Chapter 33: The Great Depression and the New Deal
Identifications
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt was the longest First Lady of the US. She served for four terms with her husband, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She was known for being the conscience behind the New Deal and supporting human rights.
Harry Hopkins
Harry Lloyd Hopkins was one of the closest advisors for FDR and helped him created the New Deal. He later took over the WPA and helped get the United States get out of the Great Depression.
Frances Perkins
Frances Perkins was the first woman to be on the US Cabinet of the President. She was the US Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945. She was a friend of FDR and supported the Labor Movement and the New Deal.
Father Coughlin
Father Charles Edward Coughlin was a Roman Catholic priest of the National Shrine of the Little Flower Church. He was the first to use radios to reach a mass audience in the early 1930s. He started as a supporter then turned into a critic of FDR.
Huey Long
Huey Long was nicknamed the Kingfish when he served as the 40th Governor of Louisiana. He was outspoken and got followers through his orator skills. He became a political boss and many saw him as a fascist leader rising to power.
Francis Townshend
Francis Townshend was a physician that was best known for creating the idea of the pension during the Great Depression. It was called the Townsend Plan and influenced the creation of the Social Security System.
Harold Ickes
Harold Ickes was the US Secretary of the Interior for 13 years and was the longest person to hold that office. He was responsible for much of the New Deal and was the one of the members of the original cabinet.
Alfred M. Landon
Alfred Mossman Landon was a Republican who was Governor of Kansas from 1933 to 1937. He was known as the Republican Candidate Nominee in the election of 1936 against FDR.
Brain Trust(s)
Brain Trusts refers to the group of close advisors of the President. They are expertsin their respective fields and were made famous during Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidency.
The three R's
The three R’s consisted of reading, writing, and arithmetic. It was created by Sir William Curtis but was focused on during Franklin Roosevelt’s Presidency for his New Deal Policies.
National Labor Relation Board
The National Labor Relation Board is a government agency that promoted labor unions. It helps with unfair labor practices by investigating and fixing these problems. It was created during FDR’s presidency.
Congress of Industrial Organizations
The CIO was created by John L. Lewis that helped workers organize themselves into labor unions. It was founded in 1938 during the New Deal. It was open to African Americans and helped them find jobs also.
Liberty League
This was founded during FDR’s presidency and was created by Democrats who opposed the New Deal. It was active until FDR won by a landslide in the 1936 Presidential election.
Court-packing scheme
This was also known as the Judicial Procedures Reform bill. It was proposed by FDR to add one more justice to the supreme court so he could get more favor toward his New Deal plans.
Guided Reading Questions
FDR: A Politician in a Wheelchair
Know: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt
1 What kind of man was FDR?
Franklin Delano Roosevelt had infantile paralysis and had to have steel braces on his legs. He was six feet two inches and light weight. He was very determined but patient and compassionate. He had a commanding presence and a golden voice. His wife was Eleanor Roosevelt and she was called the conscience of the New Deal.
Presidential Hopefuls of 1932
2. What was Roosevelt's campaign message in the 1932 election?
Roosevelt had the slogan, “Roosevelt is Robust” to get as many voters as possible. He fought against the Republican Old Dealers by preaching his New Deal. Most of his speeches were written by young reform minded people that focused on the New Deal legislation. They were against Hoover and promised a balanced budget.
The Humiliation of Hoover in 1932
3. What were the immediate results of Roosevelt's victory?
Many blacks voted for Roosevelt. He immediately got to work with the war debt. Hoover still tried to give Roosevelt some of his policies but Roosevelt did not listen. He immediately got started with his New Deal plan.
FDR and the Three R's: Relief, Recovery, Reform
Know: New Deal, Banking Holiday, Hundred Days, Three R's,
4. Describe the New Deal.
Roosevelt wanted to fight the Great Depression. The first thing he did was declare a bank holiday so that he can control the banks. The first Hundred Days was aimed that the three R’s. He wanted immediate recovery while setting long-term goals.
Roosevelt Manages the Money
Know: Fireside Chats, Glass-Steagall Banking Reform Act, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Managed Currency
5. What were the key aspects of FDR's monetary policy?
He passed the Emergency Banking Relief Act if 1933 to regulate the banks. Next, he used his Fireside Chats by using the radio to personally talk to the public and tell them about his new policies. He also passed the Glass-Steagall Banking Reform act to insure deposits up to 5000 dollars. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was made to control banks and money. He Managed Currency and got rid of the Gold Standard and replaced it with paper money.
