Final Exam Flashcards
What were some of the policies and practices of Herbert Hoover during the Great Depression?
Hoover got congress to pass the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) to supply loans to banks, railroads and insurance companies. The RFC had $1.5 Billion but was too conservative in spending the money which was supposed to be passed on through public works projects. Hoover cut taxes and was also against direct relief payments (welfare). Many people lost their homes and lived in make shift housing called Hoovervilles.
What problems did African Americans and other minorities face during the depression?
As prices fell, landowners forced sharecroppers off of land and this led to further economic pain for them. African Americans also worked in the lowest paying jobs. African Americans earned $200 a year which was about ¼ of the average wage of white factory workers of $800 per year. They were the last hired and the first fired. As FDR excluded African Americans from New Deal welfare programs like Social Security. Some New Deal programs promoted segregation. The Scottsboro Nine (African American youth ages 12-20) were falsely charged and convicted of rape, were sentenced to death. Their convictions were later overturned but some spent close to 2 decades in prison. Native Americans experienced extreme poverty of $50 per year. Latinos and Asians were hit harder economically and many were forced to return to their homeland (500,000 Latinos were forcibly deported too). Filipinos immigration was restricted. Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 which established a minimum wage of 40 cents per hour and the 40 hour work week.
What major New Deal programs were implemented by Congress and FDR and what was their purpose? Who were some of the critics of the New Deal?
Congress passed the Emergency Banking Act. Reorganized the banking system & provided federal assistance. Glass-Steagall Act in June 1933 which created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), insured accounts & separated commercial banks from investment banks. Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) which regulated the stock market and corporations. Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) aimed at raising prices by giving farmers subsidies to produce less. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933 brought low cost electric power to rural areas and implemented flood control projects. National Recovery Administration (NRA) which regulated prices, wages, hours and collective bargaining. Public Works Administration (PWA) built dams &buildings. Civil Works Administration (CWA) built roads, schools & funded teachers, playgroundsand airports. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) gave young men 18-25 a two year job caring for parks & building bridges and dams. the Soil Erosion Service and then the Soil Conservation Service within the Department of Agriculture to prevent future Dust Storms. Federal EmergencyRelief Administration (FERA) which provided cash grants to help banks from going bankrupt. Works Progress Administration (WPA) employed 8.5 million workers over 8 years and constructed and repaired buildings, bridges and roads. The New Deal had many critics such as Charles E. Coughlin organized the National Union for Social Justice which supported monetary inflation. New Deal Critic Huey Pierce Long of Louisiana who was a governor and U.S. senator from Louisiana founded the Share Our Wealth society promising families with a $5,000 homestead a guaranteed in come of $2,000 through an income and inheritance tax on the wealthy.
What were the short term and long term outcomes of the New Deal?
The New Deal sparked Labor unrest (For example, the CIO which won major rights for workersin Flint Michigan). The New Deal did not end the Great Depression (unemployment was 17% in 1939). Instead, World War II ended the Great Depression. FDR stayed in office longer than any president and tried to pack the Supreme Court to protect the Wagner Act (giving workers the right to organize unions and engage in collective bargaining) and Social Security. The success of the New Deal was in its long term programs like the Wagner Act and Social Security. Roosevelt made steps by establishing a Civil Rights Division but also supported racist policies like excluding African American domestic and Agricultural workers from welfare.
What mistakes did Europeans make with appeasement of Hitler? What resulted from this?
Hitler argued for more living space for the Germanic people and expanded into Eastern Europe. Eventually this lead to Hitler taking country after country. Benito Mussolini the leader of Hitler invaded Ethiopia, killed 30,000 Ethiopians with weapons of mass destruction and deposed Emperor Haile Selassie. Unfortunately, appeasement of Hitler only resulted in the development of concentration camps, the internment of Jews and others, the genocide of 6 million Jews and further strengthening of his regime.
What were the 3 main positions that America took during World War 2?
Position 1: Neutrality during the War: Congress passed Neutrality Acts in 1935 and 1937 these allowed Britain to purchase supplies under a cash and carry policy, Position 2: Supporting the War: In March 1941 Roosevelt and Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act which allowed Britain to borrow equipment without paying for it up front. Russia also received arms, Position. America entered the war: On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii Congress voted shortly after to go to war with Japan and Germany and Italy declared war on the United States.
Where were some of the major battles fought by United States Troops during World War 2?
Roosevelt initially focused upon fighting Germans and Italians on the periphery of Europe. Major campaigns were fought in North Africa (Egypt, Algeria and Morocco) and the Germans lost. Russia fought a German invasion of the Soviet Union. On D-Day on June 6, 1944, more than 1.5 million American, British and Canadian troops crossed the English Channel and landed on the beaches of Normandy France under the leadership of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. On D-Day on June 6,1944, more than 1.5 million American, British and Canadian troops crossed the English Channel and landed on the beaches of Normandy France under the leadership of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. On the Pacific front General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz were successful in the Battle of Coral Sea off the northwest coast of Australia, the Battle of Midway Island, northwest of Hawaii, the Solomon Islands, the Mariana Islands north of Guam and the Marshall Islands, east of the Philippines, the islands of Iwo Jima and Okinawa where the Japanese fought until they only had a few troops left. While not a battle: Atomic Bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki killing 225,000 Japanese
What were some of the outcomes of the War effort in the United States?
