public
Re-opens the banks that are safe/can be trusted
If issues are still present, the FDR will offer financial relief (money)
How did FDR solve farming/agriculture prices being very low? /3
Have the farmers produce less (have a limit)
Government buys crops from the farmers
Prices increase
How did FDR solve the dust bowl?
Encourage the plantation of trees to block the wind/dust from hitting the cities
What is relief?
Help the poor/unemployed/afflicted farmers
What is reform?
Change how banks/financial institutions operate
What is the New Deal? /3(8)
1933
Focuses on Reform, Relief, and Recovery
A legislation
Introduces:
- Emergency Bank Act (EBA)
- Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)
- Public Works Administration (PWA)
- Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA)
- The Revenue Act
Why did people sell their stocks?
There was doubt in how the stock market was increasing, BUT the economy as a whole was failing
How does today’s stock market differ from the late 1920s? /2
Today’s stock market does not depend on demand
More conditions/rules to prevent a future stock market crash
What is EBA? /2
Emergency Banking Act
Makes banks safe for deposits again
What is AAA? /3
Agricultural Adjustment Act
Reduce output of crops so that prices will rise
Guarantees farmers a price on their goods by the government
What is PWA? /3
Public Works Act
Only men, does not address women
Provides jobs for the unemployed
What is FERA? /2
Federal Emergencies Relief Act
Provides money to the jobless poor
What are the jobless poor? /2
People who can’t work due to disability (handicap, old age, etc)
People had to present themselves in front of the government and DECLARE they can not support themselves and/or their family
What is the Revenue Act? /4
Removes the prohibition on alcohol (legalizes)
Taxes alcohol
Money from taxing alcohol goes toward social programs
Benefits the economy
What was the issue with people having to present themselves in front of the government and DECLARE they can not support themselves and/or their family?
Some people DONT turn to FERA due to their pride/embarrassed to declare they need help in front of the government
What is the CCC? /7
Civilian Conservation Camps
Program that puts jobless young men to work in rural areas
Devoted to the conservation and development of natural resources
Operated by the military and agriculture
Found in every state of the US
Become summer camps after the passing of the Great Depression
Pays its men $30/month regardless of race/colour
What are the type of men enrolled in the CCC? /2
Between 18-25 y/o
Most are students that dropped out of school to help their families (can’t attend school)
What do the men who work in the CCC do with their salary of $30/month? /2
$25 of the salary goes to their family
$5 of the salary is for themselves
Although CCC payed all the men equally, why was it still considered racist? /4
The camps were not mixed (ex. Black camps, indigenous camps, etc)
Segregation was still present amongst themselves
Black camps were operated by white officers
The number of African-American enrolees was not proportionate to that of the nation’s population
What is the attitude of the FDR government towards racial discrimination in the US?
Takes initiative to decrease segregation, BUT NOT ENOUGH!
What were the political, social, and economical status of African-Americans during the Roaring 20s? /3(6)
Politically: not much of a say in the nation’s political affairs
must pay a fee to vote/tested their knowledge
Socially: Jim Crow laws
segregation in public places (ex. School, buses, bench,etc)
Economically: paid less
did not have many career choices
AFRICAN-AMERICANS ARE LIMITED
To what extent do the CCC’s treatment of African-Americans challenge their status? /3
Pay everyone the same salary
Provided everyone the same benefits
Give them all work
Is the FDR’s attitude toward African-Americans positive or negative? /2
Positive and negative
There is progress, but there is still bias
What is the NAACP?
National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People
What problems do African-Americans face in the CCC? /3
Humiliation
Treated as slaves
Asked to do extra work that are not part of their usual tasks
Does the FDR government properly take charge of the situation/ take appropriate action? /3
DONT fully take charge of the situation
Simply cover up the issue (like hush money)
Do not take appropriate action ( do not punish white officers for discriminating behaviour)
Was the New Deal in 1933 enough for the US? /3
NO!
US is still struggling
FDR realizes more needs to be done
What is the Second New Deal? /2(5)
1935
Introduces:
- Work Progress Administration (WPA)
- National Labour Relations Act
- Social security
- Rural electrification
What is WPA? /8
Works Progress Administration
Paid more than relief, BUT LESS than regular wages
Designed to take advantage of the talents of unemployed
Takes people’s skills and adapts them accordingly to employ them (ex. Murals, commissions, plays, public buildings, etc)
Indexed historical records
Interviewed ex-slaves
Wrote guides to regions
By 1936, employing 7% of Americans workers
What is the National Labour Relations Act? /2
Allows workers to unionize and engage in collective bargaining
Unions engage in frequent strikes
Why are unions necessary (Second New Deal)? /2
Factory owners would exploit their workers’ desperation for employment (ex. Lower wages)
Workers can not complain since they need the job
What also occurs when FDR is inaugurated?
Hitler comes to power in Germany
Why is it bad that the imperial powers are too focused on their economic issues?
Hitler takes advantage of the imperial powers focusing on themselves, rather than on Germany
What is social security? /4
Unemployment insurance
Provides automatic support to people who had lost their jobs
Pensions for the elderly created
Proof of government intervention (too much)
What is rural electrification? /3
Beings electricity to the nation
Improves farms’ productivity
Improves household conditions
What is the Roosevelt Recession? /2
People believe the government was getting too involved
Proves that the legislations and programs put in place during the 1930s were working
What causes a change in the Depression statistics between 1938 and 1940?
WORLD WAR II
Greatly boosts the economy
What is the overview of the Great Depression? /3(6)
New Deal programs/legislations have been inconsistent
New Deal led to substantial achievement
By 1940:
- Unemployment decreased
- Jobs were available in war industries
- Demand increased due to renewed purchasing power
- Economic upswing finally held
What are the events of the Great Depression? /9
TIMELINE
Stock Market crash 1929
Laissez-faire economics 1929-1932
Debt and Bank failures 1929-1933
FDR inaugurated/New Deal 1933
Hitler becomes chancellor/führer of Germany 1933
Dust bowl at its worst 1932-1936
Second New Deal 1935
Roosevelt Recession 1938
Hitler invades Poland/Start of WWII 1939
