


World War I left Americans exhausted
- Debate over League of Nations had divides
them
Economy adjusted as cost of living doubled
- Farm & factory orders were down
- Soldiers took jobs from women& minorities
- Farmers & factory workers suffered
Many Americans responded to the stressful
conditions by becoming fearful of outsiders
- Nativism swept nation - prejudice against
foreign-born people
- Isolationism became popular - pulling away
from world affairs



The spread of
Communism was
perceived as a threat to
America (The Red
Scare)
Communism - economic,
political system, singleparty government
- ruled by dictator
- no private property
1919 - Vladimir Lenin &
the Bolsheviks set up
Communist state in
Russia

U.S. Communist
Party formed (70,
000 radicals joined)
- Some Industrial
Workers of the
World join


Several bombs were mailed to
government & businesses
- People feared Red conspiracy
Attorney General A. Mitchell
Palmer took action
- Appointed J. Edgar Hoover as
special assistant
- They hunted down
Communists, socialists, &
anarchists (Palmer Raids)
- Anarchists oppose any form
of government
- Palmer Raids trampled civil
rights & failed to find evidence
of conspiracy

Anti-Immigrant Attitudes had been
growing in America since the 1880s
- Southern & Eastern European immigrants



Need for unskilled labor decreased in the
U.S. after WWI
Nativists believed fewer immigrants were
needed since their were fewer unskilled
jobs available,
Also thought immigrant anarchists and
socialists were Communist




1919 - 1921, number of
immigrants grew almost 600%
141,000 to 805,000
Nativsists pressured Congress
to limit immigration from
certain countries (Southern &
Eastern Europe)
The Emergency Quota Act of
1921 set up a Quota system
- Established the maximum
number of people who could
enter the U.S. from each
country
- sharply reduced European
immigration


1924 – Amended law limited European
arrivals to 2% of number of its national living
in the U.S. in 1890
- Discriminated against southern, eastern
Europeans (Didn’t arrive until after 1890)
Law also prohibited Japanese immigration;
- Caused ill will between U.S. & Japan
- Japan had faithfully kept the Gentlemen’s
agreement to limit emigration to the U.S. that
had been negotiated by Teddy Roosevelt in
1907
- Many Canadians & Mexicans entered


Government didn’t allow strikes in wartime
- 1919 over 3,000 strikes
Employers were against raises& unions;
- Labeled strikers as Communists




Boston police went on strike over raises & the right to
unionize
- Hadn’t received a raise since beginning of WWI)
Mass. Governor Calvin Coolidge ended strike by calling out
the National Guard
- “there is no right to strike against the public safety by
anybody, anywhere, anytime”
Replaced strikers with new policemen
People praised Coolidge for saving Boston if not the nation
from communism
- He was nominated as Warren G. Harding’s running mate in
the 1920 election





September1919 - Steel
workers went on strike for the
right to negotiate shorter
working hours & a living wage
- Also wanted union
recognition & Collective
bargaining rights
Steel Companies hired strike
beaters & used force (Police,
Federal troops & state militias)
Used propaganda to link
strikers to communist
Later negotiated
Talks deadlocked



Wilson appealed to
both sides& the
strike ended
January 1920
1923 - report on
the harsh working
conditions shocked
the public
Steel companies
agreed to a 8-hour
day but no union



1919 - John L. Lewis
became head of United
Mine Workers of
America
Led strike & defied a
court order to return to
work
Coal minors accepted
arbitration
- Miners received 27%
wage increase
- Lewis became
national hero





1920s - union membership dropped from
over 5 million to 3.5 million
Immigrants were willing to work for less
Hard to organize workers due to different
languages
Farmers who moved to the city were used to
relying on themselves
Less than 1% of African Americans & just over
3% whites were in union

SSUSH16: The student will identify key
developments in the aftermath of WW I.
Explain how rising communism and socialism
in the United States led to the Red Scare and
immigrant restriction.
1. What is communism? Socialism?
2. What was the Red Scare?


Karl Marx – The father of Communism

Communism – Economic system in which the
government owns all aspects.

Red Scare - The fear in the United States that
Communism would spread.

Palmer Raids - Raids in the United States that
were implemented to prevent Communist
from coming into the United States.
The Harding Presidency



Warren G. Harding
elected president
Wouldn't rock the
boat
Said America
needed normalcy





Problems arose concerning
arms control, war debts, &
the reconstruction of war
torn countries after WWI
1921 - President Harding
hosted Washington Naval
Conference
Invited major powers,
Russia wasn’t invited due
to communist government
Sec. of State Charles Evans
Hughes proposed
disarmament & others
agreed

1928 – Fifteen
countries signed the
Kellog-Briand Pact
- Nations denounced
war as national policy
- Pact was ineffective
since it didn’t
provide for means of
enforcement





Britain & France owed the U.S. $10 billion in war
debts
Could pay money by selling goods to the U.S. or
by collecting reparations from Germany
1922 - Fordney-McCumber Tariff raised taxes
on U.S. imports to 60%
- Britain, France couldn’t sell enough goods to
repay U.S.
Germany defaulted on its reparation payments


Dawes Plan - U.S.
investors lent reparations
money to Germany
- Britain, France repaid
U.S.
Dawes Plan caused
resentment on all sides
- Britain & France didn’t
think the U.S. paid its fair
share for WWI
- U.S. thought Britain &
France were financially
irresponsible







Harding favored a limited government role in
business,& social reform
He believed that government was getting the way
of people's lives and businesses
Created Bureau of the Budget to help the
government more efficiently
Had capable men in cabinet
Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes went on
to become chief justice of Supreme Court ,
Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover had done
great job distributing foods & refugees in WWI
Secretary of Treasury Andrew Mellon cut taxes &
reduced national debt


