-176614 CHAPTER 25—THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND THE NEW DEAL, 1929-1939 Murrin, Johnson, McPherson, Fahs, Gerstle, Rosenberg & Rosenberg Copyright © 2008 Wadsworth Group Liberty, Equality, Power: A History of the American People, 5e 0704lep5e.bmp
Times Instructions: Identify the following term(s). From 1929 to 1932, industrial production fell by 10 percent. 25 percent. 50 percent. 75 percent. 90 percent. C Average p. 757 Factual 1 Which of the following was not a central tenet of American business leaders in the 1920s? importance of economic growth freedom of enterprise need for acquisitiveness prestige of business desire for social and economic justice E Average p. 751 Analytical 1 All of the following are reasons why the Great Depression occurred except the stock market crashed. there was too much government spending for poor workers. there was poor decision making by the Federal Reserve. the government was unable to step in and solve economic problems. wealth and income were unequally distributed. B Most Difficult p. 752-753 Analytical 1 The twentieth-century president who best represented the "self-made" man was Woodrow Wilson. Herbert Hoover. Franklin D. Roosevelt. Warren Harding. Teddy Roosevelt. B Least Difficult p. 754 Factual 1 Herbert Hoover's response to the Great Depression was to do virtually nothing--he let market problems resolve themselves. expand the government's role in managing the economy. limit the government's role in managing the economy. solve problems through private organizations. nationalize most businesses. B Average p. 754 Factual 1 The commanding military officer who attacked the bonus marchers in Washington was Dwight D. Eisenhower. John G. Pershing. Douglas MacArthur. William Westmoreland. William Grant. C Least Difficult p. 755 Factual 1 Probably the most formative experience in the life of Franklin Roosevelt was his early privileged childhood. marriage to Eleanor. years at Harvard. paralysis from polio. early poverty. D Average p. 757 Analytical 1 The reform movement spearheaded by Roosevelt, known as liberalism, can best be described as unlimited government spending and restrictive social policies. interventionist in economic matters and libertarian on questions of personal behavior. promoting free enterprise in economic matters but social regulation of personal behavior. limited government spending and no stance on personal liberties. expanding government ownership of business and government regulation of personal behavior. B Most Difficult p. 757 Analytical 1 President Roosevelt's first order of business was to help the unemployed. help poor farmers. save the nation's financial system. implement a system of social security. bail out the railroads. C Average p. 759 Factual 1 The government program that employed some two million young men planting trees and improving the environment in 1933 was the Public Works Administration. Civilian Conservation Corps. Works Progress Administration. Tennessee Valley Authority. Social Security Administration. B Average p. 760 Factual 1 Each of the following was part of the First New Deal (1935-1937) except the Public Works Administration. Civilian Conservation Corps. Works Progress Administration. Tennessee Valley Authority. National Industrial Recovery Act. C Least Difficult p. 760 | p. 762-763 Factual 1 Which of the following was not a goal of the National Industrial Recovery Act? setting a standard of minimum wages setting a standard of maximum hours regulating corporations on what they could produce reducing the quantity of goods any business could produce drawing up codes of fair competition C Average p. 763 Factual 1 The organizer of the "Share the Wealth" societies was Francis Townshend. Upton Sinclair. Father Charles Coughlin. Huey Long. Eleanor Roosevelt. D Least Difficult p. 766 Factual 1 The popular political personality known as the "radio priest" was Archbishop Sheen. Father Brown. Father Coughlin. Father O'Malley. Father Smith. C Average p. 766 Factual 1 The largest and most violent strike of the 1930s occurred among ____ workers. farm electrical auto textile coal D Least Difficult p. 767 Factual 1 The right of every worker to join a union was guaranteed in the National Labor Relations Act. the Federal Emergency Relief Act. the Works Progress Administration. the Public Works Administration. the Social Security Administration. A Least Difficult p. 769 Factual 1 One of the major demands of women reformers during the New Deal years was for equal rights. equal pay. "protective legislation." greater sexual freedom. the right to vote. C Average p. 774 Factual 1 The Roosevelt proposal of 1937 that aroused tremendous public resistance was the cancellation of the WPA. plan to increase the size of the Supreme Court. refusal to make lynching a federal crime. plan to nationalize federal industries. plan to enter the war in Europe. B Average p. 781-782 Factual 1 October 29, 1929, the day of the stock market crash, is also referred to as "Dark Friday." "Black Tuesday." "Black Friday." "Blue Monday." "Cloudy Wednesday." B Least Difficult p. 751 Factual 1 Makeshift towns built around the United States as shelters for the homeless were known as "Shantytowns." "Hoovervilles." "Cardboard villages." "HoBovilles." "Roosevelt villages." B Average p. 751 Factual 1 The union formed to organize the millions of nonunion employees into effective workers was the Knights of Labor. American Federation of Labor. "wobblies." National Labor Union. Congress of Industrial Organization. E Least Difficult p. 775 Factual 1 The Hollywood movie