• A severe drought in the early 1930's ruined crops in the Great Plains.
• The drought created a dust bowl, as poor farming practices coupled with high winds blew away top soil

• Mellan's tax reduction released money that found its way onto Wall St.
• One could buy stock on margin and make a small down payment times ten percent and borrow the rest from a broker. Still stock rose by greed
• Crashed in oct

Causes of the depression

• Much debt, stock prices spiralling up, over-production and under-consuming - the stock market crashed. Germany's default on reparations caused European bank failures, which spread to the U.S.

• Name given to the makeshift shanty towns built in vacant lots during the Depression.

• Raised tariffs to an unprecedented level and worsened the depression by raising prices and discouraging foreign trade

• 1932 - Facing the financial crisis of the Depression, WW I veterans tried to pressure Congress to pay them their retirement bonuses early. Congress considered a bill authorizing immediate assurance of $2.4 billion, but it was not approved. Angry veterans marched on Washington, D.C., and Hoover called in the army to get the veterans out of there.
  

• Created in 1932 to make loans to banks, insurance companies, and railroads, it was intended to provide emergency funds to help businesses overcome the effects of the Depression. It was later used to finance wartime projects during WW II.

President Franklin Roosevelt

• Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt, beat the Republican, Herbert Hoover, who was running for reelection. FDR promised relief for the unemployed, help for farmers, and a balanced budget.

• The first step in FDR's relief program was to establish the Civilian Conservation Corps in April, 1933. The chief measure designed to promote recovery was the National Industrial Recovery Act. The New Deal acts most often classified as reform measures were those designed to guarantee the rights of labor and limit the powers of businesses.
  

"Brain Trust"

• Many of the advisers who helped Roosevelt during his presidential candidacy continued to aid him after he entered the White House. A newspaperman once described the group as "Roosevelt's Brain Trust." They were more influential than the Cabinet.
  

"Hundred Days"

• March 9, 1933 - At Roosevelt's request, Congress began a special session to review recovery and reform laws submitted by the President for Congressional approval. It actually lasted only 99 days.

• March 11, 1933 - Roosevelt closed all banks and forbade the export of gold or redemption of currency in gold.
• March 6, 1933 - FDR ordered a bank holiday. Many banks were failing because they had too little capital, made too many planning errors, and had poor management. The Emergency Banking Relief Act provided for government inspection, which restored public confidence in the banks.
  

• NRA-National Recovery Adminstration, an attempt to guranetee reasonable profits for businesses.
• AAA-Agricultural Adjustment Adminstration, encouraged farmers to produce less.
• TVA-Tenneese Valley Authority, built dams, operate electricity power.
• CCC-Civilian Conservation Corps, employed young men on projects on federal lands and paid their families.
• FERA-Federal emergency Relief Administation,
  Appropriated $500 million for aid to the poor to be distributed by state and local government. Harry Hopkins was the leader of FERA.
• PWA-Public Works Administration,Under Secertary of the Interior Harold Ickes, the PWA distributed $3.3 billion to state and local governments for building schools, highways, hospitals, ect.
• FDIC-Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, A federal agency which insures bank deposits, created by the Glass-Strengall Banking Reform Act of 1933. 
  
  

"Second" New Deal programs

• SSA-Social Security Act,
  One of the most important features of the Second New Deal established a retirement for persons over 65 funded by a tax on wages paid equally by employee and employer.
• WPA-Works Progress Administration,The WPA started in May 1935 and was headed by Harold Hopkins. It employed people for 30 hours a week (so it could hire all the unemployed).
• Wagner Act-May 1935 - Replaced Section 7A of the NIRA. It reaffirmed labor's right to unionize, prohibited unfair labor practices, and created the National Labor Relations Board.
• Fair Labor Standards Act-June 1938 - Set maximum hours at 40 hours a week and minimum wage at 20 cents an hour (gradually rose to 40 cents).
  

•  Keynesian Economics-The British economist John Maynard Keynes believed that the government could pull the economy out of a depression by increasing government spending, thus creating jobs and increasing consumer buying power.
• Deficit spending-FDR's admnistration was based on this concept. It involved stimulating consumer buying power, business enterprise, and ultimately employment by pouring billions of dollars of federal money into the economy even if the government didn't have the funds, and had to borrow money.
  

• 1934 - Restored tribal ownership of lands, recognized tribal constitutions and government, and provided loans for economic development.
  

• The nation's first woman cabinet member.
  

• 1936 - Declared AAA unconstitutional because it involved Congress levying a tax against the general wellfare.
  

• May, 1935 - The U.S. Supreme Court declared the National Industrial Recovery Act unconstitutional. It held that Condress had improperly delegated legislative authority to the National Industrial Recovery Administration and that the federal government had exceeded its jurisduction because Schecter was not engaged in interstate commerce.

• Because the Supreme Court was striking down New Deal legislation, Roosevelt decided to curb the power of the Court by proposing a bill to allow the president to name a new federal judge for each who did not retire by age 70 and 1/2. At the time, 6 justices were over the age limit. Would have increased the number of justices from 9 to 15, giving FDR a majority of his own appointees on the court. The court-packing bill was not passed by Congress.

