APUSH Chapter 23: the Great Depression

What was the extent of unemployment in the Depression era?

"Cities were becoming paralyzed by unemployment" Cleveland - unemployment rate of 50% Akron - unemployment rate of 60% Toledo - unemployment rate of 80% No one was prepared for the scale and duration of joblessness

How were the hard times reflected in intellectual art and literature?

A lot of authors started to write about the hard times; social studies.

What was Hoover's new approach to the Depression after mid-1931? What caused his shift in emphasis?

After his voluntary cooperation plan failed he used the government spending to help fight the harshness of the depression. Even increasing the spending by 423 million into federal public work programs wasn't enough to fix the economy's problems. Eventually conditions worsened & Hoover was less willing to increase spending. It then became a problem if the budget was balanced and in 1932 he even proposed a tax to help the government avoid deficit.

What role did radio play for Depression-era Americans?

Almost every family has a radio. It was a communital thing; friends and family would gather to listen to the radio together. Comedy skits were performed on it.

Which two industries were most responsible for the New Era industry and hence substantially to blame for the Great Depression when they slumped?

Construction & automobile.

Why did the slumping industries have trouble selling accumulated inventory?

Demand was not keeping up with supply and factories were producing more goods than people could afford.

Uneven distribution of wealth/purchasing power

Demand was not keeping up with supply. Half of America was too poor to buy goods the economy was producing. Factories were producing more goods than consumers could purchase. Because there was a decline in demand, industries started laying off workers. (also because technology could replace jobs)

What impact did international trade and debt factors have on the American economy? What role did U.S. tariff policy play?

European demand for American goods began to decline. After the war, all the nations allied with the US owed money to the banks, but it was too much money for them considering their economies had been destroyed by the war. American banks began making large loans to European governments to pay off their earlier loans so that they could then pay back America. So debts and reparations were being paid only by piling up new and greater debts. American protective tariffs made it hard for Europeans to sell their goods in America.

America's position in international trade

European demand for American goods began to decline. Partly because European industry & agriculture were more productive and partly because European nations were having trouble financially and they couldn't afford to buy goods from overseas. Also because their economies were destroyed from WWI.

Impact the GD had on Asians

Faced discrimination just like the blacks and hispanics had. Even educated Asians had always found it difficult to move into mainstream professions. They too, often lost jobs to white Americans desperate for work. Those who moved outside of the Asian community could rarely find jobs above the entry level.

Credit Structure of the Economy

Farmers were in debt and many of them had their land mortgaged. The crop prices were too low to allow them to pay off what they owed. Many of the small banks in the 1920s had consumers who relied on loans. Banks of the 20s were investing recklessly in the stock market or making unwise loans.

What were the problems with the credit structure of the economy?

Farmers were in debt and many of them had their land mortgaged. The crop prices were too low to allow them to pay off what they owed. Many of the small banks in the 1920s had consumers who relied on loans. Banks of the 20s were investing recklessly in the stock market or making unwise loans.

What made Franklin Roosevelt such an attractive presidential candidate for the Democrats? Why did he win the 1932 election?

He was positive. He was able to present himself as a more energetic and imaginative leader than Hoover. Even though Roosevelt had qualities Americans were looking for in a leader, Hoover's unpopularity alone won FDR the presidency.

What were Herbert Hoover's first approaches to combating the Depression? How effective were they?

His first response was to try and restore the public's confidence in the economy. In attempt to do so he gathered leaders of business labor & agriculture to the White House. He pushed for them to adopt a program of voluntary cooperation for recovery. He tried to persuade them of not to lay off workers but to give them higher wages & better hours. However, the economic conditions deteriorated and the voluntary cooperation idea was ineffective.

What impact did the Depression have on the traditional success ethic of Americans?

It actually kept it the same. Although some blamed their government for their tough situation, many americans blamed themselves for their joblessness and were still driven to succeed and get themselves out of the situation they were in.

To what extent was the Depression a global as well as American episode?

It affected all other nations who had been allied with America in WWI.

How much allure did such radical movements as communism and socialism have for Americans in the 1930s? What was the "Popular Front" approach and why did it end?

Late 1930s more literature more optimistic of society b/c of rise of Popular Front coalition led by American Communist Party- supported Franklin Roosevelt and New Deal, mobilized intellectuals toward social criticism Intellectual detachment of 1920s targeted by Popular Front- mobilized some men into Lincoln Brigade to fight in Spanish Civil War against the fascists

Lack of diversification in the American Economy

Prosperity of the American economy had relied on just a few industries (construction & automobiles) In the late 1920's those industries began to decline. There were newer industries emerging to pick up the slack of the failing industries (petroleum, chemicals, plastics) but they weren't developed enough to compensate for the decline of the other industries.

How did Roosevelt react to Hoover's demand for policy pledges during the "interregnum" of the winter of 1932-1933?

Roosevelt refused to agree to any of them

What happened to the banking system early in the Depression? What role did the Federal Reserve System play?

The banking system collapsed because banks were either going bankrupt or closing before they hit bankruptcy. The depression could have possibly been avoided if the FRS had been more responsible. But the board of the FRS was too worried about their own economic situation they raised interest rates in 1931 which contracted the money supply even further.

How did artists and writers, including those on the political left, shape public perceptions of the human effects of the Depression?

The communist party was very respected at the time.

What effect did the Depression have on attitudes about the role of women and the realities of life for women?

The depression strengthened the belief that a woman's proper place was in the home. There was a belief that no woman should accept a job if her husband was employed, but that didn't stop them from doing so. Many women of the time worked simply because their families needed the money. By the end of the depression 20% more women were working than had been doing so at the beginning. Opportunities for women declined. The nonprofessional jobs that women typically help were less likely to disappear than the predominantly male jobs in industry.

What impact did Hoover's handling of the veteran's Bonus March have on his popularity?

The incident served as the "final blow" to Hoover's political standing. It proved to the American people that he was unsympathetic to their stressful situations.

How did American families adjust to the pressures of hard times?

They didn't buy unneeded things like they had in the 20s. Women typically sewed clothes, and families relied on growing their own food instead of buying it. Many took up home businesses. The overall strength of the family was "eroded"

What American values and interests were reflected in the motion pictures and popular literature of the 1930s?

They focused on success stories to give hope to the American people who were going through hard times.

Describe the human impact in key industrial cities and on the farms. How effective were local, state, and private relief agencies in meeting the ravages of widespread unemployment?

They weren't very effective. They served only a small number of people in need of help. They were unequipped to handle the demands. In many places relief simply collapsed. Private charities attempted to supplement the public relief efforts but the problem was beyond their capabilities. State governments felt pressure to expand their own assistance to the unemployed but tax revenues were declining along with everything else.

Impact the GD had on blacks

When the depression began most of them were still farmers living in the south. When the depression hit most of them were left with no income at all and they left their land. Many moved to southern cities but whites believed they had first claim to all work and started taking black peoples jobs. Whites in many southern cities demanded that all blacks be laid off from their jobs. Some whites even used violence to drive blacks away from their jobs.

Impact the GD had on Hispanics

hey had a similar experience to blacks during the depression. White Anglos in the South demanded jobs held by hispanics. Some Mexicans were even forced to leave the country. Most relief programs excluded MExicans from their rolls or offered them benefits far below those available to whites. They generally did not have access to American schools and most hospitals refused them admission.