maker who delighted Depression-era audiences with fables of simple, small-town heroes vanquishing evil forces of wealth was John Ford. Frank Capra. Preston Sturges. David Lynch. Frances Ford. B Least Difficult p. 776 Factual 1 The black opera singer who sang on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 in a symbolic concert against racism was Marian Anderson. Kathleen Battle. Beverly Sills. Jessye Norman. Ella Fitzgerald. A Average p. 778 Factual 1 The Federal Reserve board intensified the severity of the stock market crash by ignoring the crisis. borrowing heavily from European banks. inflating the currency and making credit more available. prohibiting banks from participating in stock purchases. raising interest rates and reducing the amount of money in circulation. E Average p. 752 Factual 1 All of the following statements regarding Herbert Hoover are not true except he was a former mining engineer with a reputation for innovative administration and organization of disaster relief. served two terms in the U.S. Senate before being elected president. motto was "the buck stops here." was the only Democrat elected president during the 1920s. had personally never known what it was like to be poor. A Most Difficult p. 754 Factual 1 Herbert Hoover's position on the question of relief was that it was the responsibility of the federal government to provide economic security for U.S. citizens. the unemployed should be drafted into the military. individual citizens were responsible for their own survival and welfare. the homeless should be deported. only the urban unemployed should receive relief. C Most Difficult p. 754 Factual 1 In 1932, the so-called Bonus Army campaigned for the reelection of Herbert Hoover. rioted and threatened to attack the White House. petitioned Congress for early payment of their World War I veteran benefits. was recommissioned as a special unit: the U.S. Army. failed to make any impact on public opinion. C Most Difficult p. 755 Factual 1 Which of the following is true of Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt? Hoover was upper class / Roosevelt was middle class. Hoover's personality was cold and distant / Roosevelt's personality was warm and friendly. Hoover did not attend college / Roosevelt was a college graduate. Hoover held numerous elective offices / Roosevelt held only two elective offices. Hoover was a Democrat / Roosevelt was a Republican. B Most Difficult p. 754 | p. 756-757 Factual 1 The people who organized and directed the New Deal programs were mostly well-educated, male, technocrats. members of ethnic and religious minority groups. working-class urbanites with little or no advanced education. university professors eager to put their theories into action. immigrants who brought radical ideas from abroad. A Average p. 773-774 Factual 1 The popularity of the Superman comics reflected public acceptance of the role of aggressive working women in U.S. society. the growth of the new sport of body building. anxiety over the threat of foreign invasion. a decline in public intelligence and reading skills. working-class male anxiety over threats posed by insensitive employers. E Most Difficult p. 774 Analytical 1 Under the New Deal, African Americans were completely ignored. were appointed to high-level positions including cabinet posts. received the same pay and job opportunities as whites. continued to face discrimination and disfranchisement. returned to their southern farms. D Average p. 778 Factual 1 The repatriation policy was established during the Second New Deal. drove hundreds of thousands of Mexican immigrants out of the United States. was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. encouraged immigrants to demonstrate their patriotism by applying for citizenship. brought Mexican workers to the U.S. in large numbers. B Most Difficult p. 778-788 Factual 1 The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 outlawed Indian religious practices and handicrafts. was supported by the Navajos and seventy-six other tribes. restored tribal ownership of land and provided federal economic-development funds. allowed Protestant missionaries to control reservation schools. encouraged Indians to leave the reservations to work in cities. C Most Difficult p. 779 Factual 1 Franklin Roosevelt's policy toward Latin America was designed to improve relations and stimulate trade between the United States and Latin America. was a continuation of the interventionist policies initiated by Theodore Roosevelt. restricted U.S. investments in the area. spread the Depression to all the nations of the Western Hemisphere. dispatched troops whenever U.S. interests were threatened. A Least Difficult p. 780 Analytical 1 Of the following groups, which benefited the least from New Deal policies? middle-class consumers European ethnics northern factory workers southern industrial workers and farm laborers the elderly D Least Difficult p. 782-783 Analytical 1 All of the following accounted for the depth and length of the Depression except poor decision making by the Federal Reserve Board. an ill-advised tariff. the stock market crash. a concentration of wealth in the hands of the rich. economic collapse in Europe. C Average p. 752 Analytical 1 Herbert Hoover served as Calvin Coolidge's secretary of commerce. vice president. secretary of state. secretary of the treasury. personal secretary. A Least Difficult p. 754 Factual 1 Franklin Roosevelt considered the most important legislation of his Hundred Days to be the Emergency Banking Act and the Economy Act. Agricultural Adjustment