Unit Study Guide (ch. 33-35)
AP US History
Chapter 33: The Great Depression and the New Deal, 1933-1939
 Election of 1932
o FDR: democratic nominee. Polio stricken. Eleanor is his wife – most active First Lady
ever. Had a clear advantage.
o Hoover: Republican nominee; not much vigor  “It could have been worse” is
essentially his campaign slogan.
 Franklin Delano Roosevelt
o Three R’s: Relief, Recovery, and Reform  These 3 comprised his “New Deal.”
 Banking: Glass-Steagall Banking Reform Act: provided the FDIC (Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation) with money to insure deposits up to $5000.
 Took nation off the gold standard. Urged treasury to buy gold for paper
money. Inflation = easier to pay debts.
 CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps): employment for 3 million young men.
AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Act) helps farmers pay their mortgages.
 New Deal Commentators: Father Coughlin, Henry P. Long, Frances Townsend.
 WPA (Works Progress Administration): put $11 million for infrastructure  9
million jobs created.
 NRA (Nation Recovery Administration): most complex  focused on
labor/manufacturing. Shut down by the Supreme Court.
 PWA (Public Works Administration): intended for industrial and unemployment
recovery. Dust Bowl  migration west.
 Prohibition is repealed with the 21st amendment (need new ways to make
money).
 SEC: stock watchdog administrative agency.
 TVA (Tennessee Valley Administration): sought to discover how to produce
hydroelectric power effectively.
 Social Security: Biggest New Deal success. Hated by Republicans.
 Wagner Act: replaced the NRA; guaranteed rights of unions to organize and
collectively bargain with management.
 Labor wins: Fair Labor Standards Act – minimum wage/max hours – no child
labor. CIO – Congress for Industrial Organizations.
 Election of 1936
o Alfred M. Landen in crushed by Roosevelt 532 to 8.
 FDR’s Second Term
o Embraced the policies of John Maynard Keyes – stimulate economy by planned deficit
spending.
 Reorganization Act: Gave FDR limited powers for administrative reforms.
 Hatch Act: barred federal administrative officials from actively campaigning.
 Did the New Deal Work?
o Foes: condemned FDR’s “try anything” policies.
o It would ultimately take WWII to lower unemployment.
o FDR provided bold reform without revolution.
Chapter 34: FDR and the Shadow of War, 1933-1941
 Pre WWI
o London Conference: gather nations to come up with solution for the Great Depression.
The US doesn’t join, nothing is accomplished.
o Tydings McDuffie Act: Philippines would receive independence. Naval bases kept. FDR
recognizes the Soviet Union.
o FDR announces the “Good Neighbor Policy” renouncing armed intervention in Latin
America.
o State Hull – Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act; reversed high tariffs.
o Dictatorships: Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Germany/Italy join in the Rome-Berlin Axis.
Japan is gaining strength.
 Mussolini attacks Ethiopia; League of Nations failed to take effective action.
Unit Study Guide (ch. 33-35)
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WWII
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AP US History
US declares Neutrality Acts of 1935-37. Fascist Francisco Franco rose while US stood
by.
Appeasing Germany/Japan
 Japan into China; FDR calls for a “Quarantine” of Japan. Urges to stay neutral
but morally against Fascists.
 Panay Incident: Japanese sink US gunboat Panay. Shows US determination to
stay neutral.
 Munich Conference: Allies agree to let Hitler have the Sudenland in
Czechoslovakia.
USSR and Germany sign nonaggression. 1939 – invades Poland. Americans pass 1939
Neutrality Acts. Fall of France sets US into rapid militarization and a draft.
Battle of Britain: British Royal Air Force fights off Nazi troops. FDR sends destroyers to
Britain.
1940 Election: FDR runs for and wins a 3rd term.
Lend-Lease Law: US can lend war materials if they get them back later.
1941 – Hitler attacks Russia; lose due to the brutal winter.
Atlantic Charter  Congress annuls Neutrality.
Pearl Harbor pulls US support toward the war.
Chapter 35: America in World War II, 1941-1945
 World War II
o Causes
 Treaty of Versailles; ineffectiveness of the League of Nations.
 Kellogg-Briand Pact: Outlawed war as a tool of diplomacy.
 Japan invades Manchuria, 1931. Italy attacks Ethiopia in 1935.
 Roosevelt’s Quarantine Speech: urged democracies to economically quarantine
the aggressors.
 Neutrality Acts of 34, 35, 37: No trading to foreign countries involved in war.
Prohibited loans to the belligerents and no Americans were allowed to travel on
foreign vessels.
 Neutrality Act of 1939: Cash-and-carry. Banned involvement in Spanish Civil
War. American declined to build its army.
o Axis: Germany, Italy, Japan, Hungary, and U.S.S.R. (until 1941).
o Allied Powers: Britain, France, U.S., and U.S.S.R. (post 1941).
Chapter 33 Vocabulary
New Deal: Economic/political policies of FDR. Aimed to solve the problems of the Depression by his three
R’s. Built on progressive style reforms to create a form of welfare state.
Wagner Act: replaced the NRA; guaranteed the rights of unions to organize and collectively bargain with
management.
AAA: Agricultural Adjustment Act: made available millions of dollars to help farmers meet their
mortgages. Paid farmers to reduce crops to eliminate the price-depressing surplus.
