Causes of the Great Depression
What is the Stock Market Crash of 1929?
This economic event is considered one of the primary triggers of the Great Depression, where stock prices soared to unsustainable levels and ultimately crashed in October 1929.
Who is Herbert Hoover?
This President was in office at the time of the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and was often criticized for not doing enough to prevent the economic collapse.
What is the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)?
This New Deal program provided jobs for young, unmarried men in environmental conservation and public works.
What is the Bonus Army March?
This event, which occurred in 1932, saw thousands of World War I veterans marching on Washington, D.C., demanding early payment of bonuses they had been promised.
What is the Dust Bowl?
Farmers during the Great Depression were hit hard, particularly in the Midwest and Great Plains, due to this environmental disaster.
What is the Dust Bowl?
This agricultural phenomenon in the Great Plains led to crop failure, poverty, and mass migration in the 1930s.
Who is Franklin D. Roosevelt?
This President took office in 1933 and implemented a series of programs to combat the Great Depression, known as the New Deal.
What is the Works Progress Administration (WPA)?
This New Deal program built infrastructure like bridges, roads, and public buildings, employing millions of workers during the Depression.
What is the Emergency Banking Relief Act?
In 1933, FDR declared a "bank holiday" to close all banks temporarily and prevent mass withdrawals, stabilizing the banking system.
What are African Americans?
This group, heavily impacted by the Depression, saw widespread job losses and wage cuts, which were only exacerbated by racial discrimination.
What is buying on margin?
During the 1920s, the United States' economy relied heavily on this unsustainable practice that led to the eventual collapse in 1929.
Who is Warren G. Harding?
This president was involved in the Teapot Dome Scandal where they sold oil reserves, meant for the U.S Navy to a private company.
What is the Social Security Act?
This New Deal act provided pensions to the elderly, unemployment insurance, and aid to dependent children.
What is the Teapot Dome Scandal?
The Teapot Dome Scandal was a major political corruption scandal in the 1920s, where U.S. Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall secretly leased federal oil reserves, meant for the U.S Navy to private companies in exchange for money.
Who are industrial workers?
This group, primarily working in factories, suffered from layoffs, strikes, and labor unrest during the Depression, but found some relief in New Deal programs.
What is overproduction?
This practice, characterized by overproduction and underconsumption, contributed significantly to the Great Depression.
Who is Eleanor Roosevelt?
This First Lady became a prominent figure during the New Deal, advocating for social reforms and human rights.
What is the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)?
This program was designed to create jobs and also build dams in the Tennessee river to create cheap electricity.
What are the New Deal Programs?
President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced a series of programs aimed at providing relief, recovery, and reform, such as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Public Works Administration (PWA), Social Security Act, and National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA). These programs sought to provide jobs, stabilize the economy, and offer a safety net for the unemployed and elderly.
What is gender discrimination?
Women were both impacted by the Depression and benefited from New Deal programs, but often faced resistance in the workplace due to this societal belief.
What is the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act?
This international event, which reduced global trade by imposing tariffs, worsened the Great Depression in the U.S. and other countries.
Who is Calvin Coolidge?
This president believed that "the chief business of the American people is business." The country saw huge industrial profits and spectacular growth in the stock market under his administration.
What is the Glass-Steagall Act?
This piece of legislation aimed to reform the banking system by insuring deposits and stabilizing banks to prevent runs on financial institutions.
What is the Wagner Act?
This landmark legislation guaranteed workers the right to form unions, engage in collective bargaining, and engage in strikes. It helped empower labor unions, leading to a significant growth in union membership and the strengthening of workers' rights during the New Deal era.
Who are Native Americans?
This minority group faced high levels of unemployment and were often excluded from New Deal programs, although some efforts were made to improve their conditions.