Great Depression

Section 7A

''damage to the environment'' shall mean any destruction, damage or impairment, actual or probable, to any of the natural resources of the commonwealth, whether caused by the defendant alone or by the defendant and others acting jointly or severally. Damage to the environment shall include, but not be limited to, air pollution, water pollution, improper sewage disposal, pesticide pollution, excessive noise, improper operation of dumping grounds, impairment and eutrophication of rivers, streams, floodplains, lakes, ponds or other water resources, destruction of seashores, dunes, wetlands, open spaces, natural areas, parks or historic districts or sites. Damage to the environment shall not include any insignificant destruction, damage or impairment to such natural resources.

Pure Food and Drug Act

(1906) For preventing the manufacture, sale, or transportation of adulterated or misbranded or poisonous or deleterious foods, drugs, medicines, and liquors, and for regulating traffic therein, and for other purposes. President Theodore Roosevelt signed the landmark Progressive Era legislation into law on June 30. The statute for the first time regulated food and drugs that moved in interstate commerce and forbade the manufacture, sale or transportation of poisonous patent medicines.

Second New Deal

(1935-36) is the term used by commentators at the time and historians ever since to characterize the second stage, 1935-36, of the New Deal programs of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

(TVA) Tennessee Valley Authority

(Set up the electrical, water, utilities, irrigation, grid) Public and the private sector.The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was established in 1933 as one of President Roosevelt's Depression-era New Deal programs, providing jobs and electricity to the rural Tennessee River Valley—an area that spans seven states in the South. The TVA was envisioned as a federally-owned electric utility and regional economic development agency. It still exists today as the nation's largest public power provider.

Hoovervilles, Hoover flags, Hoover blankets, Hoover stew

A "Hooverville" was a shanty town built during the Great Depression by the homeless in the United States of America. They were named after Herbert Hoover, who was President of the United States of America during the onset of the Depression and was widely blamed for it. Hoover blankets were newspapers used to keep warm while sleeping outdoors; Hoover flags were empty pockets turned inside out, and Hoover shoes had holes in the soles. The Hooverville Stew was a simple dish that took advantage of macaroni, canned tomatoes, and hot dogs. Most people don't think of hot dogs when they think of the Great Depression, but it was one of the most available and cheapest forms at the time.

Mary McLeod Bethune

A champion of racial and gender equality, Bethune founded many organizations and led voter registration drives after women gained the vote in 1920, risking racist attacks. In 1924, she was elected president of the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs, and in 1935, she became the founding president of the National Council of Negro Women. Bethune also played a role in the transition of black voters from the Republican Party—"the party of Lincoln"—to the Democratic Party during the Great Depression. A friend of Eleanor Roosevelt, in 1936, Bethune became the highest-ranking African American woman in government when President Franklin Roosevelt named her director of Negro Affairs of the National Youth Administration, where she remained until 1944. She was also a leader of FDR's unofficial "black cabinet." In 1937 Bethune organized a conference on the Problems of the Negro and Negro Youth and fought to end discrimination and lynching. In 1940, she became vice president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Persons (NAACP), a position she held for the rest of her life. As a member of the advisory board that in 1942 created the Women's Army Corps, Bethune ensured it was racially integrated. Appointed by President Harry S. Truman, Bethune was the only woman of color at the founding conference of the United Nations in 1945.

President Herbert Hoover and the Great Depression

A few months after he was elected, the stock market crashed and the Great Depression was beginning. Unlike Andrew Mellon and Calvin Coolidge who believed that the federal government should keep its hands off the economy, Herbert Hoover believed that some action from the federal government is necessary. America's 31st president took office in 1929, the year the U.S. economy plummeted into the Great Depression. Although his predecessors' policies undoubtedly contributed to the crisis, which lasted over a decade, Hoover bore much of the blame in the minds of the American people.

"Court-packing" (Roosevelt's Court-packing plan)

A move by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to increase the size of the Supreme Court and then bring in several new justices who would change the balance of opinion on the Court. The series of anti-New Deal decisions by the Supreme Court angered President Roosevelt and prompted him to attempt to reform the federal court system itself. This included a so-called "court-packing" proposal that would have enabled FDR to appoint an additional six justices to the Supreme Court.

