The Economy Falls Apart
What event in 1929 is commonly considered the beginning of the Great Depression?
The Stock Market Crash of 1929.
What were the shantytowns built by homeless Americans called?
Hoovervilles.
What disaster brought massive dust storms to the Great Plains?
The Dust Bowl.
What major dam project did Hoover support?
Hoover Dam.
What group of World War I veterans marched on Washington demanding early payment of bonuses?
The Bonus Army
What was it called when many people tried to withdraw all their money at once from a bank?
Bank Runs
Where did many hungry Americans go to receive free meals?
Soup kitchens and breadlines.
What prolonged weather condition helped cause the Dust Bowl?
Drought.
What government agency provided loans to banks and businesses?
The Reconstruction Finance Corporation, or RFC.
How were people treated in the Bonus Army?
They were pushed off with tanks and tear gas by Douglas MacArthur
How did other countries respond to the Hawley-Smoot Tariff?
They imposed retaliatory tariffs on American goods.
Free
Free
Besides drought, what human activity helped cause the Dust Bowl?
Poor farming practices that left soil exposed to wind erosion.
What policy favors state and local responses to problems rather than major federal involvement?
Localism.
Why did many Americans lose confidence in Hoover despite his efforts to help the economy?
Unemployment, bank failures, homelessness, and hunger continued. Many believed his response provided too little help or worked too slowly.
What tariff raised taxes on imported goods during Hoover’s presidency?
The Hawley-Smoot Tariff, also called the Smoot-Hawley Tariff.
A family loses its Oklahoma farm and moves to California looking for work. What process does this illustrate?
Migration.
What were the migrants called that moved from the Great Plains to the West searching for work?
Okies.
What is the difference between direct relief and Hoover’s approach of helping banks and businesses first?
Direct relief gives assistance directly to people in need. Hoover’s approach aimed to stabilize businesses and banks so recovery would eventually help workers.
Who were some leaders that rose to power during the Great Depression?
Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin
Explain how higher tariffs could make the Great Depression worse.
Other countries retaliated, reducing international trade. American businesses sold fewer exports, contributing to lost income and jobs.
What was the message behind Hoovervilles, Hoover Flags, and Hoover Blankets?
People blamed Hoover for the Depression
How did the Dust Bowl contribute to migration?
Dust storms and crop failures ruined farms and livelihoods, pushing families to move in search of work.
Explain the idea called “trickle-down economics” on the test and how Hoover expected it to help unemployed workers.
Helping banks and businesses would encourage lending, investment, production, and hiring. Those improvements would eventually create jobs and benefit workers.
How could economic hardship make people more willing to support extremist or authoritarian political movements?
People desperate for jobs and security might support leaders promising rapid recovery, stability, and strong leadership, even at the expense of freedoms.