APUSH Chapter 21

Emergency Banking Act

FDR called congress into special session on March9th 1933, and passed this act quickly, which provided funds to shore up threatened institutions. Congress also then passed the Glass-Steagal Act and created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which helped to rescue the financial system, and increase gov't power over it

Court Packing Plan

FDR had proposed that on the pretext that several members of the Supreme Court were too old to perform their functions, he proposed that the president be allowed to appoint a new justice for each one who remained on the Court past the 70 - FDR wanted to change the balance of power on a court that might invalidate Social Security, Wagner acts, or other measures of the 2nd ND. - congress rejected this plan, but the court soon turned around and started to support FDR's administration's actions- they had an about-face QUIZLET: Because the Supreme Court was striking down New Deal legislation, Roosevelt decided to curb the power of the Court by proposing a bill to allow the president to name a new federal judge for each who did not retire by age 70 and 1/2. At the time, 6 justices were over the age limit. Would have increased the number of justices from 9 to 15, giving FDR a majority of his own appointees on the court to help his Second New Deal legislations. The court-packing bill was not passed by Congress.

The New Deal

Franklin D Roosevelt believed regional economic development like that in the Northwest (i.e the Grand Coulee Dam) would promote economic growth, ease the domestic and working lives of ordinary Americans, and keep control of key natural resources in public rather than private hands. The early Roosevelt administration spent far more money on building roads, dams, airports, bridges, and housing than any other activity. - because of the New Deal, "liberalism" came to define a government that actively tried to uplift those in need instead of a free-market economy and limited government - ND also made people focus on economic security as a part of American freedom. ND measures included the Social Security Act & Fair Labor Standards Act. - the ND expanded freedom, but still not to all - Democratic Party was united by FDR in the 1930s

FDR had "fireside chats"

In these radio-broadcast chats, FDR spoke directly to the american people through a new and wide-reaching form of technological communication. - FDR created the modern meaning for 'liberalism" with a government that works to better the lives of its people- large, active, socially conscious. -FDR also linked freedom with economic security for the common person-liberty was no longer freedom from a powerful government. (although some still. opposed this idea)

21st Amendment (1933)

Repeal of prohibition (18th Amendment)

The Second New Deal

Roosevelt launched the Second New Deal in 1935--> white the while the 1st ND had focused on economic recovery, the 2nd focused on economic security for Americans (protection against poverty and unemployment) - a series of measures made by the gov't in 1935 shaped a shift to a redistribution of wealth so that the average American had purchasing power in the consumer economy - tax on large fortunes and corporate profits - Rural Electrification Agency created to bring electricity to more Americans (who could then purchase household appliances) - gov't tried to increase standards of living for farmers and decrease rural poverty --> really only helped landowning farmers again a new set of programs in the spring of 1935 including additional banking reforms, new tax laws, new relief programs; also known as the Second Hundred Days.

Popular Front

a period during the mid-1930s when the Communist Party sought to ally itself with socialists and New Dealers in movements for social change, urging reform of the capitalist system rather than revolution- communists gained an unprecedented respectability.

Public Works Administration (PWA)

a provision of the NIRA, it built roads, schools, hospitals, and other public facilities, including NYC's Triborough bridge, the overseas highway between Key West and Miami, and more. - hand in hand with CWA (which ended up being dissolved , see notes)

welfare state

a term that originated in Britain during WWI that refers to a system of income assistance, health coverage and social services for all citizens. the American welfare state is more decentralized than other countries, covering less people and with less public spending. american social security at first excluded a lot of people - the american government took on the responsibility in the second ND of giving Americans a living wage and protecting them against economic and personal misfortune quizlet: A government that undertakes responsibility for the social and economic welfare of its citizens through programs in public health and public housing and pensions and unemployment compensation etc.

