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Period: to
1930s
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Herbert Hoover takes Office
Hoover took office in 1929. He promised that poverty would be over soon, and Americans believed him. As the stock market rose, people rushed to buy stocks. When the market crashed though, Americans were in trouble. They blamed Hoover for the beginning of the Great Depression. He remained positive, but Americans went agains it. They rallied against him. They created hoovervilles (shanty-towns) and even had Hooverblankets and hooverflags (newspapers and empty pockets). -
RFC
Hoover created the Reconstuction Finace Coproration. It authorized up to $2 billion for emergency finacing for banks, life insurance companies, railroads, and large businesses. They money helped average citizens through job growth and higher wages. People questioned the RFC thinking it would only help for the poor relief. The first 5 months loaned over $805 million to corporations, but businesses still failed. It was too late to help. -
The Bonus Army
About 25,000 World War 1 veterans and their families went to Washington D.C. The veterans were promised a bonus for serving, and they never received it. They called theirselves the bonus army for their cause. -
Hitler Takes Power
During Germany's great depression, over 6 million people were unemployed and turned to him in desperation. He was a strong and powerful leader, and Germany felt that he was their only hope. Once in power, he diminished the Democratic party and began his Nazism. He inspired Japan to get more living space like them. He also pulled out of the League of Nations, and no one tried to stop him. He also violated the Treaty of Versailles in his time of power. -
The New Deal
The new deal focused on 3 general goals: relief for the needy, economic recovery, and financial reform. This deal gave Americans hope, like the president was speaking directly to them. It provided new acts to rebuild, plan, and construct the towns. It also helped people make more money and gave them places to live; however, the new deal did not end the depression. Critics believed the new deal affected with workings of the free-market part of the country. -
FDR elected
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a new chance of hope for Americans. People had blamed Hoover for the Great Depression, and people knew that he would not be reelected: it was Roosevelt's turn to lead. He had a positive, effective, and leading attitude that people wanted. He won the election of 1932 23 million to 16 million. -
Indian Reorganization Act
Moved official policy away from assimilation and toward Native Americans autonomy. The passage signaled a change in federal policy. It stopped subsidizing the Native Americans, and the Native Americans started improving their lives- starting with establishing the National Congress of American Indians. -
Charles Coughlin attacks FDR, jews
Charles Coughlin opposed F.D. Roosevelt in the New Deal and helped form an organization called the American Liberty League. It opposed the New Deal measures and that it disrespected peoples' rights and property. He turned agains FDR and favored an annual income and nationalization of banks. At his most popular of 40-45 million people he showed his Anti-Jewish views, which cost him his support. -
The Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl was a drough that began in the 1930s and went until about 1936. Plowing removed a thick protective layer of the prarie grasses. The grassland soon became unsuitable for farm life because there was little grass and soil. The dust traveled 100s of miles, and its major widespread was in 1934. -
Social Securtiy Act
The Social Security Act included: an old age insurance program to the retirees 65 or older and their spouses. It was a retirement program. 1/2 of the workers pay, and 1/2 from the employer to help make retirement comfortable. It also had an unemployment compensation system funded by federal tax on employers. The payments were 15-18 dollars per week. -
Social Security
Social Security provides a pension for retired workers and their spouses and aids people with disabilities. The government took responsibility for social welfare of citizens. It provides old age insurance programs, aids the disabled and families with dependent children, and it aids the unemployment compensation system. -
Neutrality Acts
The Neutrality Acts were efforts to keep the U.S. out of future wars. The first two acts outlawed arms sales or loans to nations at war. The Third Act passed was in response to Spain fighting: it would not help any nations at civil war. However, Roosevelt felt that it was impossible to be neutral, and he went out and spoke against the acts. -
GM Sit-Down Strike
The sit-down strike was a major tactic of the labor movement in the 1930s. People would show up to work, but instead of working, they sat and wasted their day. They refused to do work because their employers refused to give in to the workers demands. Some American saw it as a violation of private property. -
Rape of Nanjing
The Nanjing Massacre is also known as the Rape of Nanjing. It was a six week period after the capturing of Nanjing. During that time, over 100,000 chines citizens and soldiers were murdered. Also, 20,000-80,000 women were raped by the Imperial Japanese Army. -
The Grapes of Wrath
A novel written by John Steinbeck. It revealed the lives of Oklahomans who left the dustbowl and moved to California, where problems still occured. Before his book succeeded, he suffered from the Great Depression like most authors.
