Unit 3 Notes Final

THE 1920’S, GREAT DEPRESSION & NEW DEAL

Unit # 3

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

1) What is “modern culture” and how did the decade of the 1920’s reflect its meaning?

2) What happens when traditional and modern

cultures interact?

3) How can economic excesses contribute to hardship and instability in America?

4) What is the proper role of the government in people’s lives?

5) Did the New Deal move American closer or further away from its founding ideals?

WARREN HARDING & SCANDAL - CALVIN COOLIDGEThe 1920’s, Great Depression & New Deal

WARREN G. HARDING 29th President (1921-1923)

Dies in 1923 from heart attack He called for “A Return to Normalcy”

Re-create America and go back to simpler days Before the Progressive Era and World War

Like Wilson, he looked to create a peaceful U.S. and Europe.

1920 Presidential Electoral Votes

THE HARDING ADMINISTRATION

Harding’s cabinet involves many successful politicians Charles Evans Hughes (Sec. of State)Herbert Hoover (Sec. of Commerce)Andrew Mellon (Sec. of Treasury)

THE UGLY SIDE OF THE HARDING ADM.

Ohio Gang – Harding’s friends who created great embarrassment and corruption

Teapot Dome Oil Scandal, Veterans Affairs, Office of Alien Property

One of the most corrupt cabinets ever

SCANDAL

Teapot Dome ScandalOil rich lands set aside for use by the US NavyAlbert Fall (Sec. of Interior) transfers land

from the U.S. Navy to Interior Dept.Land is then leased off the private oil

companiesFall takes a bribe 1st American to be convicted while a cabinet

member

“SILENT CAL” TAKES OVER

Harding dies suddenly on Aug. 2, 1923

Vice-President Calvin Coolidge takes over office Coolidge began to clean

America of scandal He forces the resignation of

scandalous officials and restores faith in the office of the President

Coolidge easily wins the Election of 1924 ‘ hands-off’ President Pro-Business

Did not run for re-election in 1928 surprising the public

Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States

Coolidge brought trust back to the Office of the President but never ran for re-election. Many believe

because his son died while Coolidge was in office

AMERICA & THE WORLD How does G.B. and France pay back

war loans to the U.S.?$10 billion is owed to AmericaFordney-McCumber Tariff raised tariffs

on U.S. imports to 60% (made it difficult for Europe to sell goods to U.S.)

THE DAWES PLAN

Dawes Plan – American investors loan money to Germany, $2.5 billion, so they can pay back G.B. and France (US gets paid back with their own money)

Creates resentment around the world

FOREIGN POLICY AFTER WAR Return to Isolationism Washington Naval Conference – Five major naval

powers decide to disarm their navy Kellogg-Briand Pact

Signed by 15 countries Renounced war as a national policy Allow Germany into the L.O.N.

MASS MEDIA & CONSUMERISM

Growing education led to increased literacy Newspaper circulation Reader’s Digest and Time Magazine

Impact of the radio News, sports, entertainment, advertisements

1920’S PROSPERITY

= Quality of life U.S. controls 40% of

wealth Incomes rise (people

have extra income)

Use of electricity Electric irons Refrigerators,

cooking ranges, toasters, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, electric sewing machine

Growing auto and airplane industry

Standards of Living New Conveniences

MODERN ADVERTISING

Study how to make products appeal to people

Focus on youthfulness, beauty, health and wealth

Listerine

“She was a beautiful girl and talented too. She had the

advantages of education and better clothes than girls of her set. She possessed that culture and poise that travel brings. Yet in the one pursuit that stands

foremost in the mind of every girl and women-marriage-she was a

failure.” – What is this an advertisement for???

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Take the role of someone in advertising and create your own creative ad for a 1920’s product

One PowerPoint Slide with a picture, catchy slogan, and brief information about the product

Meals & Snacks: Beverages: Other Products:Planter's Peanuts Hires Root Beer RadioWheaties (1924) Kool-Aid drink mix PhonographKraft cheese 7-UP (1929) Fountain PensGold Medal Flour Orange Crush Hallmark Greeting CardsKellogg's Corn Flakes Coca-Cola Cigarette LightersOscar Mayer wieners (1929) Dr. Pepper Dixie CupsBirds-Eye frozen vegetables (1928) Pepsi-Cola Sani-Paper TowelsDel Monte canned foods Welch's grape juiceKellogg's Rice “Krispies” (1928) Fruit Smack drink mixPeter Pan peanut butter (1928)Libby's canned tomato soupGreen Giant canned peas (1925) THIS LIST CAN BE USED OR YOU CAN CHOOSEJell-O ice cream powder ANOTHER PRODUCT THAT YOU FIND; IT MUSTCracker Jack BE A PRODUCT THAT WAS CREATED OR Cream Of Wheat POPULAR DURING THE 1920’s.

