THE GREAT DEPRESSION Chapter 26

Section 1

1920s warning signs Farm and factory overproduction

outpaced the ability of consumers to buy the products.

The banking system was weak Stock market speculation Production cutbacks leading to wage

cuts and firings.

The depression weakened family ties. Unemployment caused family stresses that led some families to break up. Marriage and birth rates dropped. Parents and children sometimes spent much of their days searching for food.

President Hoover was upset by the suffering, but he took no bold action. Eventually he authorized public works programs and approved the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. Later, he ordered the military to drive the Bonus Army out of Washington, D.C.

Section 2

Factors Leading to FDR’s Victory in 1932 Americans were angry at Hoover’s

inaction. They were intrigued by Roosevelt’s

confidence, optimism, and promises of aggressive action against the depression.

Actions Taken During FDR’s First 100 Days The Emergency Banking Relief Act The Federal Emergency Relief Administration The Civilian Conservation Corps

New Deal Programs The CCC FERA WPA and PWA NIRA NRA AAA REA TVA

The Truth-in-Securities Act and the FDIC were both laws passed to prevent another depression.

Section 3

Critics of the New Deal proposed other solutions such as: Heavy taxes on the rich Using tax money to provide every family

with a house, a car, and a decent income.

Everyone over 60 to get a pension of $200 a month.

People saw FDR’s court-packing plan as a threat to the constitutional separation of powers.

The National Labor Relations Act bared certain unfair management practices. It also guaranteed the right to collective bargaining.

The Social Security Act allowed the

government to set up pensions for the elderly, unemployed, needy, and disabled.

Good Idea

Bad Idea

Section 4

The Dust Bowl was that portion of the Great Plains that suffered from blinding dust storms and severe drought during much of the 1930s. Homes, farm machinery, and fences were buried in dust; farming became impossible because the topsoil had blown away.

Homemakers had to stretch family budgets. Many wives encouraged their unemployed husbands to keep their spirits up. Working women found that men were often hired before women.

The Depression and Race Relations Other races faced extra prejudice

because white Americans felt insecure during the hard times. Mexican Americans and Asian Americans were often unjustly deported. African Americans however, were included in the President’s group of advisers, and Native American nations did regain some control over their own affairs.

The Depression affects the Creative Arts Many creative artists used the

depression as the backdrop for their work. Many writers and photographers portrayed life during the depression in their works. Many popular movies helped people forget the hard times.