Helping the American People (ppt)

Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) farmers left a certain amount of every acre of land unseeded (reduced supply would boost prices). The government paid hog farmers to slaughter 6 million pigs which helped raise farm prices and put more money in farmers' pocket. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) renovated five existing dams and constructed 20 new ones, created thousands of jobs, and provided flood control, hydroelectric power, and other benefits to an impoverished region. Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), put young men aged 18 to 25 to work building roads, developing parks, planting trees, and helping in soil-erosion and flood-control projects. National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), provided money to states to create jobs chiefly in the construction of schools and other community buildings provided 4 million immediate jobs. Civil Works Administration (CWA) built 40,000 schools and paid the salaries of more than 50,000 schoolteachers in America's rural areas and built more than half a million miles of roads

Impact of the New Deal:

Americans still debate over how large a role government should play in American life. FDR did not favor deficit spending. 1937 the economy had improved enough to convince many Americans that the Depression was finally ending Roosevelt faced rising pressure from Congress to scale back New Deal programs. Industrial production dropped again, and the number of unemployed increased from 7.7 million in 1937 to 10.4 million in 1938. Roosevelt was increasingly concerned with events in Europe, particularly Hitler's rise to power in Germany

Characteristics of the Great Depression

An example of an economic depression is a negative growth in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the measurement of national income and output for the economy.

Black Tuesday

Black Tuesday was the fourth and last day of the stock market crash of 1929. It took place on October 29, 1929. Investors traded a record 16.4 million shares. They lost $14 billion on the New York Stock Exchange, worth $199 billion in 2017 dollars. During the four days of the crash, the Dow dropped 25 percent and investors lost $30 billion. That was ten times more than the 1929 federal budget.It was more than the United States had spent on World War I. Back then, traders physically wrote orders on pieces of paper. There were so many trades that the orders backed up. Traders just stuffed them into trash cans. Fistfights broke out, and one trader collapsed.

American Backlash (ppt)

Democrats win 1930 congressional elections Democrats took advantage of anti-Hoover sentiments to win more seats in Congress Farmers burned their corn and wheat and dumped their milk on highways rather than sell it at a loss. Farmers declared a "farm holiday" and refused to work their fields. Farmers blocked roads to prevent food from getting to market, hoping that food shortages would raise prices. "Hoovervilles", "Hoover blankets," "Hoover Stew", "Hoover Flags" 1932, Hoover signed into law the Federal Home Loan Bank Act, which lowered mortgage rates for homeowners and allowed farmers to refinance their farm loans and avoid foreclosure. Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC), approved by Congress 1932 authorized up to $2 billion for emergency financing for banks, life insurance companies, railroads, and other large businesses.

World Wide Shock Waves (ppt)

European countries trying to recover from the ravages of World War I faced high war debts Germany had to pay war reparations—payments to compensate the Allies for the damages Germany had caused. Difficult to sell American farm products and manufactured goods abroad. Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act, established the highest protective tariff in United States history (designed to help farmers) made unemployment worse in industries that could no longer export goods to Europe. Countries retaliated by raising their own tariffs.

Expanding Government's Role in the Economy (ppt)

FDR infused the nation's economy with millions of dollars, by creating federal jobs, by attempting to regulate supply and demand, and by increasing the government's active participation in settling labor and management disputes. Agencies were developed: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), to regulate banking and investment activities. What really ended the Depression, however, was the massive amount of spending by the federal government for guns, tanks, ships, airplanes, and all the other equipment and supplies the country needed for the World War II effort

Father Charles Coughlin:

Father Charles Coughlin's fiery radio broadcasts reached an estimated 40,000,000 listeners and attempted to sway popular opinion away from Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal policies. FDR was a President, not a king.

Three Critics (ppt)

Father Charles Coughlin, a Roman Catholic priest: He favored a guaranteed annual income and the nationalization of banks claimed a radio audience of as many as 40-45 million people, but his increasingly anti-Semitic (anti-Jewish) views eventually cost him support. Dr. Francis Townsend, a physician and health officer believed that Roosevelt wasn't doing enough to help the poor and elderly, so he devised a pension plan that would provide monthly benefits to the aged. Senator Huey Long: proposed a nationwide social program called Share-Our-Wealth. Under the banner "Every Man a King," he promised something for everyone. At the height of his popularity, Long was assassinated by a lone gunman

National Banking Holiday

Following his inauguration on March 4, 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt set out to rebuild confidence in the nation's banking system. On March 6 he declared a four-day national banking holiday that kept all banks shut until Congress could act.

Woman and the New Deal (ppt)

Frances Perkins became America's first female cabinet member. President Roosevelt, encouraged by his wife Eleanor and seeking the support of women voters, also appointed two female diplomats and a female federal judge. A Gallup poll taken in 1936 reported that 82 percent of Americans said that a wife should not work if her husband had a job. Works Administration hired far fewer women than men, and the Civilian Conservation Corps hired only men. Married women in the workplace grew from 11.7 percent in 1930 to 15.6 percent in 1940

Frances Perkins

Frances Perkins was an American sociologist and workers-rights advocate who served as the U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945, the longest serving in that position, and the first woman appointed to the U.S. Cabinet.