Harding also
appointed the Ohio
gang – His corrupt
friends who caused
him embarrassment
- Were unqualified
- They stole money
from the government
Ohio Gang hurt
Harding's presidency



Teapot Dome scandal—
naval oil reserves were
used for personal gain
Government had set
aside oil-rich public at
Teapot Dome Wyoming &
Elk Hills California for
use by the U.S. Navy
Interior Secretary Albert
B. Fall leased land to
private companies
-He received over $ 400,000
in loans, bonds, & cash




Fall became the first person to
be convicted of a felony while
holding a cabinet post
- Fined $100,000 & spent a
year in prison
Harding tried to help his image
by going on a speaking tour in
the west
- Had heart attack & Died on
August 2, 1923
VP Calvin Coolidge assumed
presidency
- Restores faith in government
1924 – Coolidge was elected
president

Warren G Harding- Took over as President
after Wilson, only stayed in office three years
before passing away.
The Business of America




Calvin Coolidge wanted to minimize government
interference in business
“ the chief business of the American people is
business”
He favored policies that would keep taxes down
& business profits up , & give businesses more
credit to expand
Coolidge’s approach worked in the 1920s
- Lower income taxes gave people more money
to spend
- Wages rose and new technology increased
productivity




Henry Ford made
cars affordable
- Used assembly line
1908 - Model T hit
the market (cost
$825)
By 1920's - Model T
came off the line
every 10 seconds
Cars changed life paved roads, gas
stations, motels,
shopping centers
A. Ford used cheap foreign labor.
B. Ford reduced transportation costs.
C. Ford avoided tariffs in the United States
D. Ford reduced the raw materials used in
production.




Route 66 from Chicago
to California
1920s – 1st Automatic
traffic signals used in
Detroit
1927 – Holland Tunnel
opened to connect New
York City & New Jersey
(1st underwater tunnel
specifically designed
for cars)
Gave mobility to rural
families, women, &
young people







Enabled workers to live
farther from jobs
- Led to urban sprawl
(spread of cities)
Auto industry became
economic base for some
cities
Boosted oil industry
Late 1920s - 1 car for
every 5 Americans
1927 – The Model A
replaced the Model T
Enabled customers to order
a variety of colors
Traveled faster & smoother



Airplane industry
started as mail
service for U.S. Post
Office
Weather forecasting
began
- Planes carried
radios& navigation
tools
1926 – Henry Ford
built trimotor plane

Charles Lindbergh &
Amelia Earhart flights
helped promote
airlines
- 1927 - Charles
Lindbergh became the
1st person to fly
nonstop across the
Atlantic
- 1928 - Amelia
Earhart became 1st
women to fly nonstop
across the Atlantic


1927 - Lockheed
Company produced
popular transport
plane of the decade
(Vega)
1927 - Nations 1st
commercial airline
formed (Pan American
Airlines)
- Brought cities closer
together
- Began transatlantic
commercial flights





1920s were prosperous
times for America
1920 to 1929 – Average
annual income rose over
35%, from $522 to $705
People tired of sacrificing
Ready to spend money
New inventions
- Refrigerator
- Vacuum cleaner
- Electric stove
- Wrist watch





Prosperity was a result of
cheap power
1920's - electricity and
petroleum become widely
available
Widespread electricity
made possible by Samual
Insull
- He formed GE Company
with Thomas Edison
Electricity along with
petroleum helped to
transform the nation
Factories used electricity
to run machines




Development of alternating current made it
possible to distribute electricity over longer
distances
- Gave electricity to suburbs
By end of 1920s, more homes begin to have
electrical appliances
Appliances made housework easier & freed
women for other activities
- Refrigerators , cooking ranges, & toasters
Appliances coincided with trend of women
working outside home



Advertising
agencies began
hiring psychologists
to learn to appeal
to public (Social
engineers)
Made brand names
familiar nationwide
Pushed luxuries as
necessities

Results were impressive
- “Say it with Flowers”
slogan doubled florists
business between 1914
& 1924
- “Reach for a Lucky
instead of a sweet”
caused people to choose
cigarettes over candy
- 1923 – Listerine
advertisements warned
about the disastrous
effects of halitosis

Businesspeople began working with service
groups (Rotary, Kiwanis, & lions)
- Raised money for charities & boosted the
image of the businessman
- promoted selves as benefactors of society




Most Americans believed prosperity would last
forever
- Productivity increased, & businesses expanding
- Several mergers in auto industry, steel,
electrical equipment, utilities
- Chain stores developed
- National banks were allowed to create branches
Not everyone became wealthy
Iron, railroad industries weren’t prosperous
Income gap between workers & managers grew
- 1929 - 60% of Americans lived in poverty


Farmers - food prices fell after World War I
- New machines increased productions
- Many farmers couldn't afford new machines
- Drought and insects also damaged crops
- Government refused to help farmers
Labor - violent strikes following WWI led to antiunion feelings across the country
- Court rulings caused the unions to lose power





Businesses began provided easy credit to lure
customers
- “a dollar down and a dollar forever”
Installment plan - pay for goods over extended
period with interest
Banks provided money at low interest rates
Some economists & business owners thought
installment buying was becoming excessive
- Thought it was a sign of fundamental weakness
behind superficial prosperity
Most focused their attention on the present & didn’t
worry about the future
- Thought prosperity would last forever
A. greater population density in
central cities.
B. growth of suburban areas around
urban centers.
C. increased production of coal in the
United States.
D. increased dependence on railroads
for the transport of goods.
Identify Henry Ford, mass production, and the
automobile.
3. Who was Henry Ford?
4. What was mass production?
5. How did Ford change industry and
production?