Act and the National Industrial Recovery Act. Securities Exchange Act. Tennessee Valley Authority Act. Social Security Act. B Average p. 760 Analytical 1 Congress responded to the Supreme Court decision declaring the AAA unconstitutional by repassing the Agricultural Adjustment Act. blaming the Court for the continued farm crisis. impeaching the Chief Justice. passing the Aid to Agriculture Act. passing the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act E Average p. 761 Factual 1 The Indian Reorganization Act did all of the following except protect Native American religious freedom. restore land to tribes. grant Native Americans self-government rights. support tribal supervision of communal lands. revoke the Dawes Act. A Average p. 779-780 Analytical 1 The Emergency Banking Act and the Economy Act were radical measures that Herbert Hoover would never have supported. irresponsible and dangerous measures. total and complete failures. fiscally conservative measures. vetoed by Roosevelt. D Most Difficult p. 759 Analytical 1 Buying on "margin" meant that stocks could be purchased by paying a percent of the price and borrowing the rest. consumer products could be purchased and paid for on the installment plan. European nations could borrow needed capital from U.S. banks so that their citizens could buy U.S. products. the government could use deficit spending to solve the problems of the depression. farmers could use government loans to finance enterprises. A Average p. 752 Factual 1 The Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act of 1930 lowered U.S. tariff rates to provide markets for European goods. raised tariff rates and contributed positively to economic recovery worldwide. encouraged European nations to lower their tariff rates to enable U.S. companies to sell their goods abroad. did not pass. raised U.S. tariff rates, causing European nations to raise their rates and thus weaken international trade. E Most Difficult p. 753 Analytical 1 Between 1918 and 1929 the share of national income that went to the wealthiest Americans rose, while the share that went the poorest fell. the share of national income that went to the poorest Americans rose, while the share that went to the wealthy fell. the wealthy spent a higher portion of their income on consumption than wage earners did. income distribution did not have a significant effect on the economy. government policy ensured an equitable distribution of income. A Average p. 753-774 Analytical 1 The Reconstruction Finance Corporation created in 1932 offered relief payments to the unemployed. gave significant relief to American farmers. offered government loans to banks and corporations. offered low interest loans to home buyers. was later abolished by the Roosevelt administration. C Average p. 754 Factual 1 President Hoover's response to the Bonus Army received widespread public support. ensured support from the veterans' lobby. made him even more unpopular with the American public. received the support of Franklin Roosevelt. never became a campaign issue. C Average p. 755 Analytical 1 The protagonist of the Studs Lonigan trilogy, written by James T. Ferrell, rises above the circumstances of his poverty to achieve wealth and fame. becomes a political revolutionary. is a serial killer. becomes a military hero. dies poor and alone, overcome by the harshness of his environment E Most Difficult p. 756 Analytical 1 The Marx Brothers movie, Duck Soup, reinforced the public's faith in their political and military institutions. reinforced the public's political pessimism concerning the failure of American political institutions. angered animal rights activists because of its cruelty to ducks. supported New Deal liberalism. was never allowed to be shown. B Most Difficult p. 756 Analytical 1 Eleanor Roosevelt was an opponent of civil rights. a first lady who played no active role in Washington politics. estranged from her husband, President Roosevelt. an active political partner of her husband and a key proponent of New Deal liberalism. always in agreement with her husband, Franklin Roosevelt. D Average p. 757 Analytical 1 The "fireside chats" were discussions concerning New Deal policy held among President Roosevelt's cabinet. Eleanor Roosevelt's newspaper columns. press conferences held on a regular basis by President Roosevelt. Huey Long's speeches in support of his "Share the Wealth" program. President Roosevelt's radio addresses that directly engaged the American public. E Average p. 759 Factual 1 What the economy needed in 1931 was an expanded money supply, lower interest rates, and easier credit. T Most Difficult p. 752 Analytical 1 The first response of President Herbert Hoover to the Depression was to establish "associations" of business leaders and farmers that would regulate their own industries. T Average p. 754 Factual 1 Herbert Hoover was anxious to engage the government in providing relief to the poor. F Average p. 754 Factual 1 The New Deal policy toward Indians could be described best as promoting assimilation. F Most Difficult p. 779 Factual 1 Most worker demands in the early 1930s were very radical. F Most Difficult p. 767 Analytical 1 The court-packing plan was formulated with the best interests of the justices in mind. F Average p. 781-782 Analytical 1 The Social Security system excluded many of the female-dominated occupations from coverage. T Average p. 774 Factual 1 One of President Roosevelt's first acts in office was to close all of the nation's banks. T Least Difficult p. 759 Factual 1 Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only