AMERICAN HEROES AND AMERICAN CULTURE

The 1920’s, Great Depression & New Deal

AMERICA TAKES OFF

Charles Lindbergh – first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic

“Spirit of St. Louis” travels from New York to Paris

33 hours and 29 minutes (3,614 miles)

Lindbergh becomes an American icon but faces a great deal of tragedy later in life (kidnapped son and critical public remarks)

AMERICA IN FLIGHT

Amelia Earhart – First women to fly across the Atlantic (15 hours from Newfoundland to Ireland)

1927 – Pan American Airways is founded and begin handling airmail deliveries.

“In the spring of 1927, something bright and alien flashed across the sky. A young Minnesotan who

seemed to have nothing to do with his generation did a heroic thing, and for a moment people set

down their glasses in country clubs and speakeasies and thought of their old best dreams.”

BASEBALL HEROES 1919 Chicago White Sox World Series Scandal Andrew Foster - the “Father of Black Baseball Babe Ruth – New York Yankees baseball star

hit 60 homeruns in 1927 Baseball becomes America’s national pastime

MORE SPORTS

Jack Dempsey – Famous boxing Champion Fought in 1st $ million fight

Jack Johnson – First black boxing champion Gertrude Ederle – First woman to swim the

English Channel in 1926 Helen Wills – Won 31 major tennis

championships including 7 US Open titles

Crossword puzzles

Mahjong Quija boards Spectator sports Dance Marathons Flagpole Sitting Dominoes Races

King Tut Discovery (1922)

Egyptian Fashion Insulin (diabetes) Frozen Food Penicillin (1928) Kodak color film

FADSDISCOVERIES

WOMEN & FLAPPERS OF THE 1920’S


The Traditional (Victorian) Woman

1890-1918

Description of the 1920’s Woman

- Independent - Unconventional - Ambitious

- Adventurous - Fun-loving - Intelligent

- Free - Assertive - Foolish - “garconne”

Flapper = an emancipated young woman who embraced the new fads, fashions, and urban attitudes of the Roaring Twenties

She wore:

Close-fitting felt hats

Bright waistless dresses above the knee

Sleek pumps

Strings of beads and jewels

Short, bobbed black hair

Make-up

She: smoked, drank alcohol in public, cursed, drove cars, dated, danced

-More women were deciding not to marry

-Marriages were based more on romantic love and companionship

- Birthrate declined throughout the 1920s

- Birth control information became public in 1916 and clinics were opened nationwide

- Ready-made products in department stores and supermarkets, electric appliances, and personal transportation made life in the home more pleasant

- Juggling work and home and rebellious teens became the focal points of many families

Mass media promoted the idea of the flapper

Flapper was more an image of rebellious youth than a widespread reality

Social morals loosened, but not as much as the flapper culture would suggest

A double standard existed even in the urban society

set of accepted principles granting greater sexual freedom to men than to women

Directions:

•Two columns (men / women)

•Think of all of the characteristics of men and women (biological, physical, psychological, intellectual, emotional, competencies, aptitudes, etc.)

•List them side-by-side in a comparison/contrast mode (weak v. strong)

•Feel free to use historically held or stereotypical ideas.

Gender = a set of cultural roles

•What are the historical stereotypical attributes of both genders in American society?

•How are the historical attributes different from the current definitions of gender today?

•What is your opinion of your gender’s cultural roles?

A “LOST GENERATION”

Post-World War I authors Phrase dubbed by Gertrude Stein

Lost values No belief in human progress A mood of futility and despair

“You are all a lost

generation” ~ Gertrude

Stein in conversation

w/ Ernest Hemingway

AMERICAN LITERATURE

Ernest Hemingway – “The Sun Also Rises”, “Farewell to Arms” Criticized the glorification of war

Sinclair Lewis – “Babbit” First American to win Nobel Prize in Lit. Criticized Americans for their conformity &

materialism

AMERICAN LIT.