Consumerism -The practice of people buying
and using products.
Changing Ways of Life



1922–1929, nearly 2 million
people left farms & towns
each year
Largest cities were New
York, Chicago, Philadelphia
- 65 other cities with
100,000 people or more
In 1920s - people caught
between rural & urban
cultures
- close ties, hard work,
strict morals of small towns
- anonymous crowds,
moneymaking, pleasure
seeking of cities

1920 - 18th Amendment
launched Prohibition Era
- supported by religious
groups in rural South &
West
- Said alcohol made
workers inefficient &
increased violence



Prohibition -production,
sale, transportation of
alcohol illegal
Government didn’t
budget enough money to
enforce the law
People found ways to get
around prohibition


Speakeasies (hidden
saloons, nightclubs)
become fashionable
People built their own
stills to distill liquor
(Bathtub Gin)
- Prescriptions for
alcohol & sacramental
wine skyrocketed
(legal)

Bootleggers smuggled alcohol
from surrounding
countries






Prohibition contributed to
organized crime in major cities
- Wanted to make money off
illegal liquor
Underground gangs battled for
control of the booze racket
1923 – Al Capone emerged as
leader of organized crime
Controlled Chicago liquor
business by killing competitors
By mid-1920s - only 19% of
population supported
Prohibition
1933 – 21st Amendment
repealed 18th Amendment
A. the President vetoed the
Amendment.
B. women demanded the right to
suffrage.
C. the Supreme Court ruled it
unconstitutional.
D. Congress and the states agreed to
repeal it.

Eighteenth Amendment - This Amendment
outlawed the unlawful consumption,
production, and sale of alcohol.
The Twenties Woman

Flapper emancipated young
woman, adopts new
fashions & attitudes
- Wore short bright
colored dresses (1inch
above the knees)
- Skinned tone stockings
- Cut their hair in boyish
bobs & dyed it jet black
- Went to events without
chaperones


Many young women want equal status with
men & became assertive
Middle-class men & women began to see
marriage as equal partnership
- housework, child-rearing still woman’s
job




Elders disapproved of
new behavior and its
promotion by
periodicals& ads
Casual dating began to
replace formal courtship
Women subjected to
double standard (less
sexual freedom than
men)
- must observe stricter
standards of behavior
Women were torn
between old & new
standards





Employers replaced female workers with men
after WWI
Female college graduates became teachers,
nurses, & librarians
Many women became clerical workers as
demand rose
Some became sales clerks, or factory workers
Few became managers& were always paid less
than men


Birthrate dropped partly due to
more birth-control information
- Margaret Sanger was
arrested for passing out birth
control information
- She said that women
couldn’t be free until they
could choose
- Most people considered birth
control immoral
- 1918 – New York Supreme
Court said it was legal for
doctors to give out birth
control information
Manufactured products &
public services gave
homemakers freedom





Housewives could focus more
on families & pastimes rather
than housework
Marriages increasingly based
on romantic love &
companionship
Children spent most of day at
school & organized activities
- Adolescents resisted parental
control
(Peer pressure)
Parents began relying on
manuals of childcare &
opinions of experts
Working-class & collegeeducated women juggled
family & work

Nineteenth Amendment - This amendment
stated that voting could not be restricted
based on gender.
Education and Popular Culture






High school population increased dramatically in
1920s due to:
- prosperity
- higher standards for industry jobs
Pre-1920s - High school for college-bound students
1920s - High schools began offering vocational
training
Public schools prepared immigrant children who
spoke no English
School taxes increased as school costs rose sharply
School cost doubled between 1913 & 1920 Then
doubled again by 1926






Mass media shaped mass
culture& took advantage of
increased literacy
By 1914 - hundreds of
local newspapers were
replaced by national chains
Gave readers more
expansive coverage form
the big cities
1920s - mass-circulation
magazines thrived
1922 - Reader’s Digest
founded
1923 - Time founded



Radio was most
powerful
communications
medium of 1920s
Connected the whole
country
Networks provided
shared national
experience
- Enabled people to
hear the news as it
happened
1920s - Many
people had extra
money& leisure
time to enjoy it
 Crowds attended
sporting events



Athletes were
glorified by mass
media
◦ Babe Ruth
◦ Andrew Rube Foster
– Founded the
Negro National
League
◦ Gertrude Ederle –
1st women to swim
the English Channel
◦ Helen Wills – Pro
tennis star




Silent movies were already
a national pastime
1927 – The Jazz Singer was
released
- 1st major movie with
sound
1928 – Walt Disney’s
Steamboat Willie was
released
- 1st animated movie with
sound
Introduction of sound led
millions to attend every
week “talkies”



Playwrights & composers
broke away from
European traditions
George Gershwin merged
traditional elements with
jazz to create American
music
Painters portrayed
American realities &
dreams
- Georgia O’Keeffe
painted intensely colored
canvases of New York




Sinclair Lewis was first American to win Nobel Prize
for literature
- Criticizes Americans conformity & materialism
F. Scott Fitzgerald revealed negative side of era’s
gaiety & freedom
Writers soured by American culture & war settled in
Europe
- Saw little hope in the future
- called Lost Generation
Expatriate Ernest Hemingway introduced simple &
tough, American style
- Criticized glorification of war
Describe the impact of radio and the movies.
6. How did radios affect Americans?
7. How did movies affect Americans?