person to serve more than two terms as president of the United States. T Average p. 751 Factual 1 As first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt was shy, inarticulate, passive, and awkward. F Average p. 757 Analytical 1 Franklin Roosevelt fulfilled his 1932 campaign promise by maintaining a balanced federal budget throughout the Depression. F Average p. 797 Factual 1 During the first "Hundred Days" of Franklin Roosevelt's first term as president, Congress passed fifteen major laws. T Average p. 758-760 Factual 1 Bureau of Indian Affairs Commissioner John Collier ran into significant opposition in trying to protect Native American identity. T Average p. 780 Analytical 1 In the court-packing plan, FDR asked Congress to authorize an increase in the number of Supreme Court justices. T Average p. 781 Factual 1 The New Deal restored prosperity to America. F Least Difficult p. 751 Factual 1 The Great Depression came as a complete surprise. F Average p. 751 Analytical 1 The Hawley-Smoot Tariff affected only manufactured products. F Average p. 753 Factual 1 Franklin Roosevelt consistently backed legislation to make lynching a federal crime. F Average p. 778 Factual 1 Franklin D. Roosevelt's political ascent resulted from his accomplishments and hard work. F Average p. 757 Factual 1 The Emergency Banking Act and Economy Act were originally proposed by Herbert Hoover. T Least Difficult p. 759 Factual 1 Business adhered strictly and consistently to the codes drawn up by the National Recovery Administration. F Average p. 762 Factual 1 The Roosevelt administration tried to reinstate the National Recovery Administration after the Supreme Court declared its codes unconstitutional. F Average p. 762 Analytical 1 The New Deal did more to reproduce patterns of racial discrimination than to advance the cause of racial equality. T Average p. 777-778 Analytical 1 The greatest construction project of the Bureau of Reclamation was the Grand Coulee Dam. T Most Difficult p. 764 Factual 1 Share the Wealth Club members came exclusively from the middle class. F Average p. 766 Analytical 1 The midterm elections of 1934 resulted in stronger Democratic control over both houses of Congress. T Average p. 768 Analytical 1 Radical critics of the New Deal were silenced after 1934. F Average p. 768 Analytical 1 Jewish and Catholic Americans voted for Franklin Roosevelt in large numbers. T Average p. 778 Factual 1 Organized labor grew in size and stature during the New Deal. T Average p. 775 Analytical 1 Franklin Roosevelt was the first president to confer diplomatic recognition on the Soviet Union. T Least Difficult p. 780 Factual 1 The 1934 Reciprocal Trade Agreement resulted in an immediate and significant increase in U.S. trade. F Average p. 780-781 Analytical 1 The court-packing incident had little effect on Franklin Roosevelt's popularity or reputation. F Average p. 782 Analytical 1 The Reconstruction Finance Corporation ended up spending considerably less than Congress had mandated. T Average p. 754 Analytical 1 The National Recovery Administration had the power to force adherence to its codes. F Average p. 762 Analytical 1 Waiting for Lefty, Broadway's most popular play of 1935, was a raw drama about unionization efforts among taxi drivers. T Average p. 776 Factual 1 Franklin D. Roosevelt saw the Second New Deal as a program to limit the power and privilege of the wealthy few. T Average p. 768 Analytical 1 Not all businessmen opposed the Second New Deal. T Average p. 778 Analytical 1 President Roosevelt frequently appeared in public in his wheelchair to gain the sympathy and admiration of the American public. F Average p. 759 Factual 1 President Hoover's administration established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. F Most Difficult p. 759 Factual 1 Under Roosevelt's New Deal homeowners were offered loans to refinance home mortgages. T Most Difficult p. 760 Factual 1 The group of World War I veterans that marched on Washington in 1932 and demanded economic relief was the ____________________. Bonus Army Average p. 755 Factual 1 0 President Roosevelt's regular informal radio speeches to the American public were known as ____________________. fireside chats Least Difficult p. 759 Factual 1 0 The first comprehensive system of social welfare passed in American history was ____________________. Social Security Average p. 769 Factual 1 0 Roosevelt's opponent in the 1936 presidential election was ____________________. Alf Landon Most Difficult p. 772 Factual 1 0 The phrase ____________________ refers to the policy of stock market speculators who borrowed all but 10 percent of the cost of their stock purchases. buying on margin Average p. 752 Factual 1 0 The Great Plains ecological disaster caused by drought and destruction of native grasses was called ____________________. the dust bowl Average p. 761 Factual 1 0 ____________________ was the first female cabinet member in U.S. history. Frances Perkins Average p. 774 Factual 1 0 By curtailing the amount of money in circulation and raising interest rates in 1930 and 1931, the Federal Reserve made credit ____________________ difficult for the public to secure. more Most Difficult p. 752 Analytical 1 0 In August 1928, ____________________ declared that American was "nearer to the final triumph over poverty than ever before in the history of any land." Herbert Hoover Most Difficult p. 754 Factual 1 0 The ____________________ Corporation would make loans to ailing banks and to corporations willing to build low-cost housing, bridges, and other public works. Reconstruction Finance Average p. 754 Factual 1 0 Before becoming president, Franklin Roosevelt was governor of ____________________. New York Least Difficult p. 757 Factual 1 0 The head of the National Recovery Administration was General ____________________. Hugh Johnson Most Difficult p. 762 Factual 1 0 End Poverty in California (EPIC) was led by socialist and novelist ____________________. Upton Sinclair Average p. 768 Factual 1 0 Most of the relief money of the Second New Deal went to fund the ____________________. Works Progress Administration Average p. 771 Factual 1 0 The ____________________ was designed to improve the economic lot of tenant farmers, sharecroppers, and farm workers. Farm Security Administration Average p. 773 Factual 1 0 The worst year of the Depression was ____________________. 