F. Scott Fitzgerald – “The Great Gatsby” Put a negative twist on the wealthy and

attractive people in America. T.S. Eliot

“The Wasteland” A view of society w/ no morals or

humanity John Dos Passos, Edna St. Vincent

Millay, Willa Cather

THE ARTS

George Gershwin – Musical composer the was truly an “american” sound

Georgia O’Keeffe – Colorful artist that captured the feeling of New York

ENTERTAINMENT

Charlie Chaplin’s slapstick humor in silent films were shown throughout the 20’s

Walt Disney and animated film Steamboat Willie

“Jazz Singer” released in 1927 – first major film w/ sound

1920’s Films

HARLEM RENAISSANCE

Outburst of creative activity among African Americans

Harlem district of New York City

Celebration of African American culture

Reasons for the movement African American migration

to northern cities Sense of experimentation in

America New and charismatic

leadership

THE POLITICAL SIDE

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) founded in 1909. The Crisis – African American

magazine that called for civil rights

James Weldon Johnson – NAACP Secretary that fought for anti-lynching laws

Main goal to protest racial violence

“Chain Gang” by William Johnson

“Soul History” by Romare Bearden

THE POLITICAL SIDE

Marcus Garvey Jamaican immigrant that called for a separate society for

Afr. Americans Universal Negro Improvement Association (1914)

founded by Garvey “Back to Africa” movement Awakens black pride, economic independence and a love

of Africa

“Les Fetiches” by Lois Mailou Jones

HARLEM CULTURE

Poetry Claude McKay Langston Hughes Zora Neale Hurston Countee Cullen

Artists Palmer Hayden Lois Mailou Jones William Johnson

HARLEM CULTURE

Jazz the first truly American sound Louis Armstrong Duke Ellington Bessie Smith

Performers Paul Robeson Josephine Baker

All greatly contribute to the increasing cultural atmosphere of Harlem

“Jammin’ at the Savoy” by Romare Bearden

TRADITIONAL VERSUS MODERN CULTURE


POST WAR FEARS

Nativism - hostility towards immigrants - sweeps the nation

Isolationism – U.S. shifts back to staying out of foreign affairs

A great fear of communism exists in the United States

It is the beginning of the 1st Red Scare

Who are the undesirables?

RED SCARE

Red (Communist) Scare – Wave of panic throughout the U.S. Primarily due to Bolshevik Revolution in Russia (Lenin)

Communist Party is formed in the US Palmer Raids

Arrests on suspected “communists” and undesirables in America

Mitchell Palmer – Attorney General of the United States leads the attack against communists

J. Edgar Hoover – Special Assistant to Mitchell

PALMER RAIDS

Violate civil liberties and deport hundreds without trials

Fails to turn up any evidence

Palmer (potential Pres. Candidate) loses all credibility

SACCO AND VANZETTI

Nicola Sacco and Bartolomea VanzettiBoth were Italian and admitted anarchists

Arrested for robbery and murder in 1920 Both say they were innocent and provided

alibis The judge made prejudice remarks and the

two were sentenced to death Executed in 1927 (electric chair)

“IN ALL MY LIFE I HAVE NEVER STOLE, NEVER KILLED, NEVER SPILLED BLOOD…WE WERE TRIED DURING A TIME…WHEN THERE WAS HYSTERIA OF RESENTMENT AND HATE AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF OUR PRINCIPLES, AGAINST THE FOREIGNER…I

AM SUFFERING BECAUSE I AM A RADICAL; I HAVE SUFFERED BECAUSE I WAS AN ITALIAN AND INDEED I AM AN

ITALIAN…~ BARTOLOMEA VANZETTI

“The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti” by Ben Shahn

The Characters standing are the President of Harvard University

(middle), President of MIT, and a former Massachusetts judge

Grant; All known for the prejudice feelings.

This case came to symbolize the rift between immigrants and native-born Americans at the

time

The trial of Sacco and Vanzetti divided the

nation concerning values, rights and immigration.

•Why did conflict between labor and management increase after the war?

During WWI, the US Labor Administration prevented labor unions from striking.

•Why did the public turn against the strikers?

In 1919, there were more than 3,000 strikes involving approximately 4 million workers

•Why did labor union membership decline in the 1920s?

Workers wanted better wages and working conditions (wages had not kept pace with inflation)

•the American Plan = anti-labor policy advocated by employers

•it was un-American for a worker to “have” to join a union to get a job (a.k.a. no closed shop agreements)

•by refusing to negotiate with unions, employers were “protecting” workers’ rights to work (a.k.a. no collective bargaining)

•actions taken by “American Plan” companies:

•offered benefits (higher wages, stock ownership, vacation time, etc.)