The Harlem Renaissance



1910–1920 - Great
Migration of thousands of
African Americans
- moved from South to
Northern cities
By 1920 - over 40% of
African Americans live in
cities
Racial tensions escalated in
North
-Summer1919 – About 25
urban race riots took place

African-Americans continue
to migrate in the 1920s


1900 - National
Association for the
Advancement of Colored
People founded (NAACP)
- protested racial violence
- W.E.B. Du Bois led parade
of 10,000 men in New York
to protest violence
NAACP leader James Weldon
Johnson fought for civil
rights legislation
- NAACP antilynching
campaign led to drop in
number of lynchings



Many African Americans
migrated to Harlem
- Neighborhood on the
Upper West Side of New
York’s Manhattan Island
1920s – Harlem became
world’s largest black urban
area
- People from U.S. &
Caribbean
Harlem Renaissance - A
literary & artistic movement
celebrating AfricanAmerican culture
- Expressed pride in
African-American
experience



Claude McKay’s poems
urged blacks to resist
prejudice & discrimination
- Also expressed the pain
of living of life in the
ghettos & the strain of
being black in a world
dominated by whites
Langston Hughes’s poems
described difficult lives of
working class
- many written in jazz,
blues tempo
Zora Neale Hurston showed
folkways, values of poor,
Southern blacks




Influence& popularity of
Harlem Renaissance
reached beyond black
audience
Musical comedy Shuffle
Along launched movement
- Was popular with white
audiences
African-American
performers won large
followings
Paul Robeson - Became a
major dramatic actor in
London & New York




Jazz born in early 20th
century New Orleans
Spread across U.S.
Became the most
popular form of music
for dancing
Trumpeter Louis
Armstrong made
personal expression
key part of jazz
- Most influential
musician in jazz
history



Edward Kennedy “Duke”
Ellington - jazz pianist,
orchestra leader
- one of America’s greatest
composers
Cab Calloway & Armstrong
popularize scat
- improvised jazz singing
using sounds instead of
words
Bessie Smith - blues singer,
perhaps best vocalist of
decade
- 1927 – She became the
highest paid black artist in
the world
Describe modern forms of cultural expression;
include Louis Armstrong and the origins of jazz,
Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance,
Irving Berlin, and Tin Pan Alley.
8. What was the Harlem Renaissance?
9. How did the following people / places / events
influence the renaissance?
- Louis Armstrong
- Jazz
- Langston Hughes
- Irving Berlin
- Tin Pan Alley

The Great Depression Begins






Under President Warren G. Harding, the Post WWI
US economy remained relatively strong.
Calvin Coolidge took over after Harding died of a
Heart Attack.
Coolidge supported big business and believed
strongly in the laissez-faire economic system.
“The business of the American people is
business”
For most of the 1920’s it appeared that Coolidge
was right, the government should not interfere.
The stock market began to do very well, with
prices reaching new highs and continuing to
climb.





Many people began to buy on speculation, or bought
on the margin (investors purchase stock for only a
portion of what they cost, and borrow the rest of the
money).
Technology also helped produce the booming
economy.
Ford’s assembly line and the automobile.
The mechanized assembly line led to lower prices and
to this concept known as consumerism, the practice
of people buying and consuming products.
The problem with this was that most people were
buying on credit (borrowed money), and later would
be unable to repay what they owed.







Problems began threatening economic prosperity by
the end of the 1920s
Farm debt - many farmers were forced to sell in the
1920's
Consumer debt - many people were buying goods on
credit
More goods then buyers - prices rose faster than
wages
Declining Trade - 1920's U.S. raised tariffs other
countries raised tariffs to retaliate
Important industries struggled
Income disparity - Consumers & farmers went
steadily deeper into debt






Key industries like railroads, textiles, steel barely
made profit
Replaced by other forms of transportations
Mining, lumbering expanded during were no
longer in high demand
Coal especially hard-hit due to availability of new
energy sources
- Hydroelectricity, fuel oil, & natural gas
Boom industries - automobiles, construction,
consumer goods weakened
Housing starts declined
- Affected many related industries





International demand for U.S. grain declined after
war
- prices dropped by 40% or more
Farmers boosted production to sell more
- Caused prices to drop further
Farm income declined & farmers defaulted on
loans
Rural banks failed
Congress attempted to pass the McNary- Haugen
bill to help farmers
- Price-supports - government bought surplus
crops at guarantees prices
- President Coolidge vetoed price-support bill







1920s - rich got richer & poor got poorer
Prices rose faster that wages
70% of families earned less than minimum for decent
standard of living
- $2500 annually
Most couldn’t afford flood of products factories
produce
Many people had been purchasing goods on credit
(buy now, pay later)
Businesses gave easy credit & consumers piled up
large debts
Consumers had trouble paying off debt & cut back on
spending




Democrat Alfred E.
Smith - four times
governor of New York
Republican Herbert
Hoover has served as
secretary of commerce
under Warren Harding
& Calvin Coolidge
U.S. had experienced
prosperity under
Republicans in 1920s
Hoover won an
overwhelming victory



Late 1920s – Some economist warning of
weaknesses in the economy
- Most Americans ignored them
People began investing in stock market
- Looked like an easy way to make
money
Dow Jones Industrial Average was used
as barometer of the market’s health
- Measure based on the stock of 30
representative large firms trading on the
New



York Stock exchange tracks
state of stock market
1920s - stock prices rose
steadily “Bull Market”
People rushed to buy stocks
& bonds to make a quick
profit
- Many engaged in
speculation - buy on
chance of a quick profit
- Began Buying on margin
- pay small percent of
price, borrow rest



September 1929
stock prices peaked
& then fell
Many investors lost
confidence & began
selling
October 24, 1929 Market took plunge &
many panicked
investors unloaded
their shares