Creating Jobs for the Jobless
Know: Pump Priming, CCC, FERA, Harry Hopkins, AAA, HOLC, CWA
6. Explain the difference between New Deal agencies and what radical critics wanted the government to do.
In the first hundred days of the new deal, Congress made the CCC to employ uniformed men. Their work consisted of reforestation, fire fighting, flood control, and swam drainage. Congress passed the FERA which was aimed for immediate relief. Harry Hopkins funded $3billion dollars for this. The AAA helped farmers and the HOLC refinanced mortgages. FDR created the CWA to provide temporary jobs during the winter.
A Day for Every Demagogue
Know: Father Charles Coughlin, Huey Long, Dr. Francis E. Townsend, WPA
7. List other historical demagogues.
Father Charles Coughlin was a Catholic priest who began protesting against the federal government. Another one of these people were Huey long who used his money to gain power. Dr. Francis E. Townsend attracted 5 million senior citizens by giving them $200 a month. The led to the WPA to create jobs and infrastructure.
New Visibility for Women
Know: Frances Perkins, Mary McLeod Bethune, Ruth Benedict, Margaret Mead, Pearl Buck
8. Explain the factors that made it possible for these women to gain fame.
The Nineteenth Amendment helped women carve a larger space for themselves in the nation’s political and intellectual life. Women also made important contributions in the social sciences, especially in the relatively new and open field of anthropology.
Helping Industry and Labor
Know: NRA, Sick Chicken Decision, PWA, Harold Ickes
9. How did the NRA attempt to restore industry?
The NRA granted benefits to workers and their labor unions. It started to collapse in 1935 when the public saw the sick chicken of the Scheter Brothers. Congress passed the PWA from the NRA which provided unemployment relief. It gave $4 billion to projects in the nation.
Paying Farmers Not to Farm
10. How did the federal government attempt to help farmers?
The AAA established prices for products and eliminated surplus by paying famers to not farm. These payments were raised by taxes on farm products to shift burden onto consumers instead of farmers. This allowed subsidized scarcity.
Dust Bowls and Black Blizzards
Know: Dust Bowl, Okies and Arkies, The Grapes of Wrath, Indian Reorganization Act
11. How did nature cause problems for some farmers on the plains?
Farmers in the Midwest had to face Dust Bowls. This was started by droughts and strong winds. Dry-farming techniques and mechanization also tore up sod and left no roots in the ground. The people caught in the Dust Bowl were called Okies and Arkies. Their journey to the west was depicted in the Grapes of Wrath. This caused the Indian Reorganization Act.
Makers of America: The Dust Bowl Migrants
Know: San Joaquin Valley, Farm Security Administration, Okievilles
12. In what ways were things better in California? In what ways were they the same?
In California there were new jobs and it was better than living in the dust Bowl. Many favored San Joaquin Valley because of its abundant land. It was similar to where they came from however because there was poverty there. The FSA helped settling Okies.
Battling Bankers and Big Business
Know: Federal Securities Act, SEC
13. "Reformist New Dealers were determined from the outset to curb the `money changers....'" Explain.
Wanting to prevent the wall street crash from ever happening again, Congress passed the Trust in Securities Act (Federal Securities Act) which required banks to send in information about their stocks and bonds. It also authorized the SEC to watch the stock market.
The TVA Harnesses the Tennessee River
Know: TVA, Creeping Socialism
14. What arguments were used for and against the TVA project?
The TVA was passed in 1933 to create a dam and discover how much electricity cost. People called this act socialism but it actually brought cheap energy and improved living conditions in the Midwest and poverty-stricken regions.
Housing Reform and Social Security
Know: FHA, Social Security
15. How did the FHA and Social Security attempt to help some of society's least fortunate?
The FHA stimulated the building industry by small loans to householders by improving their dwellings and making new ones. The USHA lent money for low cost construction to promote real estate. Social Security helped the retired from the taxes collected from their wages.
A New Deal for Labor
Know: Wagner Act, National Labor Relations Board, CIO, John L. Lewis, Sit-down Strike
16. How did labor respond to the improvement of conditions brought about by the New Deal?
The Wagner Act and National Labor Relations Act created the National Labor Relations Board to assert the right of labor. It encouraged workers to create unions and this led to John L. Lewis and the CIO. The CIO then held a Sit-down Strike to get what they wanted. This urged Congress to pass the Fair Labor and Standards Act.