•allowed formation of local company-based unions with no outside affiliations and little power

•fired striking workers and union representatives

•created propaganda associating unions with communists, socialists, and anarchists

•Boston police had not been given a raise since the start of WWI

•Representatives who asked for a raise were fired

•Remaining 1,117 officers went on strike in September 1919

•Fear for public safety generated national attention

•MA governor, Calvin Coolidge, called out the National Guard

•“There is no right to strike against public safety by anybody, anywhere, any time.”

•After the strike ended, the striking officers were not allowed to return to work

•New officers were hired and trained

•Coolidge was praised for “saving Boston, if not the nation, from communism and anarchy”

•Steel Mill Strike

•Coal Miners Strike

•Reasons for the decline:

•unions were linked to Communists, socialists, and anarchists

•much of the work force consisted of immigrants willing to work in poor conditions

•immigrant workers were difficult to organize because they spoke many different languages (not English)

•farmers who had migrated to the cities to find factory jobs were used to self-reliance

•most unions excluded African-Americans

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE KLAN Established in 1866 (Tennessee) by Nathan Forrest

Ex-Confederate Soldiers Known as the “Invisible Empire of the South” Main goal was to stop blacks from voting

The Klan practically disappears towards the end of the 1800’s

THE KKK IN THE 1920’S

The film, “Birth of a Nation,” helps increase membership

Promoted “100% Americanism” KKK membership reaches its high

– 4.5 million in 1924 Oppose blacks, Roman Catholics,

Jews, and foreigners Influential in same state politics Lost power by the end of the

decade b/c of criminal activity

SCIENCE VERSUS RELIGION

Traditional ideas Fundamentalism --- Literal

interpretation of the Bible (called for the end of teaching evolution)

Claimed man could not have evolved from apes (believe in Biblical creation theory)

Belief held widely in rural communities (urban v. rural clash)

Butler Law (1925) Tennessee law that forbids the teaching of evolution in the classroom

SCIENCE V. RELIGION

Modern ideas Theory of Evolution (ideas of

Charles Darwin) “Origin of the Species”

Belief that man has evolved from apes

Increasingly accepted idea, especially in urban areas (urban / rural divide)

SCOPES MONKEY TRIAL

John Scopes (biology teacher) challenged the Butler Law Scopes is arrested and his trial was set

ACLU hires Clarence Darrow (an agnostic) to defend him

William Jennings Bryan (fundamentalist) serves as a prosecutor

Darrow tricked Bryan into saying the Bible was subject to interpretation

Scopes found guilty and fined $100 (law stays in effect till 1967)

THE ATTORNEYS

William Jennings BryanCreationism

Clarence Darrow Evolution

1. Why is the hand labeled “Tennessee”?

2. In the opinion of the cartoonist, what is the verdict in Tennessee going to do to education?

1. Does this cartoonist agree with the verdict? What are your clues?

1. Who do you think is the character in the cartoon?

2. What is the opinion of the cartoonist about the verdict of the trial? How do you know?

PROHIBITION AND ORGANIZED CRIME


THE PROHIBITION DEBATE

Debate over prohibition lasted throughout the 1800’s and early 1900’s.

Led by women’s and religious groups (Anti-Saloon League)

18th Amendment – “illegal to manufacture, sell, or transport alcoholic beverages in the U.S.” Volstead Act – Provided enforcement for the 18th

Amendment

Why do you think it was so

difficult to enforce the

Volstead Act?

CULTURE OF PROHIBITION ERA

“Speakeasies” --- Illegal bars that were part of “bootlegging” (the sale of illegal liquor)

Bootleggers --- People who obtained alcohol illegally and sold it

Rum-Runners --- People who used boats to smuggle alcohol

Organized Crime – Increases due to prohibition

Prohibition repealed in 1933 (21st Amendment)

ORGANIZED CRIME “Scarface” Al Capone was the most notorious

gangster of the era Capone becomes “Public Enemy # 1” after the

St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Capone is eventually caught by Eliot Ness for tax

evasion (died in prison)

“In his forty-eight years, Capone had left his mark on the rackets and on

Chicago, and more than anyone else he had demonstrated the folly of Prohibition; in the process he also made a fortune. Beyond that, he

captured and held the imagination of the American public as few public

figures ever do. “

Al Capone

His nickname was “Scarface” after he was attacked by a man who

was defending his sister. Capone received

three cuts from the knife.

