Study Review Sheet

Chapter 33: The Great Depression and the New Deal

(1933-1939)

Black Thursday (October 24, 1929)

-Initial Date of New York Stock Market crash

Black Tuesday (October 29,1929)

-Stock Market prices reach new lows

Key Question: What caused the Great Depression?

1. Over speculation of stocks. People borrowed money to buy stocks, but when the stock market

crashed, the borrowers had no money to repay loans

2. Federal Reserve failed to prevent the collapse of the banking system

3. Tariffs were added to the cost of foreign products which discouraged international trade

Key Question: How were the American people impacted by the Great Depression?

Farmers incomes fell to low levels and many of them ended leaving their farms

One- fourth of the employed workers lost their jobs

A large number of businesses, banks and industries failed

Large number of families and people in general were left hungry and homeless

FDR: Politician in a Wheelchair

 The Democrats chose Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR). He had been born to a wealthy New

York family and served as the governor of New York.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

- Pledged a "new deal," the end of Prohibition, aid for unemployed, and cuts in government spending
- Got 60% of popular vote and all but 6 states
- NY state legislator, and then assistant secretary of the navy
- Ran as Vice President with James Cox in 1920, but lost in a landslide to Harding
- Paralyzed by polio (disease) in 1921

Eleanor Roosevelt (wife)

- Most active first lady in history
- Wrote a newspaper column, gave speeches, and traveled across the US
- FDR's social conscience- encouraged him to help poor and minorities

Presidential Hopefuls of 1932

 During Roosevelts campaign there was controversy on whether FDR can bring change to

America, he wanted to prove to the people wrong and because of his radiant personality it

attracted many voters.

-Brain trust: Group of expert policy advisers who worked with FDR in the 1930s to end the great

depression

- New Deal: FDR's strategy to end the depression by trying many different employment projects

to put out-of-work Americans to work in government organized groups

Hoovers humiliation in 1932

-Franklin Roosevelt won the election of 1932 by a sweeping majority, in both the popular vote and the

Electoral College.

-Beginning in the election of 1932, blacks became a vital part of the Democratic Party, especially in the

urban centers of the North

Herbert Hoover:
President of the U.S from 1923-1933 leader of the US in the beginning of the great depression. He didn't
want the government involved in the people’s lives and thought that the people should express their
individual rights.

Bonus Army: A group of almost 20,000 World War I veterans who were hard-hit victims of the
depression, who wanted what the government owed them for their services and "saving" democracy. They
marched to Washington and set up public camps and erected shacks on vacant lots. They tried to
intimidate Congress into paying them, but Hoover had them removed by the army, which shed a negative
light on Hoover

FDR and the Three R’s Relief, Recovery, Reform

First 100 Days, Congress passed every request of Roosevelt, he offered hope to people because they were

in desperate needs of action to cope with the Great Depression

 Bank Holiday – On March 6-10, President Roosevelt declared a national banking holiday as a

prelude to opening the banks on a sounder basis. The *Hundred Days Congress/Emergency

Congress (March 9-June 16, 1933) passed a series laws to help improve the state of the country.

 Some of the New Deal programs gave the President unprecedented powers, which included the ability

of the President to create legislation. Many of the programs that gave the President this authority was

declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

The Three R’s

Relief was aimed at providing temporary help to suffering and unemployed Americans.

Recovery was designed to help the economy bounce back from depression.
Reforms targeted the causes of the depression and sought to prevent a crisis like it from happening again

Roosevelt Manages the Money

 Congress passed the *Emergency Banking Relief Act of 1933, which gave the President power to

regulate banking transactions and foreign exchange and to reopen solvent banks

 Congress created the *Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) with the *Glass-Steagall

Banking Reform Act. The FDIC insured individual bank deposits up to $5,000. This ended nation's

epidemic of bank failures.

The informal radio talks President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had with Americans during the Great

Depression. They not only unified America with these nationwide speeches, but he rose American spirits

by encouraging them through the Great Depression. FDR was the first president to effectively use the

radio for politics. These talks occurred at least once a month, maybe even more frequently

Creating Jobs for the Jobless

 FDR used federal money to assist the unemployed, it was like a jumpstart to the economy. There

were many laws created to help people in getting jobs

1. The *Federal Emergency Relief Act was Congress's first major effort to deal with the

massive unemployment. It created the *Federal Emergency Relief Administration

(FERA) which gave states direct relief payments or money for wages on work projects.

