The Depression Flashcards
What was the impact of the depression on the USA?
4 points
1) There was speculation on the stock market.
2) There was a panic selling of shares
3) An overproduction of foreign trade
4) Unequal distribution of wealth.
Who were the Bonus Marchers and what did they want?
WW1 veterans who wanted their bonuses paid.
What did the Bonus Marchers want the government to do?
To issue a bill which allowed early payment of their bonuses.
What did the Bonus Marchers do in May and June of 1932?
A Bonus Expeditionary Force, made up of over 12000 unemployed and homeless veterans from all over the USA, marched to Washington DC to voice their support for a bill.
How did the Government react to the Bonus Marchers?
4 points
1) They labelled them as a rabble and communists and sent the police to clear them from the buildings they lived in.
2) It would cost the government $2.3 billion and Hoover declared this was too much.
3) congress provided money for transport home for the Marchers but 5000 refused.
4) The army were sent to disperse the crowd.
How many people were unemployed by the end of 1929?
2.5 million
How many people were unemployed by 1932?
13 million
How did black and white unemployment compare in the cities?
Black unemployment: 50 %
White unemployment: 20 %
What did the depression cause in cities?
4 points
1) Factories began to close down.
2) People stopped spending.
3) Production slowed down or stopped.
4) People lost homes and drifted across the country as hobos.
How much of the workforce were unemployed in 1933?
1/3
How many hobos were there in 1932?
2 million
What was the depression like in the countryside?
4 points
1) Farmers unable to sell their produce.
2) Food left to rot.
3) More that 1 million left home to seek work.
4) People from Oklahoma were known as ‘Okies’ and Arkansas ‘Arkies’.
What was the drought in 1931 known as?
The Dust Bowl
In which areas of America did the Dust Bowl affect?
Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico and Kansas.
How much land did the Dust Bowl affect?
2 million hectares
How did the depression affect family life?
5 points
1) Marriage rate fell from 1.23 million in 1929 to 982,000 in 1932.
2) Birth rate fell.
3) Suicide rate drastically increased from 12.6 per 1000 people to 17.4 in 1932.
4) Schools in Arkansas closed for 10 months.
5) By 1932 25 % of the population were not receiving income.
What were Hoovervilles?
Sarcastic names for the dwellings of the depression that soon caught on due to Hoover’s lack of concern or support.
What was life in Hoovervilles like?
There were no running water or sewage systems.
How long did the Hoovervilles last for?
Until 1941
What were Hoover blankets?
Layers of newspapers
What were Hoover flags?
Men’s trouser pockets inside out
What were Hoover wagons?
Horses tied to cars.
When was Hoover president?
1929-1939
Was Hoover a Democrat or a Republican?
Republican
What were Hoover’s 3 key beliefs?
Deflation, Rugged Individualism and Laissez Faire
What did Hoover say during his election campaign?
‘We in America today are nearer to the final triumph over poverty than ever before in the history of any land.’
Which Act did Hoover pass in 1930?
Agricultural Marketing Act
What was the purpose of the Agricultural Marketing Act?
To prevent the dropping of crop prices.
Which Act did Hoover sign in 1930?
‘The Smoot Hawley Act’
What was the purpose of The Smoot Hawley Act?
To raise tariffs, stop trade, foreign nations stopped buying US goods.
What did Hoover pass in January 1932?
The Reconstruction Finance Corporation
What was the purpose of The Reconstruction Finance Corporation?
Giving millions to banks and corporations.
Which other acts did Hoover pass in 1932?
The Revenue Act
The Emergency Relief Act
What was the Purpose of the Revenue Act?
Increased taxes on businesses.
What was the purpose of the Emergency Relief Act?
To give the state government $300 million to provide jobs for the unemployed.
