USA 1929-1990

In what ways did American society change between

1929 and 2000?

This exam paper expects you to know a broad outline of

the topics.Again, you need to know

how American policy changed DECADE BY

DECADE

America in 1930s

What MAJOR events happened in 1929?

Which led to the…The

Great Depression

What was the Great Depression?

•Time of Great Hardship

•High unemployment

•Many people living in extreme poverty

What was a Hooverville?

•Shanty Town

•Named after President Hoover

•Many people blamed him for the Wall Street Crash

What was the Bonus Army?

•1932, unemployed war veterans marched on Washington to demand early repayment of their bonuses

•Set up huge Hooverville outside Washington

•Hoover sent troops to drive them out and burn down the Hooverville

How did Hoover try to deal with the Depression?

“prosperity is just around the corner”

Just let things work themselves out

Benefits are ‘un-American’

Who is this President?

Roosevelt(FDR)

What was the New Deal?

A series of measures introduced by FDR

to get the US out of theDepression

What 3 R’s did Roosevelt promise during the 1932 election?

Relief, Recovery,Reform

What did FDR do in the First 100 days of his presidency?

Fireside Chats: Radio Broadcasts. Explained his actions simply and honestly to the American people and asked for their help. Very popular!

Alphabet Agencies: Set up organisations to get America back to workEnded Prohibition – Very

popular!

Emergency Banking Act: Closed all banks for ‘4 day holiday’

Only honest, well run banks allowed to reopen – given government loans to help them

Restored people’s confidence in the banks

REMEMBER!

Fires Agents, Prohibit Banks

Do you know your Alphabet Agencies?Which was designed to create public works of real and lasting value such as schools and hospitals?

PWA – Public Works Administration

What did the CCC stand for?

Civilian Conservation Corps

What work did they do?

Gave jobs to single young men under age of 25 e.g. clearing land, planting trees

What Act gave pensions to the over 65s and support for the handicapped and unemployed?

Social Security Act

What was the AAA?•Paid farmers to produce less food

•This meant prices went up and their incomes doubled

•Helped farmers BUT not the sharecroppers who worked on their land (many Black)

•Many evicted as less work

Do you know your Alphabet Agencies?

What was the Civilian Work’s Administration?

Short term scheme to give as many people as possible jobs e.g. sweeping up leaves in road, paying actors to do free shows

Which agencies increased workers wages and helped to give them a fair deal?

NRA – National Recovery Administration

What was the Tennessee Valley Authority?

•Set up to develop the Tennessee Valley

•33 new dams built

•New forests planted

•Power stations built to give cheap electricity

•Thousands of new jobs created

This was one of the most impressive

and successful schemes of the New Deal!

Why was FDR popular?Sorted

banking crisis

In touch with ‘ordinary people’

Alphabet Agencies –

brought relief to many

Fireside Chats –

reassured people

Gave people hope

Who opposed the New Deal?•Businessmen – Thought the new laws cost too much. Wanted rugged individualism. Didn’t like paying higher taxes

•Republicans – see above

•Supreme Court - 1935 said FDR only had the right to pass laws for ALL states, not for individual states

•Huey Long – Share the Wealth. Thought it didn’t go far enough!

Was the New Deal a Success?

On balance it is clear that many people benefited. But some did not!

YES

It reduced unemployment by

40%

YESIt gave people confidence

Roosevelt was seen as a man of the people

Fireside Chats – felt he knew their

problems and cared

Really important that Americans felt better about

themselves!

YESAlphabet AgenciesMany successful - built schools, roads

and hospitals

TVA – Tennessee Valley Authority

Social Security

Act

YES…FDR saved the banks from

collapse and gave millions of Americans HOPE

BUT…

Yeah but no but Yeah but no but Yeah but no but Yeah but no but Yeah but no but Yeah but no but

Yeah but no but Yeah but no but…

Always look for a two sided argument

NO1937 – FDR reduced government spending because he believed

depression was ending

Unemployment suddenly rose

NOMany schemes were

only temporary.

CCC offered work for 6-9

months

NOWomen and Black

Americans paid less than white men.

Still discrimination.

NOMost expensive

government programme in US

History.

Boondoggling? – paid people to

sweep up leaves in the

park

Boondoggling = unnecessary

activity

So was the New Deal a success?

Many people say the New Deal didn’t end the Depression – WW2 did this after 1939

BUT

It saved the USA from economic collapse and gave Americans much needed confidence and

hope.