Landon Challenges "the Champ”
Know: Alfred Landon, American Liberty League
17. What was the significance of the 1936 election?
The 1936 election was significant because Alfred Landon ran against FDR. Many condemned his daical ways and wanted someone more moderate. That was the role Alfred Landon filled and FDR is furious. However, FDR still won and the Democrats still had 2/3 of the seats in the House.
Nine Old Men on the Supreme Bench
18. Why did Roosevelt ask Congress for a bill that would allow him to add justices to the Supreme Court?
Roosevelt passed the 20th amendment to get into office earlier. He started the second hundred days. He wanted more justices to obstruct conservatism in the court. He wanted new blood in the court and this caused much criticism and problems.
The Court Changes Course
Know: Court Packing, Hugo Black
19. What were the consequences of FDR's attempt to pack the Court?
His court packing was seen as the dictator bill. This broke down the checks and balances between the three branches of the government. Hugo Black was the New Dealer on the Supreme Court. Congress then passed a bill to unpack the Court.
The Twilight of the New Deal
Know: Roosevelt Recession, John Maynard Keynes, Hatch Act
20. Assess the successfulness of FDR in his second term.
In FDR’s first term he dropped unemployment, but it still wasn’t enough. In 1937, the economy went through another depression because of Social Securities Tax. In his second turn, he wanted to control deficit spending. As he was doing this, he was still trying to push his New Deal through. Then toward the end, he failed to pass it.
New Deal or Raw Deal?
21. What criticism of the New Deal seems most fair to you? Least fair?
I think the most fair criticism of the New Deal is budget balancing. We can see that it failed because of the depression in the depression. Also, the debt increased by $30 bill. The least fail criticism was that he did not help businesses and unemployment. He clearly created jobs and helped businesses thrive again.
Varying Viewpoints: How Radical Was the New Deal
Know: Arthur Schlesinger Jr., Carl Degler, Constraints School of Historians, New Deal Coalition
22. What did William Leuechtenburg mean when he called the New Deal a "half-way revolution?" (Your answer should focus more on the information before this term than on the information after it.)
This was called the half-way revolution because you can see that FDR tries to save the economy and get the country out of the depression. This only worked in the beginning of his presidency but during his second term is failed. He provided a lot of reform without bloodshed and promoted democracy.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt was the longest First Lady of the US. She served for four terms with her husband, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She was known for being the conscience behind the New Deal and supporting human rights.
Harry Hopkins
Harry Lloyd Hopkins was one of the closest advisors for FDR and helped him created the New Deal. He later took over the WPA and helped get the United States get out of the Great Depression.
Frances Perkins
Frances Perkins was the first woman to be on the US Cabinet of the President. She was the US Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945. She was a friend of FDR and supported the Labor Movement and the New Deal.
Father Coughlin
Father Charles Edward Coughlin was a Roman Catholic priest of the National Shrine of the Little Flower Church. He was the first to use radios to reach a mass audience in the early 1930s. He started as a supporter then turned into a critic of FDR.
Huey Long
Huey Long was nicknamed the Kingfish when he served as the 40th Governor of Louisiana. He was outspoken and got followers through his orator skills. He became a political boss and many saw him as a fascist leader rising to power.
Francis Townshend
Francis Townshend was a physician that was best known for creating the idea of the pension during the Great Depression. It was called the Townsend Plan and influenced the creation of the Social Security System.
Harold Ickes
Harold Ickes was the US Secretary of the Interior for 13 years and was the longest person to hold that office. He was responsible for much of the New Deal and was the one of the members of the original cabinet.
Alfred M. Landon
Alfred Mossman Landon was a Republican who was Governor of Kansas from 1933 to 1937. He was known as the Republican Candidate Nominee in the election of 1936 against FDR.
Brain Trust(s)
Brain Trusts refers to the group of close advisors of the President. They are expertsin their respective fields and were made famous during Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidency.
The three R's
The three R’s consisted of reading, writing, and arithmetic. It was created by Sir William Curtis but was focused on during Franklin Roosevelt’s Presidency for his New Deal Policies.
National Labor Relation Board
The National Labor Relation Board is a government agency that promoted labor unions. It helps with unfair labor practices by investigating and fixing these problems. It was created during FDR’s presidency.
Congress of Industrial Organizations
The CIO was created by John L. Lewis that helped workers organize themselves into labor unions. It was founded in 1938 during the New Deal. It was open to African Americans and helped them find jobs also.
