The Great Depression

The Great Depression

The Great DepressionIntro questionImagine this: you come home from school and your parents are outside your house with piles of items from inside. They say to you that they have lost everything they had in savings and they also have lost their jobs. They ask you to come up with a plan as to how they are going to survive. Write down a plan for survival for you and your family. What would you do?How did the U.S. go from this

To this

Causes of the Great DepressionEconomic trouble in Europe

Causes of the Great DepressionU.S. Economic PoliciesSmoot-Hawley TariffCauses of the Great DepressionBuying on CreditCauses of the Great DepressionStock Market CrashBull MarketMargin BuyingBlack ThursdayBlack TuesdayOctober 29, 1929

Causes of the Great DepressionBanking CrisisInvestors lose their investments in the stock market and cant repay their loans (margin buying)Banks are left with little income and little cash reserves; some banks are forced to closeFearing for their savings, other Americans run to the bank to get their savingsAs a result, more banks failed and the Depression set in even more.

DepressionBank Run SceneIntro Question: Explain the difference between empathy and sympathy.Unemployment Skyrockets1929 1.5 million unemployed 1933 15 million

Even workers who were able to keep their jobs saw their wages and hours cut dramatically.African Americans had a particular hard time because economic trouble only enhanced racial discrimination.Women actually saw an increase of employment in the 1930swhy do you think?City Life During the DepressionIt was a fight to survive in the city during the depression.People relied on charitable organizations, help from neighbors, breadlines, and garbage for things to eat.Homeless often gathered themselves in shantytowns.

Do you know where this is?

Farm Life During the DepressionOversupply cause farmers to let crops rot and slaughter their animals because they could not afford to feed them.Their income dropped and they could not afford to pay their mortgages.Farmers banned together to help one another.Tenant farmers were hit especially hard.Southwest farmers of Mexican decent were often encouraged to leave the country.

Family Life in the 1930sDue to economic strains, the marriage rate fell.Suicide rates increased by 28% from 1929 - 1932

Psychological EffectsIn pairs, answer the following questions and be ready to discuss:

What is the meaning of work?What does it mean to have a job?What do you think people feel when they lose their job?What would say to someone who lost their job through no fault of their own?

The Election of 1932The Republicans reluctantly renominated Herbert Hoover as their candidate.Public resentment for the Republicans was widespread and suggested they would loseThe Democrats nominated New York governor Franklin D. Roosevelt, or FDR.Not only did FDR win the presidency but the Democrats also won decisive majorities in both houses of Congress.Roosevelt won because he offered Americans a new deal.

If you were an average American living in 1932, what would you want to hear from the President in his Inaugural Address?FDR - First Inaugural AddressGrade how FDR did in his speech?What kind of a public speaker was FDR?What was the message of his speech?How did the people react?What overall grade would you give FDR on his First Inaugural Address and why?When the President has a televised address to the nation, do you watch it? Why or why not?FDR - First Fireside ChatFDRs First 100 DaysImmediately following taking office, FDR called Congress into special session.During the next 100 days, Congress approved 15 measures thought up by FDR and his brain trust, which became known as the New Deal.

Banking ReformThe day after FDR took office, he declared a banking holiday proclamation.The purpose of this was to stop the massive withdrawals that were crippling the nations banks.A few days after his proclamation, Congress passed the Emergency Banking Act

Further Banking ReformConfidence in the nations banks increased even more when Congress created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).This organization insured each bank deposit up to $2,500

Direct Relief to the NeedyTo help the nations 13 million unemployed, Congress (under FDRs request) created the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA).This organization channeled $500 million to state and local agencies

Job CreationMany Americans did not want a hand out; they wanted a job.In response the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was created.Members were trained and employed in several different conservation projects.

Relief vs. RecoveryFDR knew that relief was short-term while recovery was long-termIn order to recover from the depression, FDR based his programs on famous economist John Keynes, who stated that government had to spend money to encourage investment and consumption

SPEND!! SPEND!! SPEND!!Agricultural RecoveryFDR hoped to help farmers by encouraging them to cut their output.To do this Congress passed the Agricultural Adjustment Act, which created the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA).

Ummmhow about a little help please????Tennessee Valley AuthorityOne of the largest New Deal programs was the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).This organization created many dams and power plants to help combat electricity shortages, disease, and the areas low standard of living

Equality Under the New DealEleanor Roosevelt (FDRs wife) was instrumental in helping New Deal programs reach minorities.In addition, African Americans were appointed to key federal government positions.American Indians also saw the passage of the Indian Reorganization Act, which reversed the Dawes Act.

Have you ever heard the expression Just when you think things cant get any worsethey do.The Dust BowlA huge drought hit the Great Plains in the mid-1930s.High winds picked up the topsoil and created huge dust cloud that buried farms and towns.The Dust Bowl caused many farmers to lose everything and forced them to migrate to a new home.

Critics of the New DealSome reformers, both conservative and liberal, opposed New Deal reforms.Among them was U.S. Senator Huey Long, who proposed a new kind of relief called Share-Our-Wealth.According to this plan, the government was supposed to seize wealth from the rich through taxes and then provide a minimum income to every American family

What do you think about this idea?Do you agree or disagree? In pairs, discuss this and be ready to share.The Second New DealAfter the Civil Works Administration (CWA), FDR created the Works Progress Administration (WPA)This organization built airports, buildings, bridges, and miles of roads.

Social SecurityIn 1935, Congress passed the Social Security Act.This act did 3 things:Provided unemployment insuranceProvided pensions for retired workers over the age of 65Provided payments to people with disabilities, the elderly, and widows and their children.

The Election of 1936Roosevelt promised to continue the New Deal reforms.As a result, he won the election easily. In addition, for the first time since Reconstruction, African Americans in the North supported the Democrats.

FDR and the Supreme CourtFDR was angered at the Supreme Court for ruling several of his New Deal programs unconstitutional.As a result, he asked Congress for the power to appoint one new justice for each of those over 70 (there were 6).FDR was meant with staunch criticism for this.

What do you think? Should FDR have proposed this? Was he right or wrong? Explain your answer.Effects of the Second New DealSome major effects of the Second New Deal were:Organization of laborRelief for farmersRecession (Remember the business cycle)What do you think? In our country, should there be more government or less government? Explain your response.Write a one paragraph reaction to this photograph.

Life in the New Deal EraMigrationMany Americans, especially farmers in the Midwest, migrated to other parts of the country in search of work.Why do you think they were moving???

Picturing Life in the DepressionThe horrific living conditions offered filmmakers and photographers material for their art.Many of these photographers were hired by the federal government.Why? FDR thought that opponents of his New Deal programs would change their minds when they saw how regular Americans were forced to live.

Migrant MotherAmong the most famous of these types of photos was Dorothea Langes Migrant Mother

Other forms of art portraying the DepressionOther forms of art portrayed life during the Depression, like John Steinbeck's novel, The Grapes of WrathOthers art forms like films and the theater offered Americans an escape from the dismal conditions around them

Diary AssignmentYou are going to write 4 diary entries describing what life was like for someone living through the Depression. 2 must be for someone living in an urban area and 2 must be for someone living in a rural area. As a requirement, you must include 3 pieces of information from your notes in each of the entries (12 total). Underline that particular information in each entry. Be as creative as possible and really paint a picture for the reader as to what life was like living during the Depression. Each entry must be at least page long. We will share these towards the end of class.