Regulating Banking and Finance (ppt)

Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, required banks to act cautiously with their customers' money. Federal Securities Act: required corporations to provide complete information on all stock offerings and made them liable for any misrepresentations. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) prevent people with "rigging" the stock market for their own profit (insider trading). Raised government revenues: 1933 passage of the 21st. Amendment had repealed prohibition altogether

Hoovers Cautious Steps (ppt)

Hoover's empty 1928 campaign pledge: "A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage." Encouraged employers not to cut wages or lay off workers. Asked labor leaders not to demand higher wages or go on strike. More companies went out of business, soup kitchens became a common sight. Hoover was finally able to authorize construction of Boulder Dam (later called Hoover Dam). At 726 ft. high and 1,244 ft. long it would be the world's tallest dam and the second largest. In addition to providing electricity and flood control, the dam also provided a regular water supply, which enabled the growth of California's massive agricultural economy.

Critics of the New Deal

Huey "Kingfish" Long Huey Long was the most entertaining tyrant in American history. From 1928, when he became governor of Louisiana, to 1935, when he was assassinated, Long's flamboyant style and brazen deeds provided journalists and their readers with more good stories than most politicians pile up in a lifetime. The Kingfish (a nickname he borrowed from a character on the "Amos 'n' Andy" radio show) cursed and bullied state lawmakers until they voted his way or were hounded out of office, sometimes in rigged elections. Vowing to help farmers and laborers of all races, Long forced the legislature to finance free textbooks for schoolchildren, build thousands of miles of new roads and slap a hefty tax on Standard Oil, whose Baton Rouge refinery was the largest in the world.

Economic Troubles on the Horizon (ppt)

Important industries struggled, and farmers grew more crops and raised more livestock than they could sell at a profit. Both consumers and farmers were steadily going deeper into debt. Key basic industries, such as railroads, textiles, and steel had barely made a profit. Coal mining was especially hard-hit, in part due to stiff competition from new forms of energy, including hydroelectric power, fuel oil, and natural gas. Federal price-supports for key products such as wheat, corn, cotton, and tobacco. Consumers have less money to spend. Living on credit. Uneven distribution of income

Okies and Arkies

It has been said that some Oklahomans who stayed and lived through the Dust Bowl see the Okie migrants as quitters who fled Oklahoma. Most Oklahoma natives are as proud of their Okies who made good in California as are the Okies themselves - and of the Arkies, West Texans, and others who were cast in with them. The important thing about the Okie migration is how it affected the people in the dust bowl region because it changed the economy of our nation drastically. ... They migrated from the dusty, barren Great Plains to the Sunny West Coast. One hundred million acres of the Southern Plains were turning into a wasteland of the Dust Bowl. Large sections of five states were affected — Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico. In 1932, the national weather bureau reported 14 dust storms. The next year, they were up to 38.

America Gets a New Deal (ppt)

March 4, 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected President. Carefully picked advisers—a select group of professors, lawyers, and journalists that came to be known as the "Brain Trust." New Deal policies focused on three general goals: relief for the needy, economic recovery, and financial reform: Gave Government unprecedented new power. Roosevelt declared a bank holiday and closed all banks to prevent further withdrawals Emergency Banking Relief Act, which authorized the Treasury Department to inspect the country's banks. Fireside chats - President Roosevelt explained why the nation's welfare depended on public support of the government and the banking system.

Effects of the Great Depression on families, women, men, African Americans, Hispanics

Men and women of all races lost jobs. However, the non-white groups were starting from a lower level and were plunged into deeper poverty than white families were. In addition, racial minorities were typically treated worse than whites when the Depression hit. African Americans and Latinos tended to lose their jobs. African Americans lost farms as cotton prices and other crops dropped; Blacks would be fired from low pay jobs to open the job for white men; Black women ... Hispanic Americans. Jobs went to migrant whites; Many relocated to cities creating ethnic neighborhoods "Barrios'. Women were employed as housekeeping aides to families in need of household help. The housekeeping aides project kept to traditional racial stereotypes as well as gendered ones, as most of its employees were African-American women.

Supporters and Critics of the New Deal (ppt)

Most conservatives think President Roosevelt's policies made the federal government too large and too powerful. Liberal critics argue that President Roosevelt didn't do enough to socialize the economy and to eliminate social and economic inequalities. The president struck a reasonable balance between two extremes—unregulated capitalism and overregulated socialism—and helped the country recover from its economic difficulties

Promoting Fair Practices (ppt)

National Recovery Administration (NRA), which set prices of many products to ensure fair competition and established standards for working hours and a ban on child labor. Congress met their demands by passing a section of the NIRA guaranteeing workers' right to unionize and to bargain collectively. Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC) provided government loans to homeowners who faced foreclosure because they couldn't meet their loan payments. 1934 National Housing Act created the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) still exists to this day. Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA)Half of the money was given to the states as direct grants-in-aid to help furnish food and clothing to the unemployed, the aged, and the ill. The rest was distributed to states to support work relief programs

The Stock Market Crashes 1929-1940 (ppt)

October 29—now known as Black Tuesday—the bottom fell out of the market. Huge debts, prices plummeted, people lost most of their savings Investors had lost about $30 billion, an amount equal to how much America spent in World War I Stock market crash signaled the beginning of the Great Depression. People panicked and withdrew their money from banks. Approximately 90,000 businesses went bankrupt. Unemployment leaped from 3 percent (1.6 million workers) in 1929 to 25 percent (13 million workers) in 1933.