October 29, 1919 Stock market crashed
(Black Tuesday)
- Shareholders sold
frantically
- Millions of shares
had no buyers
- People who bought
on credit were left
with huge debts
- Others lose most of
their savings






Great Depression - economy plummeted &
unemployment skyrocketed
- lasted from 1929–1940
After crash, people panicked & withdraw money
from banks
Banks that invested in stocks failed& people lost
their money
1929 to1932 - gross national product was cut
nearly in half
- 90,000 businesses went bankrupt
1933 - 25% of workers were unemployed
Those with jobs received cuts in hours & pay




Great Depression limited U.S. ability to import
European goods
Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act set highest protective
tariff ever in U.S.
Other countries couldn’t earn American currency
to buy U.S. goods
- Many countries retaliated by raising their own
tariffs
International trade dropped & unemployment
soared around world






Factors leading to Great Depression:
Declining Trade - Tariffs & war debts cut
down the foreign markets for American
goods
Farm problems - Many farmers were forced
to sell
Easy credit – Borrowed money to invest in
market
Income disparity
Federal government kept interest rates low &
encouraged borrowing
A. stock market speculation
B. the effects of World War II
C. success of the U.S. farm economy
D. foreign boycotts of U.S. products

SSUSH17: The student will analyze the causes and
consequences of the Great Depression.
Describe the causes, including overproduction,
under-consumption, and stock
market
speculation that led to the stock market crash of
1929 and the Great Depression.
10. Describe the following causes of the Great
Depression
- Overproduction
- Under consumption
- Speculation
- The Crash of 1929
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

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

Speculation - Making high risk investments in hopes of
high return.
Overproduction - When markets have more of a product
than consumers want.
Under-consumption - When consumers are reluctant to
buy all that has been produced.
Buying on the margin - Investors purchase stocks for only
a portion of what they cost, then borrow the difference
and paid interest on the loan.
Stock market crash of 1929 - This was called black
Tuesday, and is seen as the signifying event that started
the Great Depression
Great Depression -From 1929 until WWII-severe downward
economic trend resulting in low production of goods and
high unemployment
Hardship and Suffering during the Depression




People lost jobs &
were evicted from
homes
Had to live in parks
or sewer pipes
Shantytowns settlements
consisting of shacks,
arose in cities
People dug through
garbage & begged
-
Soup kitchens offered
free or low-cost food
- Bread lines - people
lined up for food from
charities & public
agencies
 African Americans &
Latinos had higher
unemployment & lower
pay
 Minorities were also
targets of violence
(Lynching or
deportation)


Most farmers could
grow food for their
families
About 400,000
farms were lost
through foreclosure
- Many became
tenant farmers




Farmers in Great Plains
exhausted land through
overproduction
1930s - drought &
windstorms scattered for
hundreds of miles
Dust Bowl - area from North
Dakota to Texas that was
hardest hit
Many farm families migrated
to Pacific Coast states
(Route 66)
- California towns became
overcrowded
- Many people who moved
west were from Oklahoma
(Okies)
Explain the impact of the drought in the
creation of the Dust Bowl.
11. How did drought affect the depression?
12. How did the Dust Bowl effect the
depression?






Family was source of
strength for most
Americans
Believed in traditional
values and emphasized the
importance of family unity
Many families entertained
themselves with board
games & radio
- Monopoly was invented in
1933
Some families broke apart
under strain of making
ends meet

Many men used to
working & supporting
families had difficulty
coping
◦ Couldn’t find jobs
◦ Manny stopped trying


Some men vena bonded
their families
- About 300,000 hoboes
wandered country on
railroad box cars
No federal system of
direct relief - cash or
food from government






Women Struggle to Survive
Women worked hard to help
their families survive the
adversity
Homemakers budgeted
carefully, canned food, &
sewed clothes
Women worked outside
home & were resented by
unemployed men
Early 1930s – Some cities
refused to hire married
schoolteachers
Many women suffered in
silence & were ashamed to
stand in bread lines



Poor diets & health
care led to serious
health problems in
children
Lack of tax revenue led
to shortened school
year & school closings
Teenagers left home &
rode trains in search of
work & adventure
- Many died or were
beaten



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


1928 to 1932 – suicide rate rose over 30%
Admissions to state mental hospitals tripled
People gave up health care, college
Put off marriage & children
Stigma of poverty didn’t disappear & financial
security became goal
Many people showed great kindness to
strangers
- Gave food, clothing & a place to stay
People developed habit of saving and
thriftiness
Explain the social and political impact of
widespread unemployment that resulted in
developments such as Hoovervilles.
13. How did unemployment affect Americans
during this time?
14. What were Hoovervilles?




Soup kitchens\Bread lines - These provided
food for the poor in order to have anything to
eat.
Hoovervilles - Shanty towns that developed in
parks around major cities during the Great
Depression.
Dust Bowl – Soil in the Midwestern United
States dried up and was swept away by high
winds in the early 1930’s
Hoover Struggles with the
Depression



President Herbert Hoover told Americans the
economy was sound
Many experts believed depressions were
normal part of business cycle
- Believed that it was best to do nothing & let
the economy fox itself
Hoover believed government should foster
cooperation between competing groups



Many believed that people should succeed
through their own efforts
People should take care of own families & not
depend on government
Hoover opposed any form of federal welfare
or direct relief to the needy
- Believed that hand-outs would weaken
people’s self respect & moral fiber
- Said that charities & local organizations
should help the less fortunate



Hoover called meeting of
business, banking, labor
leaders to solve problems
- Asked them to work to
together to solve the problems
Created organization to help
private charities raise money
for poor
Hoover’s authorized the
construction of the Boulder
Dam on Colorado River w
- later renamed Hoover Dam
- Provided electricity, flood
control, water to states on
river basin