CCC: Civilian Conservation Corps: provided employment in fresh-air government camps for about 3
million men.
WPA: Works Progress Administration: put $11 million on thousands of public buildings, bridges, and
roads. Gave 9 million people jobs.
TVA: Tennessee Valley Administration: Sought to discover exactly how much money it took to produce
electricity and keep reasonable rates. Helped the 2.5 million poor citizens to improve their quality of life.
Unit Study Guide (ch. 33-35)
AP US History
Social Security: Greatest victory for New Dealers – created pension and insurance for old aged, blind,
handicapped, and other dependents by taxing employees and employers. Attacked bitterly by Republicans.
SEC: Securities and Exchange Commission: designed as a stock watchdog agency – operate more as
trading marts and less like casinos.
FDR’s Court Packing Plan: Attempts to gain power in Supreme Court. He would add a member for ever
existing one over 70 years of age. Congress votes it down (they don’t want to lose power).
John Maynard Keyes: British economist. His policies were employed by FDR.
Frances Perkins: First ever female cabinet member; Secretary of Labor.
Father Coughlin: Catholic priest who spoke out in opposition to the New Deal on the radio.
Dr. Townsend: gained support of ~ 5 million senior citizens  each would receive $200 monthly.
Mathematically ludicrous.
Huey Long: popular for his share the wealth program. Proposed each family would receive $5000 from the
rich. Also mathematically ridiculous.
Dust Bowl/Grapes of Wrath: Drought winds create the Dustbowl in the middle of the US. Forced many
farmers to migrate west. Inspired John Steinbeck to write The Grapes of Wrath.
Hundred Days Congress: Filled with more legislative activity than ever before – first 100 days of FDR’s
term.
FDR’s First Inaugural: “There is nothing to fear but fear itself.”
Chapter 34 Vocabulary
Good Neighbor Policy: FDR renounced armed intervention in Latin America. Great success and improved
the image of US in Latin American eyes.
Neutrality Acts of 1935, 1936, and 1937: Stated that when the president proclaims the existence of a
foreign war, certain restrictions go into effect automatically; (1) No American can legally sail on a
belligerent ship, (2) no one can sell or transport munitions to a belligerent, and (3) no one can make loans
to a belligerent.
Neutrality Act of 1939: Europeans can buy war materials, only on a “cash-and-carry” basis. Europeans
must provide their own ships and must pay in cash. Since Britain/France own the seas, they get the
supplies.
Quarantine Speech: FDR’s verbal chastisement of Japan for invading China. Called for a “quarantine” of
Japan and other aggressors.
Lend-Lease Bill: Armed ships that the US lends to nations that need them would be returned when they
were no longer needed. Basically abandoned the neutrality policy.
Atlantic Charter: similar to Wilson’s 14-points. (1) No territorial changes contrary to the rights to the
people living there will occur and (2) affirmed the right of people to choose their leaders as well as called
for the (3) disarmament and a new League of Nations.
Pearl Harbor: Japanese attack on Hawaiian Naval Base. Sparked massive U.S. call for war.
Unit Study Guide (ch. 33-35)
AP US History
Panay Incident: Japanese sink US war boat Panay. They apologize and the US doesn’t enter the war. Shows
US determination to stay neutral.
Chapter 35 Vocabulary
Midway: Decisive Allied Victory under Admiral Chester Nimitz. Ships never even saw each other –
aircraft carriers.
Okinawa: Japanese Island that US kept base on.
Nagasaki/Hiroshima: Two major cities in Japan that were leveled by American uses of the atomic bomb.
Battle of Britain: German attempt to beat Britain. Massive air raids. Britain holds strong and isn’t defeated.
El Alamein: British defeat of German troops in Egypt, dangerously close to their Suez Canal.
D-Day: Massive invasion by Allied Forces of French Normandy. Led by Dwight Eisenhower.
Battle of the Bulge: Hitler’s last-ditch attempt to regain his victories. Failure. Allied victory.
Korematsu vs. US Executive Order 9066: Supreme Court case upholding constitutionality of internment
camps.
WAACS/WAVES/SPARS: Women’s armed forces division (Army, Navy, Coast Guard).
Bracero Program: Brought Mexican workers to America as resident workers since so many Americans
were drafted.
CORE: Congress of Racial Equality. Gained power (along with the NAACP). Used war as rallying cry for
racial equality.
Navajo Code Talkers: Navajo Indians who relayed military orders in their own language. Code was never
broken.
Potsdam Conference: Big 3 meet in Germany to negotiate the end of the war (Truman).
Yalta Conference: Big 3 meet to discuss the reorganization of post-war Europe.
Manhattan Project: Project to create nuclear weapons.
Douglas McArthur: Major Allied general who re-took the Philippines from Japan.
Chester Nimitz: Led Allies at Midpoint.
Dwight Eisenhower: Coordinated and executed the secret “underbelly” attack on German forces through
North Africa. Leader of the D-Day invasion.
Harry Truman: Chosen as FDR’s 4th term VP and became President after FDR’s death.
How the US mobilized for war: War Production Board  massive military orders pull US out of
Depression. Farmers roll out more food. Essential goods are rationed. Labor unions agree to not strike,
draft, Bracero Program.
A Phillip Randolph: Labor organizer who threatens a march on Washington if segregation is not ended and
if levels of equality are not increased.