Truth-in-Securities Acts

Often referred to as the "truth in securities" law, the Securities Act of 1933 has two basic objectives: require that investors receive financial and other significant information concerning securities being offered for public sale; and. prohibit deceit, misrepresentations, and other fraud in the sale of securities. The 1933 Act was the first major federal legislation to regulate the offer and sale of securities. Prior to the Act, regulation of securities was chiefly governed by state laws, commonly referred to as blue sky laws. When Congress enacted the 1933 Act, it left existing state securities laws ("blue sky laws") in place.

Emergency Relief Appropriation Act

On April 8, 1935, the United States Congress passed the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act. The Emergency Relief Appropriation Act was part of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal. ... The United States Congress provided additional funds throughout the 1930s.

(FERA) Federal Emergency Relief Administration

On May 12, 1933, the United States Congress created the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA). This organization's purpose was initially to distribute 500 million dollars in federal funds to state agencies. These funds were grants and not loans. It created the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), which was allotted a start-up fund of $500 million from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to help the needy and unemployed. To prevent these problems, Roosevelt told Hopkins to focus on action rather than the complications of politics. The three goals of the Federal Emergency Relief Act (FERA) were (1) to be effective, (2) provide work for employable people on the relief rolls, and (3) to have a diverse variety of relief programs.

"First 100 Days"

Once in office, FDR set to work immediately. ... Between 8 March and 16 June, in what later became known as the "First Hundred Days," Congress followed Roosevelt's lead by passing an incredible fifteen separate bills which, together, formed the basis of the New Deal.

African American Activism (ppt)

Philip Randolph: organized the country's first all-black trade union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Roosevelt appointed more than 100 African Americans to key positions in the government. Mary McLeod Bethune: an educator who dedicated herself to promoting opportunities for young African Americans & helped organize a "Black Cabinet" of influential African Americans to advise the Roosevelt administration on racial issues. Eleanor Roosevelt played a key role in opening doors for African Americans in government. Marian Anderson

Labor Unions (ppt)

President Roosevelt was a "friend of labor." Union workers pledged their votes to him. Between 1933 and 1941, union membership grew from less than 3 million to more than 10 million. Unionization especially affected coal miners and workers in mass-production industries, such as the automobile, rubber, and electrical industries. American Federation of Labor (AFL) had traditionally been restricted to the craft unions, such as carpenters and electricians AFL leaders opposed industry-wide unions. Sit-down strike: prevented the factory owners from carrying on production with strikebreakers, or scabs. Memorial Day Massacre: Police attacked striking steelworkers outside the plant. Ten people were killed and 84 wounded. Memorial Day Massacre

Glass-Steagall Act

Prohibits banks from stock trade. legislation describes four provisions of the U.S. Banking Act of 1933 separating commercial and investment banking. The article 1933 Banking Act describes the entire law, including the legislative history of the provisions covered here. The Glass-Steagall legislation was enacted by the United States Congress in 1933 as part of the 1933 Banking Act, amended as part of the 1935 Banking Act, and most of it was repealed in 1999 by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA). Banks insure up to $250,000 per account

Protest against the Great Depression and failures of government

Protests in local communities originated in sporadic street demonstrations, rent rebellions and the disruption of relief centers. Initially, local grassroots organizations were loosely structured, held together mainly by periodic demonstrations. But these groups gathered momentum from direct action victories that yielded public assistance money and food and stopped evictions. Protesters were often confronted by federal, state and local troops, who aggressively dispersed their actions. Hoover's administration made a bad mistake when Congress, caving into special interests, passed the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act in 1930. The measure would hike up tariffs to prohibitively high levels. The president signed the bill into law over the objections of more than 1,000 economists. Every major trading nation protested against the law and many immediately retaliated by raising their tariffs. The impacts on international trade were catastrophic. This and other effects caused international trade to grind nearly to a standstill; the depression spread worldwide.

