USA Topic 1 Flashcards
How many were unemployed at the end of 1929
2.5 million
How many were unemployed by 1932
12 million
What were Hoovervilles
areas on the edge of cities where people lived in houses made of tin/cardboard/wood
What were hoover blankets
Newspapers
Who were the Bonus Marchers
Men who fought in WW1 who wanted the bonus that they had been promised early
How many Bonus Marchers were there
12000 marching in Washington. 5000 still refused to leave after a warning
How many people were injured when Hoover sent the army in after the Bonus Marchers
100 and a baby was killed
What was Hoovers approach as a president called
Laissez faire
What also happened as a result of the Depression
The birth rate fell and suicide rates increased
What was the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act
Hoover started putting a tax on foreign goods to try to bring in more money. It failed and countries refused to trade with the US
What did the Emergency Relief Act involve
Hoover giving 300 million to state governments to help the unemployed
What did the Republicans believe in
Laissez faire and rugged individualism
Why was Roosevelt more popular than Hoover
Because he was more appealing and gave a clearer message
What were the three Rs of the New Deal
Relief, Recovery, Reform
Which Alphabet Agency aided with relief
The CCC
Which Alphabet Agency aided with recovery
The AAA
Which Alphabet Agency aided with reform
The TVA
What did Roosevelt do on the 5th March
He closed all the banks for 10 days
What were fireside chats
When Roosevelt would talk to the country on the radio and inform and reassure them of current affairs
What did NRA stand for
National Recovery Administration
What did the CCC do
Created jobs for homeless men 18-25
How did Francis Townsend oppose the New Deal
He thought it wasn’t doing enough to help the elderly and set up Townsend clubs which were quite popular
What were the successes of the New Deal
Many more jobs were created and unemployment decreased
People were happy to trust Roosevelt to help them
Roosevelt was clear with the Americans so they knew what was happening
What were the limitations of the New Deal
Women and African - Americans still weren’t treated equally in and outside the workplace
The Alphabet Agencies only provided short term jobs
Most of the economical solutions were short term
What did Huey Long want and what did he do
Though Roosevelt wasn’t sharing the country’s wealth fairly and started a campaign called ‘Share Our Wealth’. It gained much support
Why did the Supreme Court oppose the New Deal
Because most of it was made up of Republicans
How many people left their homes looking for work in the Great Depression
More than 1 million
How much did President Hoover cut taxes by
130 million
When was Roosevelt inaugurated
4th March
How much did the AAA help farmers
They were 50% better off under the AAA by 1936
How many major measures did Roosevelt pass during his first hundred days
16
Why did people oppose the New Deal
The debt was starting to grow
A lot of money was wasted
What were the acts that Roosevelt introduced in the Second New Deal
The Works Progress Administration
The Wagner Act
The Fair Labour Standards Act
Social Security Act
What did the WPA do
Organised a 4.8 billion relief programme
Put unemployed teachers back to work
What did the Wagner Act do
Upheld rights of workers to enter collective bargaining
National Relations Board acted against employees who used unfair practices
What did the Social Security Act do
Established pensions for the elderly and those injured in industrial accidents
Established unemployment benefits
How many women were involved in the CCC
8000 out of 2.75 million people involved
Why did people blame Hoover for the Depression
-His laissez-faire approach
-His harsh treatment of the Bonus Marchers
-Too small relief and government schemes
-He had nothing new to promise the voters
Why did people like Roosevelt
-They were impressed that he was able to overcome polio
-He was optimistic
-He kept his message simple with a bold approach (The New Deal)
What did Roosevelt do in his first 100 days
Closed all banks for ten days, then reopened the ones with assets. He explained all this in his fireside chats. He also set up Alphabet Agencies.
What did the second new deal focus on
Mainly reform
How many Americans were unemployed by the end of 1934
10 million
How was the New Deal successful for government
Restored people’s faith in them
Preserved democracy
How was the New Deal unsuccessful for the government?
Roosevelt gave too much power to the federal government and the presidency. The federal government was becoming more involved in what was state government managed areas.
How was the New Deal successful for the economy
Stabilised the banking system
Improved infrastructure
How was the New Deal unsuccessful for the economy
Only provided short term solutions
When Roosevelt reduced the New Deal budget in 1937 the country fell back into depression
How was the New Deal successful for unemployment
The Alphabet Agencies caused unemployment to fall from 24.9 to 14.3 million
It strengthened the position of labour unions, however they were still treated with suspicion
How was the New Deal unsuccessful for unemployment
The Alphabet agencies only provided short term jobs
Still over 14 million out of work in 1937
Why did people not like the social welfare measures
They thought that they encouraged people to sponge off the state and it put too much pressure on tax payers.
Were black Americans helped much in the New Deal?
No - Roosevelt did little to end segregation and many New Deal agencies discriminated against black people by giving them lower wages or worse treatment
Were women helped much in the New Deal?
No - some National Industry Recovery Act codes required women to be paid less than men and only 8000 out of 2.75 million people in the CCC were women. However some achieved prominent positions eg Eleanor Roosevelt