“PRETTY BOY” FLOYD

Notorious bank robber who killed more than a dozen men

Responsible for the Union Station Massacre in Kansas City

Also become Public Enemy # 1 Shot and killed by the authorities in

1934

Causes and Effects of Prohibition

THE GREAT DEPRESSION & NEW DEAL1920’s, Great Depression & New Deal

•Policy of laissez-faire

•Lower government spending

•Lower taxes

•Higher tariffs

•Subsidies and loans to encourage business growth

•Decrease in national debt

1920’s Republican Formula for Success

THE BUSINESS OF AMERICA

Coolidge once said, “The business of America is business.”

Gov’t was laissez-faire Tariffs were high to protect American business Wages were increasing along with productivity

THE AUTOMOBILE

The backbone of American industry in the 1920’s

Henry Ford’s assembly line (1913) allows price of cars to be affordable for all $950 in 1909 to $250 in 1925

23 million registered cars by 1930

Not only a luxury any more, but accessible to the middle class as well

The number of registered automobiles in America increased by more than 20 million from 1910-1930.

The “Tin Lizzie” or Ford Model T was the most popular automobile

IMPACT OF THE AUTOMOBILE

Paved roads (Route 66 Across America)

Houses construction carports, garages, and driveways

Gas stations, repair shops, motels, traffic signals, bridges and tunnels

No longer kept families isolated from one another

Allows urban sprawl

Promote economic bases (Detroit, Flint, Akron)

Revolutionize American industry

FUNCTIONS OF THE STOCK MARKET AND BANKING 1920’s, Great Depression & New Deal

CAUSES OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION

1920’s, Great Depression & New Deal

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 1928

Republican domination in the 1920’s

The Candidates Herbert Hoover – Republican candidate Al Smith – Democratic candidate (Irish

Catholic, not well known) Hoover easily wins the election

444 electoral votes, Smith - 87 electoral Significance Shows that the

American public are happy with Republican leadership

Herbert Hoover (Republican) – 30th

President of the United States of America.

Hoover is remembered as the President during the

start of the Great Depression

He calls for “Rugged Individualism” In the

style of laissez-faire politics

CAUSES OF THE DEPRESSION

Industrial failures (# 1) Railroads, textiles and steel

barely made a profit Due to new forms of

transportation, high tariffs, and war time debt.

Coal mining and lumbering not in such high demand after the war.

Even the automobile, construction and consumer goods industries began to weaken by the end of the decade.

American industry is showing signs of weakening.

Farmer Crisis (# 2) During the war, crops

prices rose and farmers took out loans.

In the 20’s, farmers boost production in hopes of making more money (prices decrease)

Farm incomes decrease greatly and many farms have to foreclose and property seized

Price-Supports / Subsidies – Gov’t plan to buy surplus goods and sell them to the world market

CAUSES (CON’T)

Living on Credit (# 3) Consumers bought goods

on credit – spending money they don’t actually have

Overspeculation (Buying on Margin) – Invest in more stock than they can afford

Consumers and investors build up large debts

oUneven distribution of wealth ( # 4)

Despite the rise of a middle class, the rich get richer and poor get poorer

Most Americans could not participate in the economic advances of the 1920’s.

Middle and Lower classes affected the greatest during the Depression

STOCK MARKET CRASHES

Stock market prices begin to fall and confidence decreases.

Black Tuesday (Oct. 29, 1929) – Bottom fell out of the market Shareholders sell their

stocks before prices go down even more.

Many suffer huge debts while others lose most of their savings.

Investors lost about $ 30 Billion (same as US spent on WWI)

“THE BIG BULL MARKET WAS DEAD. BILLIONS OF DOLLARS’ WORTH OF PROFITS – AND PAPER PROFITS

– HAD DISAPPEARED. THE GROCER, THE WINDOW CLEANER, AND THE SEAMSTRESS HAD LOST THEIR CAPITAL [SAVINGS]. IN EVERY TOWN THERE WERE FAMILIES WHICH HAD SUDDENLY DROPPED FROM SHOWY AFFLUENCE INTO DEBT… WITH THE BIG BULL MARKET GONE AND PROSPERITY GOING, AMERICANS WERE SOON TO FIND THEMSELVES

LIVING IN AN ALTERED WORLD WHICH CALLED FOR NEW ADJUSTMENTS, NEW IDEAS, NEW HABITS OF

THOUGHT, AND A NEW ORDER OF VALUES.”~ FREDERICK LEWIS ALLEN

On the 1929 Stock Market Crash…

THE COLLAPSE – AN OVERVIEW

Great Depression – Period from 1929-1940 in which the economy plummeted and unemployment skyrocketed.

