The Great Depression Flashcards

1
Q

What is a depression?

A

Serious economic disasters marked by: 1) high unemployment 2) declining prices 3) lower production 4) lower sales 5) bank failures

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2
Q

What made the great depression a GREAT depression?

A

lasted longer, caused more failures and unemployment, and affected more people

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3
Q

What were the 6 causes of the Great Depression?

A

1) The Wall Street Crash 2) Stock Boom! 3) Wealth 4) Black Thursday 5) Black Tuesday 6) Bottom fell out!

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4
Q

Describe this cause of the Great Depression:Stock Boom!

A

Ever rising prices of stocks is the basis of the wealth of the 1920s; there was an 18 month stretch where everyday the stock prices went higher (March 1928 to September 1929); Dow Jones Industrial Average at all time high

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5
Q

Describe this cause of the Great Depression:Wealth

A

An average investor who bought $1000 worth of stock at Hoover’s election would double his money in less than a year

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6
Q

Describe this cause of the Great Depression:Black Thursday

A

October 24, 1929Unprecedented volume of selling; stock prices plunge; groups of bankers bought millions of dollars of stock to stabilize economy

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7
Q

When was Black Tuesday?

A

October 29, 1929

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8
Q

Describe this cause of the Great Depression:Bottom fell out!

A

Selling frenzy had resumed on Monday (October 28, 1929); panicked investors ordered brokers to sell but there were no buyers; by 1932, stocks were worth 1/9 of previous value

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9
Q

What were the 7 causes of the Stock Market Crash?

A

1) Uneven distribution of wealth 2) Stock market speculation 3) Excessive use of credit 4) Overproduction of consumer goods 5) Weak farm economy 6) Gov’t policies 7) Global economic policies

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10
Q

Describe this cause of the Stock Market Crash:Uneven distribution of wealth

A

Wages rose little in comparison to productivity and corporate profits; top 5% of richest Americans owned 33% of the income

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11
Q

Describe this cause of the Stock Market Crash:Stock market speculation

A

Get rich by “playing the market”; people are buying on margin; put down 1% and borrowed the rest; investors depended on the stock increasing so they could repay the loan

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12
Q

Describe this cause of the Stock Market Crash:Excessive use of credit

A

People believed economic prosperity was permanent; led to installment buying; stimulated consumer desire for new appliances and cars

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13
Q

Describe this cause of the Stock Market Crash:Overproduction of consumer goods

A

There was a volume of goods that workers with stagnant wages could not purchase

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14
Q

Describe this cause of the Stock Market Crash:Weak farm economy

A

Prosperity of the 1920s didn’t reach farmers who suffered from overproduction; high debt and lower prices since the end of WWI; in 1930s, severe weather and long drought added to farmers difficulties

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15
Q

Describe this cause of the Stock Market Crash:Gov’t policies

A

1920s: the gov’t had complete faith in business and did little to regulate Congress; high tariffs were passed to protect US businesses, but this hurt farmers and international trade; years of neglect and bad practices were hard to correct

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16
Q

Describe this cause of the Stock Market Crash:Global economic policies

A

Nations are more interdependent due to banking and manufacturing; Europe never recovered from WWI but the US didn’t recognize; US insisted Europe repay loans; war reparations burdened Germany

17
Q

1933: Percent Unemployed, number of people unemployed

A

25%13 million (not including farmers)

18
Q

What were the effects of the Depression?

A

1) US Gross National Product dropped from $104 billion to $56 billion in 4 years 2) Nation’s income declined by 50% 3) 20% of banks closed, wiping out $10 million in savings

19
Q

Political effects of the Depression

A

Republican domination ended; federal gov’t power increased

20
Q

Social effects of the Depression

A

Felt by all classes; poverty and homelessness increased; mortgage foreclosures and evictions become commonplace

21
Q

Who was the 31st president?

A

Herbert Hoover

22
Q

Describe Herbert Hoover

A

Republican: 1929-1933: 1st Quaker President; had read the entire Bible by age 10

23
Q

Describe the 1928 election

A

Republican: Herbert Hoover- wins by landslideDemocrat: Alfred Smith (1st Catholic)

24
Q

How does Hoover deal with the Depression Internationally?

A

Hawley-Smoot Tariff (1930) and Debt Moratorium

25
Q

Describe the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act (1930)

A

Protectionist tariff that caused global tariff war to begin

26
Q

Describe Debt Moratorium

A

put a 1 year moratorium on WWI debt payments (put hold on payments)

27
Q

How does Hoover deal with the DepressionDomestically?

A

Reconstruction Finance Board; Home Loan Boards; Revenue Act of 1932

28
Q

Describe Reconstruction Finance Board

A

1932: $2 billion available in loans to ailing banks and corporations to build low cost housing, bridges, and other public works (wasn’t enough money)

29
Q

Describe Home Loan Board

A

Offered funds to savings and loans, mortgage companies, and other financial institution that lent money for home construction

30
Q

Describe Revenue Act of 1932

A

Tried to increase gov’t revenue by increasing taxes

31
Q

Why did Hoover not give money to the poor?

A

Felt it would destroy desire to work and undermined sense of self worth; erode capacity to good citizenship

32
Q

Why is Hoover seen as a hypocrite?

A

Gave money to banks and business but not people; gave $45 million to feed Arkansas farmer livestock but vetoed $25 million to help feed starving farmer families

33
Q

What was the 20th amendment? What is it also known as?

A

President takes office on January 20thKnown as “Lame duck” amendment

34
Q

Describe the Election of 1932

A

Republican: Hoover runs for reelection; Democrat: Franklin Delano Roosevelt wins by landslideElectoral votes: Hoover- 59, Roosevelt- 472 (out of 538)