World War II ended the Great Depression. It created the military-industrial complex which was apartnership between private defense contractors and government. The industrial areas of the Northeast and Midwest boomed with automobile factories which started building tanks and other military vehicles. Industry did very well for example: Steel and rubber factories made parts for the vehicles and for weapons. 15 million people migrated to new areas of the country (about 11% of the American population). Goods were rationed to American consumers.
How were Women treated in the War?
Between 1940 and 1944 the number of women employed rose more than 50% to 6 million. Prior to the war, women worked in poorly paid clerical, sales and service jobs but women in manufacturing increased 141% during the war. Gender stereotypes dominated the workforce for example: One piece of literature suggested that an overhead crane operated “just like a gigantic clothes wringer”
How did African Americans, Mexicans, German Americans, ItalianAmericans and Japanese experience the War in America?
African Americans began to establish new Civil Rights efforts. For example, In 1944 the NAACP won a victory in a Texas case Smith v. Allwright which outlawed all white Democratic primary elections in the one-party south. A. Philip Randolph advocated for a march on Washington. In 1942 Civil Rights activists founded the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and engaged in “sit ins” to protest segregated facilities. Mexican Americans such as Ignacio Lutero Lopez publisher of the newspaper called El Espectador (The Spectator) fought against segregation On June 4, 1943 squads of sailors stationed in Long Beach invaded Mexican American in Los Angeles and attacked them for wearing Zoot suits. German and Italian Americans were detained. Japanese Americans were held in mass and interned in concentration camps. They lost their property.
What is the international, legal definition of genocide?
The Genocide convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide of 1948 defined Genocide as: Article 2 “any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: (a) Killing members of the group; (b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; (d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; (e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. “Article 3 establishes a definition for punishable crimes under the convention:”(a) Genocide; (b) Conspiracy to commit genocide; (c) Direct and public incitement to commit genocide; (d) Attempt to commit genocide; (e) Complicity in genocide. “Article 4 “Persons committing genocide or any of the other acts enumerated in article III shall be punished, whether they are constitutionally responsible rulers, public officials or private individuals.”
What was the origin of the Cold War?
The wartime partnership between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR) was an alliance of necessity to combat Nazi aggression. After the war, the United States and the Soviet Union entered into a struggle for political, economic and military superiority known as the Cold War. The Soviet Union wanted the United States to destroy the atomic arsenal but was secretly building its own nuclear weapons. March 15, 1946 Winston Churchill, former British Prime Minister arguing that “An iron curtain has descended across the Continent” of Europe. President Truman agreed with Churchill’s position.
What was the Truman Doctrine?
On March 12, 1947 Turman gave an exaggerated speech to a joint session of Congress and interpreted the Civil War in Greece as struggle between freedom and totalitarianism. Congress approved $400 million for military intervention in Greece and Turkey. The Truman Doctrine pledged to contain the expansion of communismand dominated American policy throughout the Cold War. The National Security Act was passed in 1947 which created the Department of Defense as a cabinet agency and this replaced the Department of War. The Department of Defense consolidated control of the Joint Chiefs of Staff made up of the army, navy, air force and marines. The National Security Act set up the National Security Council (NSC) to advise the president and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as part of the executive branch to gather information abroad and to conduct espionage abroad against Soviet actions.
What was the Marshall plan?
Secretary of State George Marshall recognized that if the United States did not offer help to Europe that European nations would economically and socially deteriorate. Marshall feared that this would lead to a global Great Depression. Congress approved $13 Billion for the Marshall plan to rebuild 16 European nations after World War 2.
What were some of the features of the Korean War and anti-communist sentiments?
Like Germany, Korea was divided by the United States and Soviet Union. Above the 38th parallel the Communist Soviet backed´leader Kim Il Sung ruled North Korea. Below the 38th parallel the anti-Communist USA backed leader Syngman Rhee governed South Korea. On June 25, 1950 Kim Il Sung sent troops to invade South Korea. Truman argued that this aggression was similar to Nazi aggression before World War II and that it had to be stopped. The mostly USA troops were lead by General Douglas MacArthur who reported to Truman. General Douglas MacArthur dispatched land and sea forces to capture Inchon, northwest of Pusan to cut off North Korean supply lines. Then General MacArthur chased the army northward and they retreated across the 38th parallel. Truman gave General MacArthur permission to invade North Korea and they reached the Yalu River on the border of China in 3 weeks. China threatened to send in troops if General MacArthur crossed the Yalu River. General MacArthur crossed the Yalu River and China sent 300,000 troops into North Korea and this led to Communist troops gaining control of North Korea. On January 4, 1951 the South Korean capital of Seoul fell to the Chinese and North Korean troops. By Spring 1951 United Nations forces recaptured Seoul and drove troops to the 38th parallel. În July 1953 anarmistice was reached, the war cost 54,000 US troops and $54 Billion. During the 1950s McCarthy used his position as head of the Permanent Investigation Subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations to harass current and former government officials and employees.