Wagner Act

another major initiative of the Second New Deal, this act brought democracy into the american workplace by empowering the National Labor Relations Board to supervise elections in which employees voted on union representation. it also outlawed "unfair labor practices" including firing and blacklisting union organizers. quizlet: 1935; established National Labor Relations Board; protected the rights of most workers in the private sector to organize labor unions, to engage in collective bargaining, and to take part in strikes and other forms of concerted activity in support of their demands.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

another product of the Hundred Days, it built a series of dams to prevent floods and deforestation along the Tennessee river and to provide cheap electric power for homes and factories in a 7 state region where many families still lives in isolated log cabins. the TVA put the federal government , for the first time, in the business of selling electricity in competition with private companies.

Works Progress Administration (WPA)

created by FDR in 1934 after he had cut down on federal employment. the WPA hired some 3 million Americans, in virtually every walk of life, each year until it ended in 1943. it constructed thousands of public buildings, bridges, roads, and 600 airports. - unlike before the WPA employed many out of work white collar workers and professionals - the WPA also heavily funded the arts, both fine and drama, showcasing an American art and culture

Share our Wealth Movement

created by Huey Long (governor of LA) in 1934 with the slogan "every man a king". Long represents popular movements against the poor conditions for the majority of Americans. - he called for confiscation of most of the wealth of the richest Americans in order to finance an immediate grant of $5000 and a guaranteed job with annual income for all citizens - these ideas and more movements of popular discontent along with the rise of the CIO helped spark the Second New Deal

Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO)

created by John L Lewis after the AFL refused to create unions of industrial workers. this new labor organization aimed at "nothing less than to secure economic freedom and industrial democracy" for american workers- a fair share in the wealth produced by their labor, and a voice in determining the conditions in which they worked. QUIZLET: 1938 *Association of laborers from industries including steel and auto *Organized in reaction to the AFL, which represented primarily craft unions *Headed by John L. Lewis *Originally a committee within the AFL (1935) before becoming independent in 1938 *United with the AFL in 1955

Social Security Act of 1935

embodied FDR's idea that the nat'l gov't had a responsibility to ensure the material well-being of ordinary Americans. it created a system of unemployment insurance, old age pensions, and aid to the disabled, the elderly poor, and families with dependent children. - none of the parts of this act were original- the progressive party platform of 1912 called for old age pensions, it also borrowed ideas from maternalist reformers and European countries, BUT what. was new was that the American gov't would now supervise a ~permanent~ system of social insurance quizlet: Provided old-age pension (retirement), and a program of unemployment insurance (temporary aid to help people who lose jobs to find a new job), and federal welfare program (aid for very poor). Most famous and important legacy of New Deal. Has resulted (along with Medicare) with drastic reduction in poverty among elderly in the US

House Un-American Activities Committee

in 1938, the House of Representatives established this committee to investigate disloyalty. its expansive definition of "un-American" included communists, labor radicals, and the left of the Democratic Party, and its hearings led to the dismissal of dozens of federal employees on the charges of subversion (the undermining of the power and authority of an established system/institution) quizlet: (HUAC) committee formed in the House of Representatives in the 1930s to investigate radical groups in the United States; it later came to focus on the threat of communism in the United States during World War II and the Cold War

Federal Housing Administration (FHA)

insured millions of long-term mortgages issued by private banks. - the government also built thousands of units of low-rent housing - overall the government made home owning accessible to millions of families

Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)

is another policy initiative of the Hundred Days that addressed the plight of the farmers. this act authorized the federal government to set production quotas for major crops and pay farmers to plant less in an attempt to raise farm prices. Many crops already in the field were destroyed. in 1933, the government ordered 6 million pigs slaughtered as a part of the policy - the AAA succeeded in raising farm prices and incomes, but fit not benefit tenant farmers because only land-owning farmers were payed not to grow crops.

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

new deal program created by congress in march 1933 to set unemployed young men to work on projects like preservation, flood control, and the improvement of national parks and wildlife preserves. many people would go to CCC camps and earn government wages of up to $30 / month.