The StatisticsBank Failure – By 1933, 11,000 of 25,000 banks failBusinesses fail (90,000 businesses total)Unemployment rises drastically (25% or 13 million

workers)Economic Depression becomes a

worldwide problem.

Warm Up: After reading the excerpt, answer the following question:

If you were living during the Great Depression, do you think that you would feel the same way as Senator Huey Long or would you

be more optimistic about the future of America?“This great and grand dream of America, that all men are created free and equal, endowed with the inalienable right of life and liberty

and the pursuit of happiness, this great dream of America, this great light, and this

great hope, have almost gone out of sight in this day and time, and everybody knows it.

There is a mere candle flicker here and yonder to take place of what the great dream

of America was supposed to be.”

~ Senator Huey Long of Louisiana

THE IMPACT OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION ON SOCIETY


With millions unemployed, men looked everywhere for

jobs to put food on the tables for their families.

The Depression impacts not just those with money in the Stock Market, but

even the common worker and family.

IMPACT IN THE CITY Throughout the cities, the unemployed and

homeless increase Shantytowns – Little towns consisting of

shacks spring up everywhere (also called Hoovervilles)

Soup Kitchens and bread lines (lines of people waiting to receive food provided by charities) become common place

Breadline full of men in New York City

A lone man stands during

the Dust Storms in Oklahoma

Dust Bowl in Oklahoma during the Great Depression

• Catastrophic eight-year drought that hit the Midwestern states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico

• Drought started in 1931

1931 - Severe drought hits the Midwestern and southern plains. As the crops die, the 'black blizzards" begin. Dust from the over-plowed and over-grazed land begins to blow.

1932 - The number of dust storms increases. Fourteen are reported this year; next year there will be 38.

1934 – (May) Great dust storms spread from the Dust Bowl area. The drought is the worst ever in U.S. history, covering more than 75 percent of the country and affecting 27 states severely.

1934 – (December) The "Yearbook of Agriculture" for 1934 announces, "Approximately 35 million acres of formerly cultivated land have essentially been destroyed for crop production. . . . 100 million acres now in crops have lost all or most of the topsoil; 125 million acres of land now in crops are rapidly losing topsoil. . . "

•Farming practices of the Midwestern farmers (plowing millions of acres of grassland)

•Severe Drought – lack of rainfall

•Severe weather patterns (tornadoes, blizzards, dust storms, extremes in temperature)

•Farm foreclosures – destruction of crops forced many farmers to default on their mortgage payments

•Dust Bowl families were displaced and became migrants roaming the Midwest (often migrating to California)

Okies – nickname for the migrants (since so many of them came from Oklahoma)

•Government program targeted to help farmers:

Agricultural Adjustment Act –

•provided funds to keep farmers from losing their land,

•established farm subsidies to lower farm production and raise crop prices,

•set quotas for farmers to prevent overproduction

“Okies” on their way to California,

a photograph very much like

the scenes from “Grapes of

Wrath”

THE AMERICAN FAMILY

Families stand as a symbol of strength, but even they begin to break under the pressures

Families entertain themselves by listening to radio and playing games Monopoly – 1933

Many suffer the difficulties of unemployment and families lose their homes

Homeless Family on the road during the Depression

MEN OF THE DEPRESSION Some men abandon their families because of

shame and discouragement Hoboes – Mostly men who wandered the country,

sleeping under bridges and on railroads (approx. 300,000)

Very little relief to families during the early years of depression

WOMEN OF THE DEPRESSION Women still responsible for

much of the household chores and raising children

Work diligently to save money and some even work Many people become angered

that women are working since many men were not.

Women suffer just as much as men even though they are not seen suffering as much

“Migrant Mother” (1936) is the most well-known photograph from

the Great Depression time period

By Dorothea Lange

CHILDREN OF THE DEPRESSION Poor diets and health problems (lack of milk) Many schools lose funding and have to close

down (children forces to work often times in sweatshops)

Many young teenagers leave home for adventure and work (many are killed by criminals or injured on the trains)

The inside of a school in Alabama

AFRICAN AMERICANS & HISPANICS Unemployment is 30%-60% than whites Numerous racial concerns

Scottsboro Boys African American organizations become split because

of goals (Fighting poverty v. Ending discrimination) Many Hispanics were forced to relocate

PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS

NegativesBetween 1928-32, suicides rise more than 30%Many more admitted to mental institutesHealth, marriage, and even the future of

families are put off Positives

There is a sense of brotherhood that is formed. People helping one another through difficult situations (strong sense of charity)

