THE EARLY GREAT DEPRESSION
Elected president in 1928, this former engineer emphasized voluntary cooperation over government action and soon became widely unpopular.
Who was Herbert Hoover?
This Democratic governor of New York won the presidency by promising bold federal action and a “New Deal” for Americans.
Who was Franklin Delano Roosevelt?
In his initial months in office, FDR and Congress passed fifteen major bills designed for relief, recovery, and reform.
What were the Hundred Days?
Unveiled in 1935, this next wave of Roosevelt’s agenda included stronger social welfare and further regulations on big business.
What was the Second New Deal?
Scoring a landslide victory in this election, FDR solidified popular support for expanded federal government roles.
What was the 1936 election?
After 1929, the United States continued linking its currency to a precious-metal-based system, limiting its economic flexibility.
What was the Gold Standard?
Accused of inaction amid the crisis, this Republican incumbent lost by a landslide in the 1932 election.
Who was Herbert Hoover?
By calmly explaining new policies in radio broadcasts, FDR reassured citizens and garnered massive public support.
What were the fireside chats?
This 1935 labor legislation upheld the right of industrial workers to organize and mandated collective bargaining in unionized shops.
What was the Wagner Act?
When Roosevelt tried to add new members to the judiciary in 1937, critics accused him of undermining the Constitution by pursuing this plan.
What was “court-packing” the Supreme Court?
Intended to protect domestic producers, this 1930 law imposed steep tariffs on imports, prompting foreign retaliation that worsened the global slump.
What was the Smoot-Hawley Tariff?
By favoring direct relief measures, the Democratic ticket drew huge support from workers, farmers, and people who lived in these densely populated areas.
What were cities?
In March 1933, Roosevelt closed all banks and swiftly pushed this act, allowing stable institutions to reopen under federal oversight.
What was the Emergency Banking Act?
Among its provisions were old-age pensions, unemployment insurance, and aid to widows and the disabled, creating America’s core safety net.
What was the Social Security Act of 1935?
When federal spending was cut in 1937, the economy dipped again, illustrating that recovery was still fragile.
What was the Roosevelt Recession?
Angered that their service bonuses were delayed, these World War I veterans marched on Washington in 1932, only to be forcibly removed.
Who were the Bonus Army?
This campaign slogan captured FDR’s pledge of using new forms of government involvement to tackle the Depression.
What was the “New Deal”?
Creating the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and restricting banks’ securities activities, this legislation restored trust in the financial system.
What was the Glass-Steagall Act?
Grounded in the belief that government should guarantee citizens’ basic well-being, this ideology shaped FDR’s signature policies.
What was New Deal liberalism?
Advocating deficit spending and control of interest rates, this influential economist argued that government could manage economic cycles.
Who was John Maynard Keynes?
With the economy collapsing, many jobless Americans erroneously believed their plight was a result of their own moral failing.
What was the widespread sense of personal blame for unemployment?
With this decisive win, FDR claimed a mandate to launch sweeping reforms, ushering in a lasting partisan realignment in American politics.
What was the 1932 election’s political realignment?
The overarching goals of these sweeping New Deal bills included short-term assistance, regrowth of the economy, and long-term safeguards.
What were relief, recovery, and reform?
The agency whose projects ranged from building bridges to funding artists’ murals, employing millions from 1935 until 1943.
What was the Works Progress Administration (WPA)?
By the end of the 1930s, programs supporting workers, retirees, and financial regulation formed the foundation of this enduring framework.
What was the New Deal social safety net (or the legacy of New Deal reforms)?