New Deal Under Attack (ppt)

Roosevelt agreed to the policy of Deficit spending— a necessary evil to be used only at a time of great economic crisis. Conservative critics argued that Roosevelt spent too much on direct relief and used New Deal policies to control business and socialize the economy. Many critics believed the New Deal interfered with the workings of a free-market economy. Supreme Court reacts: struck down the NIRA as unconstitutional and declared that the law gave legislative powers to the executive branch and that the enforcement of industry codes within states went beyond the federal government's constitutional powers President Roosevelt proposed in February 1937 that Congress enact a court-reform bill to reorganize the federal judiciary and allow him to appoint six new Supreme Court justices. This "Court-packing bill" aroused a storm of protest in Congress and the press.

FDR's Failure to Support Equal Rights Fully (ppt)

Roosevelt was never committed to full civil rights for African Americans. Refused to approve a federal antilynching law and an end to the poll tax, two key goals of the civil rights movement. African Americans recognized the need to fight for their rights and to improve conditions in areas that the New Deal ignored. Mexican Americans also tended to support the New Deal, even though they received even fewer benefits than African Americans did. In 1924, Native Americans had received full citizenship by law. John Collier: President Roosevelt appointed John Collier as commissioner of Indian affairs created the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. The act mandated changes in three areas: Economic: land belonged to tribe. Cultural: children attend school on res. Political: elect & govern reservations

The "3 R's"

Roosevelt's basic philosophy of Keynesian economics (output and demand) manifested itself in what became known as the three "R's" of relief, (short term)recovery (medium term) and reform (long run). The programs created to meet these goals generated jobs and more importantly, hope.

Causes for the Great Depression

Stock Market Crash of 1929. Many believe erroneously that the stock market crash that occurred on Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, is one and the same with the Great Depression. ...Bank Failures. ...Reduction in Purchasing Across the Board. ...American Economic Policy with Europe. ...Drought Conditions.

Emergency Banking Act

Takes United States off the Gold Standard (the official title of which was the Emergency Banking Relief Act), Public Law 1, 48 Stat. 1 (March 9, 1933), was an act passed by the United States Congress in March 1933 in an attempt to stabilize the banking system. The Emergency Banking Act Of 1933 was a bill passed during the administration of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in reaction to the financially adverse conditions of the Great Depression. The act was passed during this shutdown, in hopes that Americans would renew their confidence by the time the banks re-opened.

Liberty League, and Economists

The American Liberty League was an American political organization formed in 1934, primarily of wealthy business elites and prominent political figures, because they opposed the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Economic Theory of British economist who held that governments should run deliberate deficits to aid the economy in times of depression.

Define Great Depression

The Great Depression was an economic slump in North America, Europe, and other industrialized areas of the world that began in 1929 and lasted until about 1939. It was the longest and most severe depression ever experienced by the industrialized Western world.The Great Recession is a term that represents the sharp decline in economic activity during the late 2000s, which is generally considered the largest downturn since the Great Depression.

(NIRA) National Industrial Recovery Act

The National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) was enacted by Congress in June 1933 and was one of the measures by which President Franklin D. Roosevelt sought to assist the nation's economic recovery during the Great Depression. The passage of NIRA ushered in a unique experiment in U.S. economic history, the NIRA sanctioned, supported, and in some cases, enforced an alliance of industries. Antitrust laws were suspended, and companies were required to write industry-wide "codes of fair competition" that effectively fixed prices and wages, established production quotas, and imposed restrictions on the entry of other companies into the alliances. (infringe on free-market ideas?)

(NYA) National Youth Organization

The National Youth Administration (NYA) was a New Deal agency implemented during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It operated from 1935 to 1943 as part of the Works Progress Administration. The NYA provided work training based on U.S. citizenship and financial need for youth between ages 16 and 25. In addition to offering courses in writing, reading, and arithmetic, the NYA operated two programs: the Works Project Program to train unemployed, out-of-school youth, and the Student Aid Program to provide work-study training for high school, college, and graduate students.

Bonus Army (ppt)

The Patman Bill authorized the government to pay a bonus to World War I veterans who had not been compensated adequately for their wartime service Senate voted down the Patman Bill. President Hoover decided that the Bonus Army should be disbanded. He used the force of 1,000 soldiers under the command of General Douglas MacArthur and his aide, Major Dwight D. Eisenhower, to roust the veterans. The infantry gassed more than 1,000 people, including an 11-month-old baby, who died, and an 8-year-old boy, who was partially blinded. Two people were shot and many were injured

President's Organization for Unemployment Relief

The President's Organization for Unemployment Relief (originally known as the President's Emergency Committee for Employment) was a government organization created on August 19, 1931, by United States President Herbert Hoover. Its commission was to help U.S. citizens who lost their jobs due to the Great Depression.

Federal Reserve System

The Structure and Functions of the Federal Reserve System is the central bank of the United States. It was founded by Congress in 1913 to provide the nation with a safer, more flexible, and more stable monetary and financial system. The Federal Reserve has three primary functions: Monetary Policy, Banking Supervision, Financial Services

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent, federal government agency responsible for protecting investors, maintaining the fair and orderly functioning of securities markets, and facilitating capital formation.