2. The *Civil Works Administration (CWA), a branch of the FERA, was designed to

provide temporary jobs during the winter emergency. Thousands of unemployed were

employed at leaf raking and other manual-labor jobs.

3. Relief was given to the farmers with the *Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA), making

available millions of dollars to help farmers meet their mortgages.

4. The *Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) assisted many households that had

trouble paying their mortgages.

5. *Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) created by FDR, which provided employment to

young men with jobs such as working in state parks, being fire fighters, draining swamps,

and controlling floods.

Harry Hopkins:
Head of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration

A Day for Every Demagogue

 Despite New Deal efforts, unemployment continued to be a problem for many people

Father Charles Coughlin: A Catholic priest from Michigan who was critical of FDR on his radio show.
His radio show morphed into being severely against Jews during WWII and he was eventually kicked off
the air, however before his racist rants, he was wildly popular among those who opposed FDR's New
Deal.

Senator Huey P. Long: Publicized his "Share Our Wealth" program in which every family in the United
States would receive $5,000.

Dr. Francis E. Townsend: Attracted millions of people with a plan in which senior citizens received $200
per month, provided that the money would be all spent in that month, and his plan was wildly popular and
was like the Social Security Act.

 Cause: Congress passed the *Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1935, with the

objective of providing employment for useful projects (i.e. the construction of buildings, roads,

etc.).

 Effect: Taxpayers criticized the agency for paying people to do "useless" jobs such as painting

murals
New Visibility for Women

 Women began to break gender barriers by holding positions in the Federal government, including

the President's cabinet. Women primarily worked in service industries, and these jobs tended to

continue during the 1930s. Clerical workers, teachers, nurses, telephone operators, and domestics

largely found work are examples. Within many families, women were the ones that supported and

bang in income.

Ruth Benedict: made strides in the field of anthropology

Pearl Buck: wrote about Chinese peasant society; won a Nobel Prize in literature in 1938

Helping Industry and Labor

 New technology caused goods to be produced faster Middle class/poor people can’t afford

to buy the goods

 Products stayed in warehouse- not being sold-industries not making $$ Industries can’t pay

salaries, for material or shipping of goods

 People still want to buy goods/stocks If prices were rose, borrowers could pay back their

loans. If they fell, they couldn’t be able to pay

New Laws:

1. National Recovery Administration (NRA): It was designed to bring industries together to

create a set of "fair" business practices (fair to business and workers). Working hours were

reduced so that more people could be hired; a minimum wage was established; workers were

given the right to organize. The NRA was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in

1935 (Schechter vs. United States), because the NRA gave legislative powers to the
President, and it allowed Congress to control individual business, not just interstate

commerce.

2. The Public Works Administration (PWA) was intended to provide long-term recovery.

Headed by Harold L. Ickes, the agency spent over $4 billion on thousands of projects,

including public buildings, highways, and dams.

3. Congress repealed prohibition with the 21st Amendment in late 1933 to raise federal revenue

and provide employment,

Paying Farmers Not to Farm

Effects on Farmers:
-In the early 1930s prices dropped so low that many farmers went bankrupt and lost their farms.
-In some cases, the price of a bushel of corn fell to just eight or ten cents. Some farm families began
burning corn rather than coal in their stoves because corn was cheaper
-Some farmers became angry and wanted the government to step in to keep farm families in their homes .

1. The *Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) attempted to reduce crop surpluses,

which led to lower crop prices. The AAA established standard "parity prices" for basic

commodities. The agency also paid farmers to not farm (to reduce their crop harvests).

-The Supreme Court ruled the AAA unconstitutional in 1936, stating that its taxation

programs were illegal.

2. In a second attempt to make farmers farm less, Congress passed the *Soil Conservation and

Domestic Allotment Act of 1936. Under the guise of conservation, it reduced crop acreage by

paying farmers to plant soil-conserving crops.