1932 Least Difficult p. 751 Factual 1 0 The ____________________ Act guaranteed the right of workers to join unions of their choosing. National Labor Relations (Wagner) Least Difficult p. 769 Factual 1 0 The Works Progress Administration provided jobs for approximately ____________________ percent of the nation's jobless. 30 Most Difficult p. 771 Factual 1 0 ____________________ headed a consortium of six companies that built the Hoover, Bonneville, and Grand Coulee dams. Henry J. Kaiser Most Difficult p. 773 Factual 1 0 Although officially nonpartisan, Labor's Non-Partisan League supported ____________________ for president in 1936. Franklin Roosevelt Most Difficult p. 775 Factual 1 0 The United Auto Workers launched a sit-down strike against ____________________ in 1936. General Motors Least Difficult p. 775 Factual 1 0 The best-selling novel in 1939 was ____________________. The Grapes of Wrath Average p. 776 Factual 1 0 The Wheeler-Howard Act is also known as the ____________________ . Indian Reorganization Act Most Difficult p. 780 Factual 1 0 President Roosevelt appointed ____________________ commissioner of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. John Collier Least Difficult p. 779 Factual 1 0 In 1933 President Roosevelt pulled the U.S. out of the ____________________ Conference in London because he feared that the other nations attending the conference would insist on keeping the gold content of the dollar so high that it would interfere with efforts to inflate prices. World Economic Most Difficult p. 780 Factual 1 0 President Roosevelt's policy for dealing with Latin American nations is known as the ____________________ Policy. Good Neighbor Average p. 780 Factual 1 0 President Roosevelt did not intervene when the government of ____________________ nationalized U.S. owned petroleum companies in that country. Mexico Average p. 780 Factual 1 0 The ____________________ Act of 1934 allowed Roosevelt to lower U.S. tariffs in exchange for similar reductions by other nations. Reciprocal Trade Agreement Most Difficult p. 780-781 Factual 1 0 The United Auto Workers forced General Motors to make concessions to workers by staging a ____________________ strike. sit-down Most Difficult p. 775 Factual 1 0 ____________________ was a popular folk singer of the 1930s who cast himself as the bard of ordinary Americans everywhere. He influenced musicians such as Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. Woody Guthrie Average p. 776 Factual 1 0 Huey Long: popular former governor of Louisiana and critic of Roosevelt's New Deal. Advocated a major redistribution of wealth in American society and started the "Share the Wealth" movement. Until his assassination in 1935 he was considered a potential challenger to Franklin Roosevelt in 1936. TYPE: Identifications 1 -1 Congress of Industrial Organizations: new labor federation put together by John L. Lewis and Sidney Hillman. Determined to organize the millions of nonunion workers into effective unions. TYPE: Identifications 1 -1 Social Security Act: 1935 congressional act of historic importance. Created the first comprehensive system of social insurance and enrolled a majority of working Americans in a pension program that guaranteed them a steady income upon retirement. TYPE: Identifications 1 -1 Wagner Act: known officially as the National Labor Relations Act. Passed by Congress in 1935. Guaranteed the right of every worker to join a union of his or her own choosing and obligated employers to bargain in good faith. TYPE: Identifications 1 -1 Eleanor Roosevelt: wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Probably the best advocate for him among America's powerless: the unemployed, women, and African Americans. Played a key role in shaping modern liberalism. TYPE: Identifications 1 -1 Hoovervilles: Depression-era shack towns where the homeless and unemployed lived. Named as an insult to President Herbert Hoover. TYPE: Identifications 1 -1 Tennessee Valley Authority: 1933 New Deal agency that built twenty dams to control flooding and to provide electricity to six southern states. Involved the federal government itself, rather than private corporations, in promoting regional economic development. One of the New Deal's most celebrated successes. TYPE: Identifications 1 -1 Good Neighbor Policy: FDR pledged that the United States would not interfere in the internal affairs of Latin American countries. Resulted in withdrawal of the marines from Haiti and Nicaragua, scuttling the Platt Amendment in Cuba, and greater political autonomy for Panama, along with greater administrative control operating the Panama Canal. TYPE: Identifications 1 -1 Reconstruction Finance Corporation: created by Herbert Hoover in 1932. Would make $2 billion available in loans to ailing banks