Presidential election of 1932

The United States presidential election of 1932 took place as the effects of the 1929 Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression were being felt intensely across the country. President Herbert Hoover's popularity was falling as voters felt he was unable to reverse the economic collapse or deal with prohibition. In hindsight, FDR might look like a shoo-in for the 1932 presidential election. The campaign unfolded during the darkest days of the Great Depression, and Roosevelt's opponent, Republican incumbent Herbert Hoover, was the man many Americans (perhaps unfairly) held personally responsible for their misery.

Indian Reorganization Act (1935)

The act replaced the Indian General Allotment Act of 1887, known as the "Dawes Act," which broke up tribal lands and allotted them to individual members of tribes; traditionally the tribes held the land on reservations in a communal capacity. When Roosevelt became president in 1933, he appointed a leading reformer, John Collier, as commissioner of Indian affairs. At Collier's request, Congress created the Indian Emergency Conservation Program (IECP), a CCC-type project for the reservations which employed more than 85,000 Indians.

Bonus Army

The demonstration that drew the most national attention was the Bonus Army march of 1932. In 1924, Congress rewarded veterans of World War I with certificates redeemable in 1945 for $1,000 each. ... They asked Congress to redeem their Bonus certificates early.

National debt

The national debt of the United States is the amount owed by the federal government of the United States. The measure of the public debt is the value of the outstanding Treasury securities at a point of time that has been issued by the Treasury and other federal government agencies. (Among the 10 countries with the largest GDPs, the U.S. ranks third in terms of debt as a percentage of GDP, behind Japan and Italy. One major outlier on the list is China, whose 2010 GDP is estimated to be the world's second-largest, at roughly $5.7 trillion). Jan 28, 2011

Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC)

U.S. government agency established by Congress on January 22, 1932, to provide financial aid to railroads, financial institutions, and business corporations. With the passage of the Emergency Relief Act in July 1932, its scope was broadened to include aid to agriculture and financing for state and local public works.The RFC made little use of its powers under the Herbert Hoover administration but was more vigorously utilized during the New Deal years and contributed greatly to the recovery effort. The RFC was intended to be an independent, non-political agency, and during its early years, it operated without much interference. As the functions of the RFC grew, however, and as it began to assume responsibility for disbursing huge sums of money, it tended to become involved in politics.

Women and the New Deal

Under Eleanor Roosevelt, the whole approach to the problem of unemployed women was completely revamped. Woodward refused to tolerate that ad hoc part-time approach that had heretofore been used by both state and federal officials within the FERA structure to deal with the needs of unemployed women. With Hopkins' backing, each state was now required to appoint a qualified woman to devote herself full-time to the woman's program. These gains, though somewhat modest within the overall scope of the New Deal relief, nevertheless established the precedent that the plight of working women must be taken into consideration in any state or national effort to provide relief to the unemployed. Equally important, the opportunities provided by the New Deal for professional women such as Ellen Woodward to work in the upper echelons of the federal government was also unprecedented.

Hoover Takes the Nation 1928 (ppt)

Victory over Herbert Hoover against Democrat Alfred E. Smith. Through most of the 1920s, stock prices rose steadily. The "bull market"—a period of rising stock prices— Americans rushed to buy stocks and bonds. Dow Jones Industrial Average was the most widely used barometer of the stock market's health. The Dow is a measure based on the stock prices of 30 representative large firms Engaging in speculation—that is, they bought stocks and bonds on the chance of a quick profit while ignoring the risks. Buying on margin—paying a small percentage of a stock's price as a down payment and borrowing the rest. The government did little to discourage such buying or to regulate the market. People who had bought on margin had no way to pay off the loans.

Social and Environmental Effects (ppt)

Wagner Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act, set standards for wages and hours, banned child labor, and ensured the right of workers to organize and to bargain collectively with employers. Today, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), created under the Wagner Act, continues to act as a mediator in labor disputes between unions and employers. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), created in 1934, continues to monitor the stock market and enforce laws regarding the sale of stocks and bonds. The Social Security Act provides an old-age insurance program, an unemployment compensation system, and aid to the disabled and families with dependent children. New Deal farm legislation set quotas on the production of crops such as wheat to control surpluses. Establishing agricultural price supports set a precedent of federal aid to farmers that continued into the 2000s. The Soil Conservation Service taught farmers how to conserve the soil through contour plowing, terracing, and crop rotation. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) harnessed water power to generate electricity and to help prevent disastrous floods in the Tennessee Valley

Migrant workers

a person who moves from place to place to get work, especially a farm laborer who harvests crops seasonally.Migrant workers came to be called okies, because although they were from many states across the Great Plains, 20% were from Oklahoma.