3. The *Second Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 continued conservation payments; if

farmers obeyed acreage restrictions on specific commodities, they would be eligible for

payments.
Dust Bowls and Black Blizzards

Dust Bowl
After a drought in 1933, winds swept up the thick layer of dusty soil, left because of mineral leeching
crops, and spread the dust through thick storms across Missouri, Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, and
Oklahoma. The Dust Bowl forced many farmers to migrate west to leave their dust filled homes and find
jobs, displayed in The Grapes of Wrath
-It was caused by drought, wind, and over-farming of the land.

1. The *Frazier-Lemke Farm Bankruptcy Act, passed in 1934, suspended mortgage foreclosures

on farms for 5 years. It was struck down in 1935 by the Supreme Court.

2. The *Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 encouraged Native American tribes to establish self-

government and to preserve their native crafts and traditions. 77 tribes refused to organize under

the law, while hundreds did organize.

-In 1935, the Resettlement Administration, moved near-farmless farmers to better lands.

Battling Bankers and Big Business

Congress took further steps to protect the public against fraud, deception and inside manipulation

1. To protect the public against investment fraud, Congress passed the *"Truth in Securities Act"

(Federal Securities Act). It required people selling investments to inform their investors of the

risks of the investment.

2. The *Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was created in 1934. It provided oversight

of the stock market.

TVA Harnesses the Tennessee

New Dealers accused the electric-power industry of charging the public too much money for electricity.

 In 1933, the Hundred Days Congress created the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). It was

designed to construct dams on the Tennessee River. In addition to providing employment and

long-term recovery, these projects would give the government information on exactly how much

money was required to produce and distribute electricity. This would be a metric that the

government could use to assess the rates charged by private companies.

-The TVA turned a poor area into one of the most flourishing regions in the

United States.

-Conservatives viewed the New Deal programs as "socialistic", and they

ultimately helped limit the TVA-style of management to the Tennessee Valley.

Housing and Social Security

 The Social Security Act of 1935 provided federal-state unemployment insurance. To provide

security for old age, specified categories of retired workers were to receive regular payments

from Washington. Social Security was inspired by the example of some of the more highly

industrialized nations of Europe.

-The purpose of Social Security was to provide support for urbanized Americans who

could not support themselves with a farm. In the past, Americans could support themselves by

growing food on their farm. Now, they relied solely on money from their job. If they lost their

job, they could not eat.

-Republicans opposed Social Security.

 The *Federal Housing Administration (FHA), passed in 1934, attempted to improve the home-

building industry. It gave small loans to homeowners for improving their homes and buying new

ones.

 The *United States Housing Authority (USHA) was passed in 1937. It was designed to lend

money to states or communities for low-cost housing developments.

A New Deal Labor

 Congress passed the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (Wagner Act) to help labor unions.

-This law created a powerful National Labor Relations Board for administrative purposes

and it gave the rights of labor to engage in self-organization and to bargain collectively through

representatives of its own choice.

John L. Lewis,

 Boss of the United Mine Workers.

 He formed the *Committee for Industrial Organization (CIO) in 1935. The CIO led a series

of strikes, including the sit-down strike at the General Motors automobile factory in 1936.

Unskilled workers began to organize under leadership from

 In 1938, the CIO joined with the AF of L and the name "Committee for Industrial Organization"

was changed to "Congress of Industrial Organizations." The CIO was led by John Lewis. By

1940, the CIO claimed about 4 million members.

 Congress passed the *Fair Labor Standards Act (Wages and Hours Bill) in 1938. Industries

involved in interstate commerce were to set up minimum-wage and maximum-hour levels. Labor

by children under the age of 16 was forbidden.

Landon Challenges "the Champ"

Alfred M. Landon

 Governor of Kansas who republicans nominated to run against FDR in 1936; Weak on the radio

and weaker in personal campaigning, and while he criticized FDR's spending, he also favored

enough of FDR's New Deal to be scorned by the Democrats.

 The Republicans condemned the New Deal for its radicalism, experimentation, confusion, and

"frightful waste."

 Democrats had significant support from the millions of people that had benefited from the New

Deal programs.

-President Roosevelt was reelected as president in a lopsided victory. FDR won

primarily because he had appealed to the "forgotten man" (the South, blacks, urbanites, the poor).