People began blaming
Hoover & Republicans for
the economic problems
Democrats won House of
Representatives
Republican Senate majority
down to 1 vote
People Grew frustrated with
the Depression
Farmers try to create food
shortages to raise prices
◦ Burned fields rather than sell
crops at a loss
◦ Some declared a farm
holiday

People began calling
shantytowns “Hoovervilles”




Hoover softened his stance
on no government
intervention in the economy
Hoover negotiates
agreements among private
entities
Backs Federal Farm Board
(organization of farm
cooperatives)
- buy crops, keep off
market until prices rise
Got large banks to establish
National Credit Corporation
- Loaned money to smaller
banks to prevent
bankruptcy

Late 1931 - Hoover
persuaded Congress
to pass measures
reform banking,
provide mortgage
relief, & funnel
federal money into
business investment
- Federal Home Loan
Bank Act lowered
mortgage rates


Reconstruction Finance Corporation –
Authorized emergency funds for businesses
- Hoover believed that the money would
tickle down to average citizens through job
growth & higher wages
- Critics said people couldn’t wait for the
money to trickle down
Hoover’s measures didn’t improve economy
before presidential election


1932 – Incident with
World War I veterans
further damaged
Hoover’s image & public
morale
1924 – Congress agreed
to pay a bonus to WWK
vets who had not been
adequately compensated
for wartime service
- Bonus was to be paid in
1945 in the form of cash
& a life insurance policy


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
Bonus Army – WWI veterans
went to D.C. in 1932 to
support Patman Bill:
- called for immediate
payment of bonus to WWI
vets
($500 per
soldier)
Hoover opposed bill
Believed they were
communists
He respected their right to
protest (Provided food &
supplies for shantytown)
June 17, 1932 - Senate
voted down Patman Bill

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

Most veterans left Washington
About 2,000 stayed to speak
to Hoover
Hoover fears violence& called
on U.S. Army to disband Bonus
Army
- Led by General Douglass
Macarthur & Major Dwight
Eisenhower
Infantry tear gassed over 1,000
people, including children
Many people were injured (11
month old baby died)
Public was stunned & outraged
by government’s actions

Herbert Hoover - President of the United
States that was elected in 1928. Most people
blamed him for the Great Depression
The New Deal




Democrats nominate
NY governor Franklin
Delano Roosevelt
- reform-minded;
projected friendliness
& confidence
Democrats
overwhelmingly won
presidency, Senate, &
House
Roosevelt had to wait
4 months to take over



20th Amendment wasn’t
rarified until 1933 (Move
inauguration to January)
FDR worked with advisors
known as “Brain Trust,” to
formulate policies to
alleviate problems
New Deal – FDR’s program
to alleviate the problems of
the Great Depression
focused on 3 Rs
- Relief for needy
- Economic recovery
- Financial reform


March 9 to June 16,
1933 - FDR took
office & launched
Hundred Days
Congress passed over
15 major New Deal
laws that expanded
the federal
government’s role in
the nation’s economy


March 5, 1933 – one day after taking office
FDR declared a bank holiday & closed all
banks to prevent further withdrawals
Emergency Banking Relief Act - Permitted
Treasury Dept. to inspect banks
- Sound banks were allowed to reopen
- Banks that needed help received loans
- Insolvent ones remained closed (unable to pay
bills)

Bank Holiday revived public confidence in
banks
- Believed that the banks remained open were
in good shape


FDR gave fireside
chats - radio talks
explaining New Deal
measures
March 12, 1933 –
FDR gave 1st fireside
chat the day before
the banks reopened
after holiday
- Discussed need for
public support of
government, banks


Congress took another step
to reorganize the banking
system
Glass-Steagall Act Established Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation
(FDIC)
- insured individual bank
accounts up to $5000
- Regulates banking
practices ( forced them
to act cautiously with
money)
A. excessive government regulation
of banks.
B. the federal government's
ownership of banks.
C. an excessive amount of currency
in circulation.
D. the lack of protection for funds
deposited by individuals in banks.




Federal Securities Act – Required companies
must give all information on stocks
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
created to regulate stock market
FDR got law allowing production of some
alcoholic beverages
21st Amendment repealed prohibition by end
of 1933


Roosevelt
administration
implemented programs
aimed at helping
farmers & other
workers to stimulate
economy
Agricultural
Adjustment Act (AAA)
raised food prices by
lowering supply
- Government paid
farmers not to plant
crops

Tennessee Valley
Authority Created jobs
renovating &
building dams
- Also provided
flood control &
hydroelectric power
to region

Civilian Conservation
Corps (CCC) - public
works jobs for young
men 18 to 25
- Built road, planted
trees & helped in
soils erosion & flood
control projects
- Men sent $25 out
of $30 home to
family each month

SSUSH18: The student will describe Franklin
Roosevelt’s New Deal as a response to the
depression and compare the ways
governmental programs aided those in need.
Describe the creation of the Tennessee Valley
Authority as a works program and as an
effort to control the environment.
15. What was the TVA? What was it created to
do?