Tariffs

are custom taxes that governments levy on imported goods. The tax is a percentage of the total cost of the product, including freight and insurance. It raises the price of the import. That gives an advantage to domestic products within the same market. Tariffs are a barrier to international trade. They are used to protect a domestic industry. Tariffs are also known as customs, import duties or import fees.They can be levied on exports, but that is very rare.

"Brain trust"

began as a term for a group of close advisers, often academics, to a political candidate or incumbent, prized for their expertise in particular fields. The term is most associated with the group of advisers to Franklin Roosevelt during his presidential administration.

(AAA) Agricultural Adjustment Act

command economy. Within days of his inauguration in 1933, President Roosevelt called Congress into special session and introduced a record 15 major pieces of legislation. One of the first to be introduced and enacted was the AAA, the Agricultural Adjustment Act. AAA controlled the supply of seven "basic crops" - corn, wheat, cotton, rice, peanuts, tobacco, and milk - by offering payments to farmers in return for taking some of their lands out of farming, not planting a crop.

The Social Security Act

created a Social Security Board (SSB), to oversee the administration of the new program. It was created as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal with the signing of the Social Security Act of 1935 on August 14, 1935. In addition to several provisions for the general welfare, the new Act created a social insurance program designed to pay retired workers age 65 or older a continuing income after retirement.

Deficit spending

government spending, in excess of revenue,(Revenue is the amount of money that a company actually receives during a specific period, including discounts and deductions for returned merchandise.) of funds raised by borrowing rather than from taxation. Deficit spending is when purchases exceed income. It happens to individuals and businesses but usually refers to governments. They have strong incentives to spend more than they take in, and few reasons to balance the budget. Deficit spending should only be used to boost the economy out of a recession. When the GDP growth is in the healthy 2-3 percent range, it should be curtailed. Otherwise, it creates a frightening debt level. When the debt to GDP approaches 100 percent, owners of the debt become concerned. They worry that the county won't generate enough income to pay the debt. Reducing deficit spending leads to conflict within Congress.

Wagner National Labor Relation Act ("NLRA")

in 1935 to protect the rights of employees and employers, to encourage collective bargaining, and to curtail certain private sector labor and management practices, which can harm the general welfare of workers, businesses, and the U.S. economy.

"Fireside chats"

is the term used to describe a series of 28 evening radio addresses given by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt between 1933 and 1944.

Works Progress Administration (WPA;)

largest of the New Deal programs. Set up irrigation systems, sewage, schools, bridges, playgrounds) renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was the largest and most ambitious American New Deal agency, employing millions of people (mostly unskilled men) to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads.

"Black Cabinet"

or Federal Council of Negro Affairs or Black Brain Trust was the informal term for a group of African-Americans who served as public policy advisors to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor Roosevelt in his 1933-45 terms in office.

Banking Act of 1935

passed on August 19, 1935, and was signed into law by the president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, on August 23. The Act changed the structure and power distribution in the Federal Reserve System that began with the Banking Act of 1933.

Revenue Act (1935)

raised federal income tax on higher income levels, by introducing the "Wealth Tax". It was a progressive tax that took up to 75 percent of the highest incomes. It was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Dust Bowl

refers to the drought-stricken Southern Plains region of the United States, which suffered severe dust storms during a dry period in the 1930s. Causes: Poor agricultural practices and years of sustained drought caused the Dust Bowl. Plains grasslands had been deeply plowed and planted to wheat. During the years when there was adequate rainfall, the land produced bountiful crops. But as the droughts of the early 1930s deepened, the farmers kept plowing and planting and nothing would grow. The ground cover that held the soil in place was gone. The Plains winds whipped across the fields raising billowing clouds of dust to the sky. The sky could darken for days, and even the most well-sealed homes could have a thick layer of dust on furniture. In some places the dust would drift like snow, covering farmsteads. Characteristics --> For eight years dust blew on the southern plains. It came in a yellowish-brown haze from the South and in rolling walls of black from the North. The simplest acts of life — breathing, eating a meal, taking a walk — were no longer simple. Children wore dust masks to and from school, women hung wet sheets over windows in a futile attempt to stop the dirt, farmers watched helplessly as their crops blew away government assistance (Resettlement Administration)

Minority groups and the New Deal

was a broad array of federal social and economic programs created under the leadership of President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945; served 1933-45) to bring relief to the struggling nation. ... In deep frustration, many minority citizens called Roosevelt's programs a "raw deal" instead of a "new deal."- African Americans were disproportionately affected by unemployment: they were the first fired and the last hired. After Roosevelt was elected, he began to institute his "New Deal," a series of economic programs intended to offer relief to the unemployed and recovery of the national economy. Native Americans: When Roosevelt became president in 1933, he appointed a leading reformer, John Collier, as commissioner of Indian affairs. At Collier's request, Congress created the Indian Emergency Conservation Program (IECP), a CCC-type project for the reservations which employed more than 85,000 Indians.