Nine Old Men on the Bench

 With continuous Democrat wins in Congress and the presidency, Roosevelt felt that the American

people wanted the New Deal. He argued that the Supreme Court needed to get in line with public

opinion. The Supreme Court was dominated by extreme conservatives who attempted to stop

many of the "socialistic" New Deal programs.

- Ratified in 1933, the 20th Amendment shortened the period from election to

inauguration by 6 weeks.

 In 1937, Roosevelt proposed legislation that would allow him to add liberal justices to the Court:

a new justice would be added for every member over the age of 70 who would not retire.

- The maximum membership becomes 15

- The plan was referred to as the *Court-packing plan and it received much negative

feedback, that FDR got accused of dishonesty

The Court Changes Course

 The public criticized Roosevelt for attempting to tamper with the Supreme Court. This was an

affront on the system of checks and balances. The Supreme Court controversy in 1937 cost FDR

a lot of political capital. Because of this, few New Deal reforms were passed after 1937.

 The Supreme Court began to support New Deal legislation. This included Justice Owen J.

Roberts, who was formerly regarded as a conservative.

 A series of deaths and resignations of justices allowed Roosevelt to appoint 9 justices to the

Court.

The Twilight of the New Deal

In Roosevelt's first term, from 1933-1937, unemployment still ran high and recovery was moving slow.

In 1937, the economy took another downturn. It was caused by reduced spending. Consumer spending

was reduced because Social Security taxes cut into payrolls. The Roosevelt administration also cut back

on spending to keep a balanced budget.

 The downturn led FDR to embrace the recommendations of the British economist John Maynard

Keynes.

Keynesianism Economics: government money is used to "prime the pump" of the economy and

encourage consumer spending; this policy intentionally creates a budget deficit.

 Congress passed the *Hatch Act of 1939. It prevented federal administrative officials from active

political campaigning and soliciting. It also forbade the use of government funds for political

purposes as well as the collection of campaign contributions from people receiving relief

payments.

New Deal or Raw Deal?

Arguments

 Opponents of the New Deal charged the President of spending too much money on his programs,

significantly increasing the national debt. From 1932 to 1939, the national debt increased from

$19 trillion to $40 trillion.

 The Federal government became much more powerful under FDR.

 The New Deal did not end the depression; it just gave temporary relief to citizens. Many

economists eventually argued that not enough deficit spending was used. Despite the New Deal

programs' efforts, production still outpaced spending.

Supporters

 The New Deal gave us Social Security, something critical to American senior citizens

 Th economy improved although the country was still in depression

 The new deal gave reassurance to people, it gave them the hope that everyone needed.

 The New Deal also allowed for government investment in such works as alternative to fossil fuel

by the building of Dams and using its infrastructure to building Hydro-electric systems to power

communities
 The laws put in place prevented later financial collapses with the banking system. Looking

beyond the 1930s, under the New Deal banking regulations, which were in effect until 1999,

there was no repeat banking crisis.

NOTE: Not until World War II was the unemployment problem solved.

FDR's Balance Sheet

-New Deal supporters had argued out that relief, not the economy, was the primary objective of their war

on the Depression. Roosevelt believed that the government was morally bound to prevent mass hunger

and starvation by "managing" the economy.

-FDR potentially saved capitalism by eliminating some of its worst faults (ex: poor labor conditions). Had

his programs not been implemented, Socialism could've taken a bigger hold in the nation.

-FDR was a Hamiltonian in that he supported big government, but he was a Jeffersonian in that he

supported the "forgotten man."