Habits formed during the Depression shape an entire generation

TWO RESPONSES TO THE DEPRESSION


HOOVER’S IMMEDIATE RESPONSE

Tried to reassure the nation. Continue as usual. “Rugged Individualism” American people will

work hard, hold high moral values, engage in creative problem solving, waste less, and focus on independenceGov’t should play a limited roleOpposed any welfare programs (no direct aid to

the people) Direct aid = corruption, laziness, and a connection to

socialism Hoover’s response confused and angered many

Americans

QUICK RESPONSES

Question # 1 – Think back to what you know of America? Is Rugged Individualism consistent with the definition of America? Why or why not?

Question # 2 – What is the role of the federal government?

BOULDER DAM

Construction of a dam on the Colorado River

Built mostly through Hoover’s efforts

Later referred to as the Hoover Dam

726 ft. high and 1,244 ft. long (tallest in the world)

Provided water supply and flood control throughout the west (still supplies LA and Las Vegas)

Above: Picture of the Colorado River before the Construction

of the Dam

Below: Diagram of the Hoover Dam

The Hoover Dam, as it was later called, was a $700

million project initiated by Herbert Hoover. It was approved in 1928 and

construction began in 1929.

The Dam supplies water throughout many Western states and cities, including Los Angeles and Las Vegas

HOOVER’S AID – PT. I

Boulder Dam was an example of gov’t encouraging cooperation

Hoover believed in “trickle down” (top to bottom) economy Committee for Unemployment Relief

Government committee that raised money for needy communities

Encouraged people and businesses to contribute to privately organized welfare funds called community chests

Hoover’s Radio Address on Unemployment

HOOVER’S AID – PT.II

Federal Home Loan Bank Act Lowered mortgage rates for homeowners and

farmers in order to avoid foreclosure

Reconstruction Finance Corporation Government organization with the power to lend

money from the national treasury Lent $2 billion to banks, insurance companies, loan

associations, railroads, and other businesses Hoped to get business going again Served as indirect relief (so it did not violate

Hoover’s Rugged Individualism)

Too little, too late for Hoover

BONUS EXPEDITIONARY ARMY

10,000-20,000 WWI vets and families arrive in Washington D.C. in 1932

Led by Walter Waters Support the Patman Bill

Authorized gov’t to pay a bonus to WWI vets who had not been compensated for their service

Hoover opposed the bill and it is eventually rejected by Congress

Most of the Bonus Army leaves, but 2,000 stay to meet w/ the President

DISBANDING THE BONUS ARMY

1,000 soldiers (led by Douglas MacArthur and Dwight D. Eisenhower) arrive to remove the Bonus Army

B.A. is gassed (many injured, few die)

The public is stunned by military response (McArthur’s choice, not Hoover’s)

Hoover looks very bad and ensures that the Election of 1932 will go against him

The Bonus Army March

Hoover considered

many criminals or communists,

but allowed them to

assemble.

Public reaction towards Hoover and the government’s actions were negative. Franklin

Roosevelt believed this was the event that won him the election in 1932.

ELECTION OF 1932

Herbert Hoover re-nominated by Republicans Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Democrat

FDR easily wins election

Franklin Delano Roosevelt – 32nd President of the United

States of America

Roosevelt was President longer than any other in

history (12 years).

Roosevelt’s term as President is primarily the

reason for the 22nd Amendment

FDR & THE NEW DEAL

THREE “R’S” OF THE NEW DEAL

Relief, Recovery, ReformRelief Ease the suffering of AmericansRecovery Lay the foundation for

economic growthReform Prevent future economic crisis

“The only thing to fear is fear itself”From 1st Inaugural Address

THE 1ST “100 DAYS”

100 Days Intense gov’t action in first 100 days of office15 bills passed

Period when the New Deal was createdPrograms designed to

help the American people (“Alphabet Soup”)

Bills during this time reflected FDR’s stance on America and its needs

FIRESIDE CHATS

Fireside Chats radio talks about issues of public concern, explaining very clearly FDR’s New Deal programs Very easy for the average American to understand Radio speeches range on all types of topics and used

to convince Americans of the merit of his New Deal programs

March 12, 1933 till the end of his Presidency

Roosevelt’s “fireside chats” helped to restore confidence first in the banking industry and later in many of his New Deal programs

2ND NEW DEAL

With general support among the public and backing by democratic Congress, FDR extended his New Deal programs pushed by his wife Eleanor Roosevelt Second 100 Days Called for more extended programs

and greater gov’t relief

MOST FAMOUS NEW DEAL PROGRAM

Social Security Act (1935) – Intended to protect Americans who were unable to support themselves1) Provided unemployment compensation,

2) money for disabled workers and 3) money for children and widows in case of death

Most well known for old-age pension (% of employee and employer’s money paid back after retirement)

Possibility of undergoing serious change in the near future

ATTACKS ON THE NEW DEAL Liberals feel FDR hasn’t gone far enough Conservatives argue he has gone too far.