and to corporations willing to build low-cost housing, bridges, and other public works. Its expenditures gave rise to the largest peacetime deficit in U.S. history, which prompted Hoover to place limits on expenditures and curtail the RFC's spending. TYPE: Identifications 1 -1 liberalism: reform movement embodied in the philosophy of Franklin Roosevelt. Supported governmental regulation of the economy but believed that the government had no business telling people how to behave. TYPE: Identifications 1 -1 underconsumption: new economic theory accepted by Franklin Roosevelt after 1935. Held that a chronic weakness in consumer demand had caused the Depression. The path to recovery, therefore, lay not in restricting the output of producers but in boosting consumer expenditures. Advocated support for labor unions (to force up wages), higher social welfare spending (to put more money in the hands of the poor), and public works projects (to create new jobs). Hoped to push the New Deal in a more populist direction. TYPE: Identifications 1 -1 Bonus Expeditionary Force: group of unemployed World War I veterans who converged on Washington during the spring and summer of 1932. They were seeking early payment of a $1,000 bonus promised them by Congress in 1924. Although the bonus was not due until 1945, the marchers hoped to prevail on Congress to pay it early. The House agreed but the Senate refused. The Hoover administration refused to meet with the marchers and ordered them removed from the tents and shacks they had set up in the Anacostia Flats on the outskirts of the city. Public outcry over Hoover's handling of the situation, which resulted in violence against the marchers and their families, worsened the president's re-election chances. TYPE: Identifications 1 -1 fireside chats: radio addresses of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The first was delivered on the second Sunday after the president's inauguration. These addresses spoke directly to the American forlorn and discouraged and were riveting for the American people, who appreciated Roosevelt's folksy manner and direct approach. TYPE: Identifications 1 -1 Examine Herbert Hoover's attempts to resolve the economic depression. Although Herbert Hoover's policies did not cause the crash and the Great Depression (the responsibility for these fell to his Republican predecessors), his name has been forever linked with the crash. Many think of Hoover as cold and unfeeling toward the plight of the suffering and believe that he did not attempt to use the government to resolve these problems. It is true that Hoover was hesitant to employ the power of the federal government in attempting to lead the nation back to economic recovery, a belief that had much to do with his own self-reliant, individualistic approach to life. Hoover's hesitancy to use federal powers did not mean that he never used them. In fact, as several New Dealers later pointed out, much of what became the New Deal first was practiced by Hoover. The difference lay in the size of the programs Hoover proposed (far smaller than Roosevelt's) and the amount of help he hoped to grant to banks, businesses, and the people. Hoover's first response to the Depression was to employ "associations"--voluntary organizations of businessmen, farmers, and producers who attempted to work together to resolve the pressing economic problems. Second, Hoover proposed the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC), an organization with the power to offer loans to ailing banks and businesses. Both were wholly inadequate solutions to the problem at hand--the associations had no binding powers and the RFC used very little of its money. Although Hoover was adopting a far more interventionist role in the economy than any president before him, it was still too little relative to the problems of the day. TYPE: Short Essays 1 -1 Explore FDR's "First Hundred Days." One of the most dramatic periods in presidential history was undoubtedly the first one hundred days of the Roosevelt presidency. Within the first three months of Roosevelt's inauguration, an unprecedented flurry of presidential and congressional activity took place. Roosevelt's initial act was to declare a so-called bank holiday to close down all the nation's banks. Congress then passed the Emergency Banking Act, which made loans available to private bankers, and the Securities Act, which regulated the New York Stock Exchange. With these institutional recovery acts in place, Roosevelt then turned his attention to the unemployed and put two million citizens to work in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Roosevelt also attempted to strike at the heart of the nation's economic woes (lack of credit and disposable income) with the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA). The NIRA joined leaders of industry and business together with the goal of raising wages, limiting production, and encouraging purchases. Roosevelt finished his "First Hundred Days" with the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA), which aimed to raise the price of farm goods by paying farmers to reduce their production of crops and livestock. Though a very popular program among landholding farmers, poor black and white tenant farmers generally were excluded from its benefits. TYPE: Short Essays 1 -1 Examine popular critics of the New Deal. What were their criticisms and their alternatives to FDR's programs? Although there were some critics of the New Deal who challenged FDR because they believed his policies were too radical, most critics argued