Liberty League
This was founded during FDR’s presidency and was created by Democrats who opposed the New Deal. It was active until FDR won by a landslide in the 1936 Presidential election.
Court-packing scheme
This was also known as the Judicial Procedures Reform bill. It was proposed by FDR to add one more justice to the supreme court so he could get more favor toward his New Deal plans.
Guided Reading Questions
FDR: A Politician in a Wheelchair
Know: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt
1 What kind of man was FDR?
Franklin Delano Roosevelt had infantile paralysis and had to have steel braces on his legs. He was six feet two inches and light weight. He was very determined but patient and compassionate. He had a commanding presence and a golden voice. His wife was Eleanor Roosevelt and she was called the conscience of the New Deal.
Presidential Hopefuls of 1932
2. What was Roosevelt's campaign message in the 1932 election?
Roosevelt had the slogan, “Roosevelt is Robust” to get as many voters as possible. He fought against the Republican Old Dealers by preaching his New Deal. Most of his speeches were written by young reform minded people that focused on the New Deal legislation. They were against Hoover and promised a balanced budget.
The Humiliation of Hoover in 1932
3. What were the immediate results of Roosevelt's victory?
Many blacks voted for Roosevelt. He immediately got to work with the war debt. Hoover still tried to give Roosevelt some of his policies but Roosevelt did not listen. He immediately got started with his New Deal plan.
FDR and the Three R's: Relief, Recovery, Reform
Know: New Deal, Banking Holiday, Hundred Days, Three R's,
4. Describe the New Deal.
Roosevelt wanted to fight the Great Depression. The first thing he did was declare a bank holiday so that he can control the banks. The first Hundred Days was aimed that the three R’s. He wanted immediate recovery while setting long-term goals.
Roosevelt Manages the Money
Know: Fireside Chats, Glass-Steagall Banking Reform Act, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Managed Currency
5. What were the key aspects of FDR's monetary policy?
He passed the Emergency Banking Relief Act if 1933 to regulate the banks. Next, he used his Fireside Chats by using the radio to personally talk to the public and tell them about his new policies. He also passed the Glass-Steagall Banking Reform act to insure deposits up to 5000 dollars. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was made to control banks and money. He Managed Currency and got rid of the Gold Standard and replaced it with paper money.
Creating Jobs for the Jobless
Know: Pump Priming, CCC, FERA, Harry Hopkins, AAA, HOLC, CWA
6. Explain the difference between New Deal agencies and what radical critics wanted the government to do.
In the first hundred days of the new deal, Congress made the CCC to employ uniformed men. Their work consisted of reforestation, fire fighting, flood control, and swam drainage. Congress passed the FERA which was aimed for immediate relief. Harry Hopkins funded $3billion dollars for this. The AAA helped farmers and the HOLC refinanced mortgages. FDR created the CWA to provide temporary jobs during the winter.
A Day for Every Demagogue
Know: Father Charles Coughlin, Huey Long, Dr. Francis E. Townsend, WPA
7. List other historical demagogues.
Father Charles Coughlin was a Catholic priest who began protesting against the federal government. Another one of these people were Huey long who used his money to gain power. Dr. Francis E. Townsend attracted 5 million senior citizens by giving them $200 a month. The led to the WPA to create jobs and infrastructure.
New Visibility for Women
Know: Frances Perkins, Mary McLeod Bethune, Ruth Benedict, Margaret Mead, Pearl Buck
8. Explain the factors that made it possible for these women to gain fame.
The Nineteenth Amendment helped women carve a larger space for themselves in the nation’s political and intellectual life. Women also made important contributions in the social sciences, especially in the relatively new and open field of anthropology.
Helping Industry and Labor
Know: NRA, Sick Chicken Decision, PWA, Harold Ickes
9. How did the NRA attempt to restore industry?
The NRA granted benefits to workers and their labor unions. It started to collapse in 1935 when the public saw the sick chicken of the Scheter Brothers. Congress passed the PWA from the NRA which provided unemployment relief. It gave $4 billion to projects in the nation.
Paying Farmers Not to Farm
10. How did the federal government attempt to help farmers?
The AAA established prices for products and eliminated surplus by paying famers to not farm. These payments were raised by taxes on farm products to shift burden onto consumers instead of farmers. This allowed subsidized scarcity.