Indian New Deal (1934)

the administration launched this deal that ended the policy of forced assimilation and allowed Indians unprecedented cultural autonomy - boarding schools that were meant to eradicate Indian culture and heritage were replaced, and spending on Indian health increased - the Indian Recognition Act of 1934 was established, which ended the policy from the Dawes Act of 1887 that divided Indian lands into small plots for individual families and selling off the rest - Federal authorities recognized NA rights to deal with their own affairs--> these shifts were great, but didn't alleviate widespread poverty on reservations

Scottsboro Case 1931

the communist-dominated International Labor Defense (the legal wing of the American Communist Party) mobilized popular support for black defendants victimized by a racist criminal justice system. it helped make this case an international cause célèbre - the case revolved around 9 young men arrested for the rape of 2 white women in Alabama in 1931 - despite the weakness of the evidence against the boys and the fact that one of the two accusers recanted, AL authorities put them on trial and won convictions 3 times - the Supreme Court ruled that the defendants had been denied the right to counsel, which violated their right to due process under the 14th amendment - landmark Supreme Court decisions overturned the first two verdicts and established legal principles that greatly expanded the definition of civil liberties- that defendants have a constitutional right to effective legal representation and that states cannot systematically exclude blacks form juries

National Industrial Recovery Act

the main part of FDR's plan for combating the depression. was to a large extent modeled on the government-business partnership that was established by the War Industries Board of WWI. quizlet: A New Deal legislation that focused on the employment of the unemployed and the regulation of unfair business ethics. The NIRA pumped cash into the economy to stimulate the job market and created codes that businesses were to follow to maintain the ideal of fair competition and created the NRA.

The Dust Bowl

the onset in 1930 of a period of unusually dry weather in the nation's heartland (Great Plains) worsened the Depression's impact on rural america. by mid-decade, the region suffered from the century's most severe drought. mechanized agriculture in this semi-arid region had pulverized the topsoil and killed native grasses that prevent erosion. winds now blew much of the soil away, creating the Dust Bowl, which affected areas of OK, TX, KS, and CO. it displaced more than 1 million farmers and left them struggling to provide for themselves.

The Hundred Days

the period known as the first three months of FDR's administration that saw an unprecedented amount of legislation. FDR won rapid passage of his laws that he hoped would promote economic recovery. He persuaded Congress to create a host of new agencies including the NRA, AAA, and CCC

sit-down strike

utilized by many unions in 1936-1937 (though it was first used by the IWW 30 years earlier). instead of walking out, thus enabling management to bring in strike breakers, workers halted production and remained inside. this was successful for the United Auto Worker's strike (UAW) in Dec 1936 -union membership rose to 9 million in 1940, and many companies started to recognize unions for fear of sit downs, CIO unions helped workers gain some ground/standing

First New Deal, 1933

was a series of experiments, some of which succeeded while others didn't. these acts transformed the role of the federal government, constricted numerous public facilities , and provided relief to millions of needy people. public employment helped save many people in the Depression, and the economy improved somewhat. overall though, sustained recovery was not achieved by 1934. FDR's policies to help ease the Great Depression during the 1st two years of his presidency. (1933-1936) Much of it passed in the 1st 100 Days, in an unprecedented flurry of laws. It aimed for the three R's: relief, recovery, reform. Included Bank Holiday, Glass-Steagal (SEC), CCC, AAA, TVA, NIRA, FDIC, FERA

National Recovery Administration (NRA)

was established by the NIRA to work with groups of business leaders to establish industry codes that set standards for output, prices, and working conditions (previously all determined by the corporations) - recognized the worker's right to form unions, way different from the "open shop" policies of the 1920s, and moving closer to what workers called "industrial freedom"--> this idea of liberty was different from what was dominant before -Headed bu Hugh S Johnson, the NRA quickly established codes that set standards for production, prices and wages in the textile, steel, mining, and auto industries. - yet the NRA codes were written predominantly by large corporations, which then used it to drive up prices , limit production, lay off workers, and divide markets among themselves at the expense of smaller competition. the NRA did not really provide economic recovery. This organization provided for a system of Industrial Self-regulation under federal supervision