that his policies were too conservative and did not go far enough. Three of the leading critics of the New Deal were former Louisiana Governor Huey Long, popular radio priest Father Charles Coughlin, and retired West Coast doctor Francis Townshend. All offered alternatives for recovery of varying plausibility and possibility for success. Long, the most formidable critic, advocated "Share the Wealth" societies that would distribute to the needy a proportion of the wealth of those with the highest incomes, guaranteeing everyone $5,000 per year. Francis Townshend advocated a plan that was, in amended form, ultimately introduced as law--a system of social security. This plan guaranteed to seniors a pension, which would not only keep them out of poverty but keep them functioning as consumers. The third leading critic of FDR was also, ultimately, the most unstable: Father Coughlin. Initially, he was a great supporter of FDR. But, by the mid-1930s, he criticized FDR as simply a tool of big business and bankers. Eventually, Coughlin became convinced that the problems of the American economy related to a world-wide banking conspiracy controlled by Jews. Ultimately, his denunciation of democracy and Jews became so pronounced that his radio addresses were banned. TYPE: Short Essays 1 -1 Examine the impact of the New Deal on America's dispossessed: American Indians and African Americans. Two groups who gained little from New Deal legislation, even when legislation was passed specifically to help them, were American Indians and African Americans. Roosevelt appointed John Collier to head the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Collier attempted to change official policy toward the Indians away from assimilation and toward a policy of self-determination. In order to do this, the Roosevelt administration attempted to increase productivity on reservations and to encourage the preservation of Indian traditions and customs. African Americans also were left behind in many New Deal policies. Although presumably all programs were open to blacks as well as to whites, intense racial discrimination took place at the local level of most agencies. Few blacks received help from the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA), and few were hired by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) kept separate camps for white and black Americans. Even on the subject of federal legislation to prevent lynching, Roosevelt refused to step forward and support this bill for fear that it would alienate whites in the South. In addition, although Roosevelt kept a so-called black cabinet, whenever their recommendations ran counter to those of southern white congressmen, Roosevelt invariably listened to the latter. TYPE: Short Essays 1 -1 Describe the demands of labor during the 1930s. The demands of labor during the New Deal years were the product of years of a tortuous relationship with employers. Millions of workers joined labor unions in the 1930s as their patriotic duty and now felt justified in making demands of the Roosevelt administration. These demands were, at first, quite modest. The primary demand was for employers to follow the law, specifically the National Industrial Recovery Act. Section 7(a) declared that workers had the right to organize and that employers, by law, had to recognize their union. But many employers regularly fired or mistreated workers who attempted to organize unions. When the administration seemed unwilling to react to this, workers took matters into their own hands. First, some two thousand strikes were staged in 1934, growing in size and intensity. This culminated in the great textile strike of 1934 consisting of some 400,000 textile workers. Workers of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds came together in this strike. Although immediately unsuccessful (the strike was called off by late September), the long-term implications were significant. In state after state, elected officials who had sided with business were thrown out of office and were replaced by representatives more sympathetic to workers. Indeed, the 1934 elections resulted in the largest group of radicals ever sent to Washington, who at the time agreed (and often disagreed) with Roosevelt's policies. TYPE: Short Essays 1 -1 Examine the characteristics, attitudes, and goals of the bureaucrats who worked in New Deal agencies. The New Deal men and women were enthusiastic, dedicated technocrats. They envisioned a powerful and active federal government that could solve the economic and social problems of the nation. New Dealers often felt superior to the people they were helping. The young men of the New Deal were either wealthy and well educated or were upwardly mobile and street smart. Some of FDR's closest advisors were urban Jews and Irish Catholics. New Deal women, on the other hand, received less attention for their contributions and were relegated to less-conspicuous positions than were the men. Of course, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Secretary of Labor Francis Perkins were major public figures, but most New Deal women worked quietly behind the scenes. Female officeholders also differed from the males in age and religious background; most of the women were older than the men and were members of Protestant denominations. In general, the young bureaucrats worked tirelessly to accomplish their tasks and infused their agencies with energy. TYPE: Short Essays 1 -1 Examine the conflicting economic theories that provided the basis for the First and Second New Deal legislation. There was no