Dust Bowls and Black Blizzards
Know: Dust Bowl, Okies and Arkies, The Grapes of Wrath, Indian Reorganization Act
11. How did nature cause problems for some farmers on the plains?
Farmers in the Midwest had to face Dust Bowls. This was started by droughts and strong winds. Dry-farming techniques and mechanization also tore up sod and left no roots in the ground. The people caught in the Dust Bowl were called Okies and Arkies. Their journey to the west was depicted in the Grapes of Wrath. This caused the Indian Reorganization Act.
Makers of America: The Dust Bowl Migrants
Know: San Joaquin Valley, Farm Security Administration, Okievilles
12. In what ways were things better in California? In what ways were they the same?
In California there were new jobs and it was better than living in the dust Bowl. Many favored San Joaquin Valley because of its abundant land. It was similar to where they came from however because there was poverty there. The FSA helped settling Okies.
Battling Bankers and Big Business
Know: Federal Securities Act, SEC
13. "Reformist New Dealers were determined from the outset to curb the `money changers....'" Explain.
Wanting to prevent the wall street crash from ever happening again, Congress passed the Trust in Securities Act (Federal Securities Act) which required banks to send in information about their stocks and bonds. It also authorized the SEC to watch the stock market.
The TVA Harnesses the Tennessee River
Know: TVA, Creeping Socialism
14. What arguments were used for and against the TVA project?
The TVA was passed in 1933 to create a dam and discover how much electricity cost. People called this act socialism but it actually brought cheap energy and improved living conditions in the Midwest and poverty-stricken regions.
Housing Reform and Social Security
Know: FHA, Social Security
15. How did the FHA and Social Security attempt to help some of society's least fortunate?
The FHA stimulated the building industry by small loans to householders by improving their dwellings and making new ones. The USHA lent money for low cost construction to promote real estate. Social Security helped the retired from the taxes collected from their wages.
A New Deal for Labor
Know: Wagner Act, National Labor Relations Board, CIO, John L. Lewis, Sit-down Strike
16. How did labor respond to the improvement of conditions brought about by the New Deal?
The Wagner Act and National Labor Relations Act created the National Labor Relations Board to assert the right of labor. It encouraged workers to create unions and this led to John L. Lewis and the CIO. The CIO then held a Sit-down Strike to get what they wanted. This urged Congress to pass the Fair Labor and Standards Act.
Landon Challenges "the Champ”
Know: Alfred Landon, American Liberty League
17. What was the significance of the 1936 election?
The 1936 election was significant because Alfred Landon ran against FDR. Many condemned his daical ways and wanted someone more moderate. That was the role Alfred Landon filled and FDR is furious. However, FDR still won and the Democrats still had 2/3 of the seats in the House.
Nine Old Men on the Supreme Bench
18. Why did Roosevelt ask Congress for a bill that would allow him to add justices to the Supreme Court?
Roosevelt passed the 20th amendment to get into office earlier. He started the second hundred days. He wanted more justices to obstruct conservatism in the court. He wanted new blood in the court and this caused much criticism and problems.
The Court Changes Course
Know: Court Packing, Hugo Black
19. What were the consequences of FDR's attempt to pack the Court?
His court packing was seen as the dictator bill. This broke down the checks and balances between the three branches of the government. Hugo Black was the New Dealer on the Supreme Court. Congress then passed a bill to unpack the Court.
The Twilight of the New Deal
Know: Roosevelt Recession, John Maynard Keynes, Hatch Act
20. Assess the successfulness of FDR in his second term.
In FDR’s first term he dropped unemployment, but it still wasn’t enough. In 1937, the economy went through another depression because of Social Securities Tax. In his second turn, he wanted to control deficit spending. As he was doing this, he was still trying to push his New Deal through. Then toward the end, he failed to pass it.
New Deal or Raw Deal?
21. What criticism of the New Deal seems most fair to you? Least fair?
I think the most fair criticism of the New Deal is budget balancing. We can see that it failed because of the depression in the depression. Also, the debt increased by $30 bill. The least fail criticism was that he did not help businesses and unemployment. He clearly created jobs and helped businesses thrive again.
Varying Viewpoints: How Radical Was the New Deal
Know: Arthur Schlesinger Jr., Carl Degler, Constraints School of Historians, New Deal Coalition
22. What did William Leuechtenburg mean when he called the New Deal a "half-way revolution?" (Your answer should focus more on the information before this term than on the information after it.)
This was called the half-way revolution because you can see that FDR tries to save the economy and get the country out of the depression. This only worked in the beginning of his presidency but during his second term is failed. He provided a lot of reform without bloodshed and promoted democracy.