Home Owners Loan Corporation and the Farm Credit Administration (HOLC)

was a government-sponsored corporation created as part of the New Deal. The corporation was established in 1933 by the Home Owners' Loan Corporation Act under the leadership of President Franklin D. Roosevelt former U.S. government agency established in 1933 to help stabilize real estate that had depreciated during the depression and to refinance the urban mortgage debt. It granted long-term mortgage loans to some 1 million homeowners facing the loss of their property. The Farm Credit Administration is an independent financial regulatory agency that oversees the various lending institutions and banks serving agricultural and rural America. The Farm Credit Administration (FCA) is an independent Federal agency that regulates and examines the banks, associations, and related entities of the Farm Credit System (FCS), including the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).

(CCC) Civilian Conservation Corps

was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families as part of the New Deal. (CCC) was one of the major government jobs programs started during the New Deal, a group of programs instituted during the Roosevelt administration to pull the country out of the Depression. ... The men who were hired by the CCC were single and between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five. Hard labor work.

The New Deal

was a series of programs and policies of Relief, Recovery, and Reform to combat the effects of the Great Depression during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. ... The First New Deal encompassed national planning laws and programs for the impoverished from 1933 - 1934. Based on the assumption that the power of the federal government was needed to get the country out of the depression, the first days of Roosevelt's administration saw the passage of banking reform laws, emergency relief programs, work relief programs, and agricultural programs. It was certainly successful in both short-term relief, and in implementing long-term structural reform. However, as Roosevelt's political enemies fought him, the New Deal failed to end the Great Depression. ... Still, despite failing in its most important objective, the New Deal forever changed the country. The Second New Deal (1935-36) is the term used by commentators at the time and historians ever since to characterize the second stage, 1935-36, of the New Deal programs of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Francis Townsend:

was an American physician who was best known for his revolving old-age pension proposal during the Great Depression. Known as the "Townsend Plan", this proposal influenced the establishment of Roosevelt's administration Social Security system. He was born just outside Illinois, where he is memorialized by a post office named in his honor.

(CWA) Civil Works Administration

was created on November 9, 1933, by Executive Order No. 6420B, under the power granted to President Roosevelt by Title II of the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933. Harry Hopkins was made the head of the CWA. Like other New Deal emergency employment programs, the CWA was designed to put jobless Americans back to work and to use them on beneficial public projects. More specifically, the CWA was designed to be a short-lived program to help jobless Americans get through the dire winter of 1933-34. It did just that: Two months after its start, the CWA had 4,263,644 formerly unemployed workers on its payroll. The CWA received funding from the Public Works Administration ($400 million), the Federal Emergency Relief Administration ($89 million), and an appropriation from Congress ($345 million). At its launch, two million workers came over from FERA and "Nine million people swarmed to the [United States Employment Service] offices to apply for the other two million slots".The accomplishments of the CWA included 44,000 miles of new roads, 2,000 miles of levees, 1,000 miles of new water mains, 4,000 new or improved schools, and 1,000 new or improved airports.

Presidency of Franklin Roosevelt

was in his second term as governor of New York when he was elected as the nation's 32nd president in 1932. With the country mired in the depths of the Great Depression, Roosevelt immediately acted to restore public confidence, proclaiming a bank holiday and speaking directly to the public in a series of radio broadcasts or "fireside chats." His ambitious slate of New Deal programs and reforms redefined the role of the federal government in the lives of Americans. Reelected by comfortable margins in 1936, 1940 and 1944, FDR led the United States from isolationism to victory over Nazi Germany and its allies in World War II. He spearheaded the successful wartime alliance between Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States and helped lay the groundwork for the post-war peace organization that would become the United Nations. The only American president in history to be elected four times, Roosevelt died in office in April 1945.

Eleanor Roosevelt

was the longest-serving First Lady throughout her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four terms in office (1933-1945). She was an American politician, diplomat, and activist who later served as a United Nations spokeswoman.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

was to provide stability to the economy and the failing banking system. Officially created in the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 and modeled after the deposit insurance program initially enacted in Massachusetts, the FDIC guaranteed a specific amount of checking and savings deposits for its member banks. (FDIC) is an independent agency created by the U.S. Congress to maintain stability and public confidence in the nation's financial system by insuring deposits, examining and supervising financial institutions for safety and soundness and consumer protection, and managing finances.

Neutrality Acts

were laws passed in 1935, 1936, 1937, and 1939 to limit U.S. involvement in future wars. They were based on the widespread disillusionment with World War I in the early 1930s and the belief that the United States had been drawn into the war through loans and trade with the Allies.