National Industrial Recovery
Act - established codes of
fair practice for industries
Created National Recovery
Administration (NRA)
- NRA sets standards, prices,
limits production

1933 - Public Works
Administration (PWA) was
established as part of the
NIRA
– It provided money to
states to create jobs chiefly
in the construction of
schools & other community
buildings



Home Owners Loan
Corporation gave
loans to prevent
foreclosures
Federal Housing
Administration gives
loans for mortgages
& repairs (FHA)
Federal Emergency
Relief
Administration—
direct relief to needy




Deficit spending - spending more money
than government takes in
- funded New Deal
Opposition rose when the New Deal didn’t
stop the Depression
Liberals didn’t think New Deal did enough to
help poor, & fix economy
Conservatives believed Roosevelt used the
New Deal to control business & socialize
economy
Supreme Court struck down NIRA &
AAA as unconstitutional
 FDR proposed “Court-packing bill”

- Change the Supreme Court from 9 to 15
justices
- Would enable FDR to appoint 6 new
justices
Congress & press protested
 Starting in 1937 - justices retire &
FDR appointed seven new ones



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

Governor of Louisiana "King
Fish"
Built schools and hospitals
Ruled Louisiana like a dictator
Wanted to be president
Decided to challenge FDR
Offered new deal
"Share
our wealth"
- Called for every family to get
yearly income money to buy
food and housing
- Taxed the rich heavily
Made enemies in his attempt
to become president
- Shot and killed in 1935
A. FDR's New Deal programs are
unsuccessful.
B. The New Deal programs are purely the
creation of FDR.
C. FDR has unwisely created the "Alphabet
Soup" programs.
D. FDR must end his "Alphabet Soup"
programs immediately.




Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Elected President in 1932 by
an overwhelming majority. He was the first President to
use the radio effectively. Implemented the New Deal.
New Deal - Legislation and programs implemented during
the Great Depression to provide economic relief and
recovery.
First Hundred Days - This was the time period from the
inauguration in March through the following June in which
many New Deal programs were implemented.
Civilian Conservation Corps - This program launched a
number of public works such as the construction of dams,
highways, and bridges.



Agricultural Adjustment Act - This act approved
government loans for farmers and paid farmers
not to grow certain crops in order to increase the
price of agricultural products.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - This act
insured bank deposits of up to $100,000 in case
of bank failure. It served to prevent people from
withdrawing their money out of panic.
National Industrial Recovery Act - This act sought
to bolster industrial prices and prevent US
business failures.




Public Works Administration - This provided employment for
unmarried men who worked in the national parks, and eventually
for women as well.
Tennessee Valley Authority - This program concentrated on
building hydroelectric dams in the Southeastern part of the
United States, providing electricity and jobs in the Southeast.
Court-packing scheme - Roosevelt proposed this idea when the
Supreme Court continued to strike down his new Deal legislation.
Huey P. Long - . A Senator and former governor of Louisiana, he
was a critic of Roosevelt and supported the redistribution of
wealth in the United States. He was assassinated for his
“Communist” views.
The Second New Deal Takes Hold

By 1935, economic
recovery not as
great as FDR had
expected
- Unemployment
remained high
- Work programs &
productions still
behind 1920s levels


FDR launched
second phase
Provided more relief
for farmers, workers




First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt
a social reformer prodded
president
Was the first activist First
Lady.
Eleanor pushed to reform
state government in New
York, and the living
conditions in major cities.
She was a major supporter
of women’s rights and
minority rights. She even
pushed her husband to
include women in many of
the New Deal programs.


Eleanor did one other major
thing, she helped hide the
fact that Polio had rendered
FDR disable to move
around.
Eleanor traveled many times
to visit many groups in
place of FDR
- She traveled the country
observing the social
conditions & reminding
FDR about the suffering
- She also pushed for him
to appoint women to
government positions

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

1936 - Democrats
won presidency & large
majorities in both
houses
First time most African
Americans voted
Democratic
First time labor unions
supported presidential
candidate
Election was a vote of
confidence in FDR &
the New Deal

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

1936 - Soil Conservation and Domestic
Allotment Act replaced AAA
- Rewarded farmers for practicing soil
conservation
New Agricultural Adjustment Act avoided
unconstitutional provision
Resettlement Administration gave loans to small
farmers to buy land
Farm Security Administration - loaned to tenant
farmers to buy land
FSA hires photographers to shoot pictures of
rural towns & farms


2nd New Deal established a
series of programs to help
youths, professionals &
other workers
Works Progress
Administration (WPA)
created many jobs for
unskilled workers
- WPA workers build
airports, roads, public
buildings
- Women workers sewed
clothes for the needy
- WPA employed
professional writers, artists,
performers

National Youth
Administration
(NYA) - provided
education, jobs,
counseling &
recreation to young
people
- Gave aid to
students in
exchange for parttime work



Wagner Act - replaced NIRA
- Protected right to join unions & collective
bargaining
- Prohibited unfair labor practices (threatening
workers or firing union members)
- Established National Labor Relations Board that
heard testimony about labor practices
- Held elections to determine if workers wanted
unions
1938 - Fair Labor Standards Act sets maximum
hours & minimum wage
- 44 hrs per week decreasing to 40 in two years
& 25 cents per hr.




1935 - Social
Security Act created
Social Security
system
Provided insurance
for retirees 65 or
older
Unemployment
compensation
Aid to disabled &
families with children


Rural Electrification
Administration (REA)
brought electricity to
farms
- Rose from 12.6 %
in 1935 to 48% in
1945 to 90% in 1949
Public Utility Holding
Company Act aims to
stop financial
corruption
A. FDR's programs are straying too
far from American ideals.
B. the New Deal is succeeding in
ending the Great Depression.
C. the New Deal was a failure in
ending the Great Depression.
D. FDR needs to try to use some of
the ideas created by Karl Marx.
Explain the Wagner Act and the rise of industrial
unionism.
16. What was the purpose of the Wagner Act?
17. What is industrial unionism?
 Explain the passage of the Social Security Act as
a part of the second New Deal.
18. What is the Social Security Act?19. What
was
the second New Deal?
 Identify Eleanor Roosevelt as a symbol of social
progress and women’s activism.
20. Who was Eleanor Roosevelt?
21. What did she do as a women’s activist?




