GREAT DEPRESSION CAUSES OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION Farm

GREAT DEPRESSION

CAUSES OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION � Farm Problems � � Dawes Plan � International trade decreasing � Foreclosures � Over � supply Credit Problems � Installment plans � Buying on Margin Wealth Distribution � Stock Market “paper wealth” International Crisis Isolationism � Government Policies � � Hawley-Smoot Tariff � Less Regulation � � Business problems � Overproduction

BLACK TUESDAY � October 29 th 1929 � Why would it make a difference if less than 3% actually owned stock?

WHAT IS HOOVER GOING TO DO? � � � Overall he believed that government should not be involved, but actually did more than any other President before him. RFC – Reconstruction Finance Corporation Loans to banks (not individuals) � Cuts in other gov’t programs to keep balanced budget � Volunteerism – businesses were asked to help out on their own. (Volunteer Cooperation) � Why would businesses not do this? �

BLAME IT ON HOOVER � Hoovervilles � Hoover Flags � Bonus (army) March 1932, veterans of WWI wanted their (1945) pension (bonus) early. � Hoover ordered the current army to their camp � What did FDR say when he heard about it? �

DUST BOWL � Both a climate and environmental calamity. � Dust Bowl and “Okies” shown in John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath � Thousands of transient people roaming around looking for work

EFFECTS ON WOMEN AND MINORITIES � 1 st to lose jobs � Backlash against Mexican Americans � 50% of blacks unemployed � Spread belief women shouldn’t work (but many work p -t to help family) � Scottsboro � Alabama, Case (1931) 8 black men accused of rape (later overturned by Supreme Court, but shows continued race divide)

RURAL – URBAN DIFFERENCES � Hit urban areas harder as many in rural areas were already poor � Rural � Urban: areas – food wasn’t as much of a problem Bread Lines & Soup Kitchens

ENTERTAINMENT AS AN ESCAPE � � Movies � 1930 s were Golden Age of Hollywood. � � 1939 – Wizard of Oz, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, & Gone with the Wind Walt Disney – Snow White (1937) � � � Radio Orson Wells – War of the Worlds (1938) Soap Operas Other Radio shows such as The Lone Ranger NBC – largest broadcaster FDR would use it with his Fireside Chats

LITERATURE Magazines such as Life portrayed the Depression in pictures. � Saturday Evening Post � Emergence of Comic books � Richard Wright’s Native Son exposed urban ghettos � � How was entertainment used as an escape?

HOOVER (BOULDER) DAM � Construction � Started � Large between 1931 and 1936 with Hoover as President numbers of workers � Las Vegas would boom

1932 ELECTION – MR. ROOSEVELT’S GONNA SAVE US ALL � Critical Election as Democrats took both houses and the executive branch from Republicans (Party Realignment) � What is a “Critical Election? ” � Landslide in Electoral College – FDR 57% of popular vote � Between Election (Nov) and Inauguration (Mar), the economy would get much worse, but FDR would not do anything to help Hoover. (20 th Amendment later)

LINKS http: //www. kennesaw. edu/pols/3380/pres/1932. html FDR inaugural address � http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Zl_J 4 J 2 m. Qp. Q – War of Worlds pt. 1 � http: //xroads. virginia. edu/~ug 99/vizzuso/wpaproject. h tml - art in Depression � http: //twentyfourframes. wordpress. com/category/films -of-the-great-depression/ - movies � http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=a. TC_p. Zj 49 y. I&feat ure=relmfu – review of causes of GD � http: //www. ushistory. org/us/48. asp - US History. org �

REFLECTION QUESTIONS � How much is Hoover truly to blame for the Great Depression? � How was the depression different for those in the cities compared to those in the countryside? � What happened in the 1930 s in regards to the arts and literature? � What factors did FDR have in his favor in the 1932 election?