The Great Depression and the New Deal Flashcards
What were the causes of the Great Depression? (9)
the dust bowl, tarriffs, overproduction, under consumption, laissez-faire, rugged individualism, loss of confidence, speculation
What was Hoover seen as?
“A do-nothing” president
What did Hoover actually do? (4)
Cut taxes, set up “reconstruction finance company”, introduced a new tarriff, told business leaders not to cut wages
What is laissez-faire?
A policy where the government does not get involved with financial matters
Why was Hoover’s reputation damaged before the 1932 election? (3)
- he thought the great depression would fix itself
- he believed in “rugged individualism”- people helping themselves
- the existance of Hoovervilles
Why were hoovervilles called as such?
because people believed Hoover was responsible for them
What was the Bonus army?
A group of WW1 veterans who were demanding money that they would have earned during the war
When did Hoover promise to pay the bonus army?
1944
What happened after Hoover first promised to pay the Bonus Army?
They demanded the money sooner, and Hoover responded by attacking their shanty towns, burning down the houses and using tear gas
What caused the dust bowl?
overfarming+droughts
What percentage of the working population relied on soup kitchens in the Great Depression?
25%
How many migrants moved to California in the Great Depression?
375,000
Why did the Great Depression affect black employees worse than white employees?
Because employers were more likely to sack black employees first
What was rugged individualism?
Hoover’s belief that in the government helped people,, it would stop people from helping themselves. All people needed was /hard work/ and a /”can do”/ attitude!
What was the New Deal?
A series of policies, organisations and initiatives designed to get america out of the Great Depression
How far did Roosevelt travel during his campaign?
21km
How many speeches did roosevelt make during his campaign?
12 major speeches and 60 from his train
What was the result of the 1932 election?
Roosevelt won 42 out of the 48 states
What were Roosevelt’s three priorities?
Reform, Recovery and Relief
What was Roosevelt “not afraid to do”?
Say polite words while carrying a big stick
What was Relief (in terms of the New Deal)?
Provinding relief to the elderly, sick and homeless
What was Reform (in terms of the New Deal)?
Improving conditions for American people
What was Recovery (in terms of the New Deal)?
Getting people back into work and getting industry working again
What is an example of a relief-based organisation?
FERA
What is an example of a reform-based organisation?
TVA
What is an example of a recovery-based organisation?
CCC
What does FERA stand for?
Federal Emergency Relief Administration
What does CCC stand for?
Civilian Conservation Corps
What does TVA stand for?
Tenessee Valley Authority
What does NRA stand for?
National Recovery Administration
What does PWA stand for?
Public Works Administration
What did the FERA do?
Spend 500 million on soup kitchens, blankets, employment schemes and nursery schools
What did the CCC do?
Young men could sign up to environmental projects if they couldn’t find work.
What did the PWA do?
Used government money to build roads, schools and bridges
What did the TVA do?
Irrigate the dried out valley and provide electricity and jobs through the building of dams
What did the NRA do?
Improved working conditions in industry and outlawed child labour. Set fair wages and sensible levels of production
How long could you work with the CCC? (After this period, if you still could not find a job you could sign up again)
6 months
What was the Second New Deal?
Roosevelt’s response to people saying that the New Deal didn’t do enough for the poor.
What did the WPA stand for?
Works Progress Administration
What did the WPA do?
Sponsored community art projects and construction projects
Who was Huey Long?
The governor of Louisiana
How did Huey Long get into power?
He used methods like bribery and threat
What did Huey Long do after he got into power?
He clashed with the KKK, employed black people under the same conditions as white people, and built roads, schools and hospitals
What was the scheme that Huey Long put forward?
Share Our Wealth
What did Share Our Wealth do? (or was proposed to do?)
All personal fortunes would be reduced to 3 million, and maximum income would be 1 million per year. Anything else would be shared between everyone
What else did Huey Long propose, apart from his scheme?
Pensions for people over 60
free washing machines and radios
Who was Father Coughlin?
A priest who used his radio programme to attack Roosevelt
What was Father Coughlin’s union?
National Union for Social Justice
Who was the governor of Louisiana?
Huey Long
When did the National Union for Social Justice lose power?
In the 1940s
What did the National Union for Social Justice do?
fought for social equality and promoted populist ideologies
What idea does populism spread?
It places the people against the “elite”, who are seen as “corrupt and self-serving”
Who was Dr Francis Townsend?
an American who founded the “Townsend plan”
What was the Townsend plan?
A plan that would give everyone over 60 200 pounds per month, only if they were not a criminal.
In the Townsend plan, how much time did the recipients have to spend the money?
30 days
Who said that the New Deal wasn’t doing enough?
Black Americans and poor rural farmers
Why didn’t the newspapers like the New Deal?
Because most were run by rich people, and the New Deal gave rights to the poor