Second New Deal – Series of programs implemented
in the United States after 1934 to continue bringing
the United States out of the great depression.
Eleanor Roosevelt - She was one of the only first
ladies to take an impactful stance in the United
States. She helped push through changes for women
and
minorities in the United States.
Social Security Act - This act established retirement
income for all workers once they reached the age of
65. It also provided some benefits for the
unemployed and those with disabilities.



Revenue Act of 1935 - This act raised taxes on those
making above $50,000 a year as well as corporate
and estate taxes. Named “soak the rich tax”.
National Labor Relations Act - Set maximum hours &
minimum wage
- 44 hrs per week decreasing to 40 in two years & 25
cents per hr.
Wagner Act - . This act was passed in 1935 and
created a board to monitor unfair management
practices such as firing workers who joined unions (it
concentrated on protecting worker rights).
The New Deal Affects Many
Groups





Several women were named to important
government positions
Frances Perkins became first female cabinet
member
(Secretary of Labor)
- FDR also appointed 2 women as diplomats & 1
as a federal judge
Women still faced discrimination in workplace
from male workers
National Recovery Administration (NRA) set
some lower minimum wages for women
Federal work programs hired far fewer women
than men




FDR appointed more
than 100 African
Americans to
government
Educator Mary McLeod
Bethune headed
Division of Negro
Affairs of NYA
Helped organize “Black
Cabinet”
Group of influential
African-American who
advised FDR on racial
issues




FDR was afraid of upsetting white Southern
Democratic voters
Refused to approve anti-lynching law & end
to poll tax
New Deal agencies discriminated against
African Americans
- pay them lower wages & favored whites
African- Americans generally supported
Roosevelt administration & New Deal
- Saw them as the best hope for the future



New Deal Coalition - different groups that
support Democratic Party
- Helped the democratic party dominate
national politics throughout the 1930s &
1940s
Political organizations in large Northern cities
supported FDR
Urban, religious, & ethnic groups also
supported FDR
- FDR appoints officials of urban-immigrant
background
Culture in the 1930’s

About 65% of
population went to
movies once a week
- Movies were still
affordable
- People watched
them to escape real
life
- Grapes of Wrath
- Gone With the
Wind
- The Wizard of OZ



90% of households had a
radio
Families listened together
every day
Dramas, variety shows
played in evening
- Soap operas for
homemakers broadcast in
middle of day
- Children’s shows after
school hours
- Immediate news coverage
became customary
- Orson Welles - actor,
director, producer, & writer





Federal Art Project paid
artists to make art, &
teach in schools
Aim to promote art
appreciation & positive
image of America
Murals typically
portrayed dignity of
ordinary people at work
Federal Theater Project
hired actors & artists
Singer, songwriter Woody
Guthrie sung songs
about the of plight of
poor


Federal Writers’
Project supported
many who become
major writers
Richard Wright African-American
author who wrote
Native Son

John Steinbeck wrote
The Grapes of Wrath
about Dust Bowl
migrants
The Impact of the New Deal
.



By 1937, economic improvement convinced
many that Depression was ending
Congress wanted to cut back programs
By 1939 - New Deal was over



Supporters Believed the New Deal helped
country recover from economic difficulties
Conservatives thought FDR made federal
government too large
- stifled free enterprise & individual initiative
Liberals thought New Deal didn’t do enough
to socialize economy & end inequalities





Expanded power of federal government & president
Social Security Act - Federal government takes
responsibility for citizens’ welfare
- Provided aid for aged, disabled & needy
FDIC - still protects individual investors in case of
bank failure
SEC -still monitors stock market, enforces laws on
stock, bond sales
New Deal laws set standards for wages & hours
- banned child labor,
- Permitted unions






Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC ) - planted trees,
built hiking trails, & fire lookout towers
Soil Conservation Service taught farmers how to
preserve soil
- Contour plowing, terraces, & crop rotation
1934 - Taylor Grazing Act- reduced grazing on
public lands
- Grazing had contributed to erosion that caused the
dust bowl
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) -created electricity,
& prevented floods
New Deal reduced suffering & gave people hope
- Provided jobs, food & money
New Deal didn't end depression WWII did




In attempt to protect US businesses,
Roosevelt raised tariffs on foreign imports.
He felt this would push Americans to buy
American products.
Foreign nations responded in the same way,
they imposed high tariffs on American made
goods.
Eventually this worldwide depression would
be one of the major contributing factors to
WWII.
A. The Wagner Act.
B. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act.
C. The Bretton-Woods Tariff Act.
D. The Fordney-McCumber Tariff Act.
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Roosevelt wanted to stay neutral in relations
with countries in Europe.
Several dictators had taken over in Europe,
and Roosevelt wanted no part.
Roosevelt and Congress passed the Neutrality
Act, which stated we would not sale military
supplies to countries in conflict in Europe.
Eventually Roosevelt would realize it was
inevitable that the US would enter into the
conflict.
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With war mobilization the U.S. industry began
to boom again.
With money being pumped back into
industry, the economy began to rise once
again.
By the end of WWII the U.S. unemployment
rate had dropped to an all time low of 1%.
WWII would be the final factor to bring the
United States out of the Great Depression.
Identify the political challenges to Roosevelt’s
domestic and international leadership;
include the role of Huey Long, the “court
packing bill,” and the Neutrality Act.
22. Who was Huey Long?
23. What was the Court Packing Bill?
24. What was the Neutrality Act?
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Neutrality Act -Act that prohibited the sale of
weapons to warring nations and was mean to
keep the US from forming alliances that
might drag the US into war.