THE CRITICS

American Liberty League (Al Smith) – Conservatives who were against the New Deal programs

Upton Sinclair (Socialist) – “End Poverty in California” Sinclair runs for

Governor of California as a Democrat

Charles Coughlin (Roman Catholic priest) – spoke against Roosevelt Had a radio

audience of 40-50 million.

He loses support because of anti-Semitic views

MORE ATTACKS

Dr. Francis Townsenddevised a plan that would provide monthly payments

to the elderly (Townsend Plan - $ 200/month) Huey Long (Senator from Louisiana) – “Share our

Wealth” Impassioned and fiery speakerLimit fortunes to $ 3-4 million$ 5,000 homestead and $ 2,500 incomeFree college educationPopularity was rising fast but was assassinated (Could

have been a factor in the 1936 Presidential Election)

THE BATTLE IN THE COURTS Older members of the Supreme Court call

many New Deal laws unconstitutional Court Packing controversy

FDR attempts to add more justices to the court FDR tries to force some to retire and add more

justices to the courts (not passed by Congress) By the end of his 2nd term, FDR elected 3 new

justices (all together, he elects 7) All are pro-New Deal

FDR wanted Congress to allow him to add 6 justices to the U.S. Supreme Court

•All would be pro-New Deal•Congress did not pass this legislation•Afraid of an imbalance in the 3 branches of gov’t

LEGACY OF THE NEW DEAL


ENDING THE NEW DEAL

Many begin to doubt FDR’s New Deal programs when depression does not endStock Market takes a downturn in 1938 and more

Americans lose jobs Americans begin to look again overseas

Many foreign problemsWWII begins (more Americans go back to work and

wartime industry takes off again) New Deal eases the suffering of people, but

WWII ends the depression

LONG TERM IMPACT OF THE NEW DEAL

Extended power of federal gov’t (#1) Gov’t helps out banks, industry and agricultureInvolvement is permanentStill manage mortgage loans, still pay subsidies,

electricity, watch the stock exchange, etcExtend power of the President (#2)

Despite all the controversy, FDR is one of the most loved Presidents

FDR sets example that President must have strong executive power and did much to broaden the President’s role

LONG TERM (CON’T)

Deficit Spending (#3) Spending more money than the gov’t has in taxesAlso called Keynesian economics (practiced by

many Presidents in the future)

Federal Social Programs (#4) Welfare State – view that the gov’t is responsible

for the economic security of the peopleSocial Security, unemployment, federal housing,

education, handicapped, mothers w/ dependent children

LONG TERM (CON’T)

Concern for workers (#5)Working to give workers more rights, safer

workplaces, and freedom from racial or sexual discrimination

Conservation Gains (#6)Conservation becomes permanent part of

legislationMentality of saving farmlands, forests, and

America landscape for future generations

FINAL IMPACT

Renewed Faith in Democracy (#7) Great Depression questioned the concept of democracy (especially

during a time of rising Communism and Fascism) Showed that the American form of gov’t was strong enough to

protect its people Prepared America for the struggle that was ahead and the struggles

we still face today

MISCELLANEOUS CULTURE OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION


THE CHANGES FOR WOMEN Frances Perkins becomes the 1st female cabinet

member Eleanor Roosevelt becomes active in politics and

was a symbol of American women Moderate, although not great, change in amount

of women working and wage increase

MOTION PICTURES AND THE RADIO Both capture the imagination of the

public Comedies, musicals, love stories and

gangster films were all popular “Gone With the Wind” (1939). “Wizard

of Oz” (1939), “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937)

Marx Brothers, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rodgers, Clark Gable

Presented all aspects of American life

RADIO

Time for the family to gather together FDR’s “fireside chats” Orson Wells and “War of the Worlds” Comedian Bob Hope began on the radio News coverage on radio became common

(crashing of the Hindenburg in 1937)

Unit 3 Notes Final

Education

Transcript of Unit 3 Notes Final