single guiding economic theory behind New Deal legislation. Instead, a variety of philosophical concepts were employed at various times in different agencies. The architects of the "Hundred Days" legislation were mostly economic progressives who advocated expanding the government's role in regulating business and agriculture. Therefore, during the early months of FDR's first term the National Recovery Administration worked to persuade manufacturers to cooperate with each other in establishing labor codes and production quotas. The New Deal economists believed that limiting production would stimulate recovery. Similarly the Agricultural Adjustment Act restricted farm production by paying farmers to reduce their herds and to cut back on the amount of acreage under cultivation. The experts predicted that creating scarcity would raise prices, increase profits, and restore prosperity. By 1935, New Dealers concluded that regulation of production was not a satisfactory solution to the problems plaguing the nation. Underconsumption was the next theory utilized by federal planners. Economists declared that the Depression was caused by the erosion of consumer spending power. Second New Deal programs that protected labor unions (the National Labor Relations Act), created jobs (the Works Progress Administration), and assisted the needy (the Social Security Act) reflected the new concept of underconsumption. In the Second New Deal, the federal government tried to stimulate recovery by increasing government expenditures and borrowing. Building contractors, real-estate developers, merchandisers, clothing manufacturers, and other segments of the business community supported the Second New Deal's spending policies and agreed that prosperity was linked to increased customer buying power. By the time the depression ended, a broad cross-section of the American public was convinced that "deficit spending" had triggered recovery. TYPE: Short Essays 1 -1 Explore the causes of the Great Depression. Essay should address several key points: A. Background to the great stock market crash 1. Inflated stock market a. Margin buying b. Debacle of October 1929 2. Limited credit a. Cash-flow shortage b. Consumer marketplace B. Problems in national economy 1. Overproduction a. Automobiles b. Construction 2. Underconsumption C. Poor federal strategies for recovery 1. Problems with Federal Reserve a. Limited money supply b. Decreased credit 2. Federal Reserve alternatives a. Could have increased money in circulation b. Increased credit D. Collapse of European banks
TYPE: Long Essays 1 -1 Contrast the responses of President Herbert Hoover to the Depression with those of his successor, Franklin D. Roosevelt. Essay should address several key points: A. Policies of Hoover 1. Beliefs on economic problems a. Advocated hands-off approach b. Supported aid to banks/businesses c. Little assistance to workers and unemployed 2. Hoover programs a. Associations b. Voluntarism 3. Informal organizations of business/ farmers a. Reconstruction Finance Corporation b. Agriculture B. Policies of Roosevelt 1. Beliefs on economic problems a. Advocated government intervention b. Supported aid to banks/businesses c. Implemented programs to help neediest 2. Roosevelt programs a. Agricultural Adjustment Act b. Civilian Conservation Corps c. National Industrial Recovery Act
TYPE: Long Essays 1 -1 Compare and contrast the First and Second New Deals. Essay should address several key points: A. Background to First New Deal (1933-1935) 1. Idea of recovery a. Early policies to bring relief b. One-third of population unemployed 2. New Deal programs a. Civilian Conservation Corps i. Employs two million ii. Extent of programs b. Agricultural Adjustment Act i. Money to farmers ii. Extent of programs c. National Industrial Recovery Act i. Assistance for labor ii. Extent of programs B. Background to Second New Deal (1935-1937) 1. Idea of reform a. New policies to reform economic structure b. Origins 2. Second New Deal programs a. Social Security Act i. First comprehensive social welfare plan ii. Origins iii. Coverage b. Works Progress Administration i. Millions of dollars for internal improvements ii. Extent c. National Labor Relations Act i. Support for labor unions ii. Importance/implications
TYPE: Long Essays 1 -1 One of the central concepts of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal was the utilization of government power to promote liberty and equality. Some groups in the United States benefited more than others from New Deal policies. Discuss the impact of the New Deal on the lives of women, eastern and southern European ethnics, African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Native Americans. Essay should address several key points: A. New Deal women and women's rights 1. Eleanor Roosevelt, Frances Perkins 2. Characteristics of female administrators 3. Protective legislation 4. Male hostility toward working women B. Eastern and southern European ethnics 1. Political clout 2. New Deal benefits 3. Labor influence C. African Americans 1. Discrimination in the South and in New Deal agencies 2. Lack of presidential support for antilynch law 3. Role of the "Black Cabinet" D. Mexican-Americans 1. Repatriation and "voluntary" migration 2. Relief policies 3. Immigrants and Chicanos E. Native Americans 1. Effect of Dawes Act of 1887 2. Bureau of Indian Affairs restrictions of 1920s 3. John Collier's policies a. Pueblo Relief Act of 1933 b. Johnson-O'Malley Act of 1934 c. Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 d. Cultural pluralism
TYPE: Long Essays 1 -1