Relief Recovery Reform
Immediate action taken to Temporary programs to restart Permanent programs to avoid
halt the economies troubles the flow of consumer demand. another depression and insure
citizens against economic
disasters.
Bank Holiday Agricultural Adjustment Act Securities & Exchange
Declared so that the panic (AAA) Commission (SEC)
would be stopped. Taxed food processors and gave Permanent Agency set up to
the money directly to farmers as a monitor stock market activity and
payment for not growing food. ensure that no fraud or insider
This decreased supply, so price trading was taking place.
would go up.
Emergency Banking Act National Industrial Recovery Federal Deposit Insurance
Closed the insolvent banks Act (NIRA) Corporation (FDIC)
and only reopened the Created the NRA (National Permanent Agency designed to
solvent ones. Recovery Administration) a insure depositor’s money in
consortium of businesses savings banks. Originally insured
organized by the government and up to $5,000 per depositor today
given the power to set rules and it has increased to $100,000.
regulations for the economy.
Members of the NRA displayed a
blue eagle.
Federal Emergency Home Owners Loan Corp. Social Security Administration
Relief Act (FERA) Gave loans to home owners so Permanent agency designed to
Gave immediate help to they could pay their mortgages. ensure that the older segment of
those that needed it in the This prevented people from going society always would have
form of cash payments. homeless and prevented banks enough money to survive. The
from going under. key here is that they would then
also be able to spend throughout
their lives.
Civil Works Works Progress National Labor Relations Act
Administration (CWA) Administration (WPA) and National Labor Relations
Provided temporary jobs Provided long term government Board (NLRA/NLRB)
repairing roads and jobs building schools and other Otherwise known as the Wagner
bridges. public works projects. Act it helped unions and thus
helped workers. This acted
created the NLRB (National
Labor Relations Board) which
enforced labor law and made sure
that fair business practices where
upheld.
Civilian Conservation Tennessee Valley Authority Soil Conservation Act
Corps (CCC) (TVA) Laws mandating proper soil
Temporary jobs to Agency created to build dams in maintenance to make sure that
unmarried single adults the Tennessee river valley. These another dust bowl was avoided.
filling sand bags and dams provided more stable
helping at disaster type irrigation and cheap hydroelectric
situations. Participants power.
lived in barracks type
housing.
EARLY NEW DEAL MEASURES

FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT -- provided minimum wage for workers.

CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS -- provided work for jobless males between 18 & 25 in reforestation,
road construction, prevention of forest erosion. Ended in 1941.

AGRICULTURAL ADJUSTMENT ACT -- established principle of government price support for farmers
and guaranteed farm purchasing power.

TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY ACT -- federal construction and ownership of power plants regional
development of Tennessee Valley (7 State Area)

FEDERAL SECURITIES ACT -- required full disclosure of information related to new stock issues.

NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT SYSTEM ACT -- created US employment service.

HOME OWNERS REFINANCING ACT -- use of government bonds to guarantee mortgages.

BANKING ACT OF 1933 -- created Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., guaranteeing the safety of bank
deposits.

NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL RECOVERY ACT -- minimum wages and self-regulation of industry --- ended in
1935.

PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION -- appropriated funds to construct roads and other federal projects.

SECURITY AND EXCHANGE ACT -- federal regulation of the operation of stock exchange.

NATIONAL HOUSING ACT -- federal housing administration insured loans of private banks and trust
companies for construction of homes.

COMMUNICATIONS ACT -- federal housing administration insured loans of private banks and trust
companies for construction of homes.

HOME OWNERS LOAN ACT -- government financing of home mortgages.

NATIONAL HOUSING ACT -- construction of low cost public housing and slum clearance.

SOIL CONSERVATION ACT -- established federal soil conservation services.

RESETTLEMENT ADMINISTRATION -- built new model communities for low income city workers

RURAL ELECTRIFICATION ADMINISTRATION -- created and administered program of bringing

electricity to rural areas.
NATIONAL YOUTH ADMINISTRATION -- federal work relief and employment for young people.

NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT -- encouraged collective bargaining and formation of unions to be
supervised by the National Labor Relations Board.

SOCIAL SECURITY ACT -- created Social Security System and automatically collected taxes throughout
a person’s career for a trust fund at the age of 65 -- old age and survivors insurance; aid to dependent
children etc.

Work Cited Page

“Great Depression & New Deal.” FDR Presidential Library & Museum.

<https://fdrlibrary.org/great-depression-new-deal >. Accessed 12 April 2019.

Kennedy, David M., and Lizabeth Cohen. The American Pageant. 15th ed., Thomas A. Bailey,

1956.

Newman, John J., and John M. Schmalbach. United States History: Preparing for the Advanced

Placement Examination. 2018th ed., Amsco School Publications, 2018.