Vocab
Ch 20
Ch 22
Ch 23
100

What was the Social Security Act?

Social Security Act - provided pensions for retired workers, compensation for unemployed and disabled workers

100

What was the Emergency Quota Act?

An act that limited the number of people who could enter America from each country.

100

What was the Great Depression?

The period from 1929 to 1940 in which the economy went down and unemployment went up. Basically causing bank failures, business closures, and widespread unemployment.

100

Did Hoover directly help the people who were suffering during the Great Depression?

Hoover did not directly help the people, however he tried to create organizations to help charities raise money for the poor. He also tried to support businesses and organizations to bring more money to the American economy rather than directly to the people.

200

Why was buying on margin so dangerous for investors?

Because it allowed the investors to pay a small percentage of a stock’s price as a down payment and borrow the rest, leading to debt.

200

What was the Ku Klux Klan, and who did they oppose (were against/did not like)?

They were a secret group that participated in secret rituals and racial violence. They opposed immigrants, unions, Roman Catholics, and Jews.

200

Give two causes of the Great Depression.

  • Causes of the Great Depression: tariffs, farm crises, easy credit, income inequality, and government policies, including low-interest rates and lack of regulation
200

Name two of the four categories that Franklin Delano Roosevelt focused on in the first 100 Days in office.

Legislation focused on 4 major areas: banks, agriculture, businesses, and unemployment.

300

What was credit, and why was "living on credit" so dangerous for consumers?

Many Americans lived beyond their means, buying goods on credit (an arrangement in which consumers agree to buy now and pay later for purchases, usually using an installment plan) and ended up gaining debt quickly.

300

How did war effect the United States? Think about the effects on citizens, soldiers, and the government.

Citizens and soldiers were exhausted from the war, and had to adjust to life. The government was trying to get ahead of the post war boom and help the economy adjust.

300

When people lost their homes and couldn't afford to eat, where did they live, where could they get free food?


Extra Credit- what was someone called who wandered the country on railroad box cars in search of food or work?

People lost jobs and were kicked out of their homes, causing them to have to live in Shantytowns/Hoovervilles- settlements consisting of shacks that were in cities.

They could get food at Soup Kitchens which gave free or low-cost food for the needy.

EC- Hobos

 

300

How did Union membership increase after the New Deals?

Union membership increased through the Wagner Act - workers had the right to join unions, and couldn’t be fired for joining a union.

400

What was Stock Market Speculation?

Stock Market Speculation: The stock market boom of the 1920s was fueled by speculation- making bets on the future price of an asset in the hopes of earning a quick return on investment, which led to overinvestment and instability in the economy.

400

What was the Communist Party, and why was the United States afraid of them?

The Communist Party was a political party that emphasized the creation of a government/economic system where all people creating and sharing wealth as a nation. 

The United States was afraid of them because they were against the United States' government (democracy), and were known to be anarchists (publicly causing trouble by going against the government).

400

Give two social/psychological effects of the Great Depression.

  • 1928 to 1932 – suicide rate rose over 30%.
  • Admissions to state mental hospitals tripled.
  • People gave up health care, college, put off marriage & children.
  • Stigma (negative judgment) of poverty didn’t disappear & financial security became the goal.
  • Many people showed great kindness to strangers as they gave them food, clothing & a place to stay .
  • People developed a habit of saving and thriftiness.
400

What was the purpose of the organizations formed by the government during the Great Depression? Give two goals/purposes.

The organizations formed were to provide relief/work to the unemployed, give money to relief programs, and fund construction projects.

500

Give a basic definition of Isolationism and Nativism. How did those two ideas change the lives of immigrants living in the United States?

Isolationism is a policy that resists involvement in foreign affairs.

Nativism is prejudice against foreign born people.

These ideas changed the lives of immigrants as they led to anti-immigrant sentiment (feelings), and led to many policies made against immigrants/immigration.

500

What was the three parts to the Dawes Plan?

The United States would loan money to Germany, Germany would repay the allies reparations (money to pay for the destruction caused), and the allies would then pay back the United States the money they owed from the war.

500

Why were farmers in crisis as the Great Depression was starting?

Prices fell after World War I, leading to overproduction, debt, and foreclosures on farms (farmers not being able to afford payments for the land).

500

Summarize the First New Deal and Second New Deal in a few words.

1st New Deal - economic recovery, 2nd New Deal - social justice and safety net