• displaced farm families from Oklahoma and Arkansas dust bowl who migrated to California during the 1930's in search of OK

• suffered from discriminatory practices in the 1930's. In CA and the Southwest, they had been a principal source of agriculture in the 20's.Discrimination in New Deal programs and competition for jobs forced mainly 1000's of Mexican to return to Mexico.

• Father Charles Coughlin-Headed the National Union for Social Justice. Began as a religious radio broadcaster, but turned to politics and finance and attracted an audiance of millions from many faiths. Promoted inflationary currency, anti-sematism.
• Huey Long-The Share the Wealth society was founded in 1934 by Senator Huey Long of Louisiana. He called for the confiscation of all fortunes over $5 million and a 100% tax on annual incomes over $1 million. He was assassinated in 1935 and his successor Gerald K. Smith lacked the ability to be a strong head of the society.
• Dr. Francis Townsend-Advanced the Old Age Revolving Pension Plan, which proposed that every retired person over 60 receive a pension of $200 a month (about twice the average week's salary). It required that the money be spent within the month.
  
  
  

• In 1935 at a NYC convention, these to once rival organization decded to put aside their differences and unite.

• Congress of Industrial Organizations
• Originally formed by leaders within the AFL who wanted to expand its principles to include workers in mass produciotn industries. In 1935, they created coalation of the 8 unions comprising the AFL and the United Mine Workers of America, led by John L. Lewis. After a split within the organization in 1938, the CIO was established as a separate entity.

• Photographs humanized the tragic consequences of the GD which profoundly influenced the development of documentary photography
• Most known for her Depression-era work for the FSA

• Franklin Roosevelt described his foreign policy as that of a "good neighbor." The phrase came to be used to describe the U.S. attitude toward the countries of Latin America. Under Roosevelt's "Good Neighbor Policy," the U.S. took the lead in promoting good will among these nations.

• Lindbergh, known for making the first solo flight across the Atlantic, became politically controversial because he was an isolationist and pro-Germany.

• 1935 - Upon the outbreak of war, all American exports would be embargoed for 6 months.
  1936 - Gave the president the authority to determine when a state of war existed and prohibited loans to beligerents.
  1937 - Gave the president the authority to determine whether a civil war was a threat to world peace and prohibited arms sales to beligerents.

• 1937 - In this speech Franklin D. Roosevelt compared Fascist agression to a contagious disease, saying democracies must unite to quarantine agressor nations.
  

• Britain and France could buy supplies with cash and take it in their own ships weapons or anything else they wanted. U.S would exclude from ports of warning nation and from specified war zones.

• March 1941 - Authorized the president to transfer, lend, or lease any article of defense equipment ot any government whose defense was deemed vital to the defense of the U.S. Allowed the U.S. to send supplies and ammunition to the Allies without technically becoming a co-belligerent.
  

• 7:50-10:00 AM, December 7, 1941 - Surprise attack by the Japanese on the main U.S. Pacific Fleet harbored in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii destroyed 18 U.S. ships and 200 aircraft. American losses were 3000, Japanese losses less than 100. In response, the U.S. declared war on Japan and Germany, entering World War II.

• Midway-decisive Am. victory near Midway Island in the South Pacific on Jun 4, 1942
• D-Day-June 6, 1944 - Led by Eisenhower, over a million troops (the largest invasion force in history) stormed the beaches at Normandy and began the process of re-taking France. The turning point of World War II.
• Stalingrad-Site of critical World War II Soviet victory that reversed Germany's advance to the East. In late 1942, Russian forces surrounded the Germans, and on Feb. 2, 1943, the German Sixth Army surrendered. First major defeat for the Germans in World War II.
  
  
  
  

• The Exec order 9066 on Feb 19,1942, the removal and confinement of  Japanese Am. 60% U.S. citizen lost liberty and property 1/3 under 19

• Last logical step to stop Japan and end the war without invasion
• If Japan didn't surrender before August
• In fear of the Soviet Unions entry into the war

• February, 1945 - Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin met at Yalta to make final war plans, arrange the post-war fate of Germany, and discuss the proposal for creation of the United Nations as a successor to the League of Nations. They announced the decision to divide Germany into three post-war zones of occupation, although a fourth zone was later created for France. Russia also agreed to enter the war against Japan, in exchange for the Kuril Islands and half of the Sakhalin Peninsula.

• July 26, 1945 - Allied leaders Truman, Stalin and Churchill met in Germany to set up zones of control and to inform the Japanese that if they refused to surrender at once, they would face total destruction.
  

• increased Federal tax
• unemployment ended and women replaced men who had joined the forces
• Labor Unions formed (CIO, AFL)
• Draft
• Baby Boom

• rationed sugar, butter, gasoline, and etc.
• meant to only be allowed to buy a small amount
• introduced because certain things were in short supply during the war

• beautiful model dressed in overalls, serve and as the covergirl of the recruiting campaign

• In 1935, they created coalation of the 8 unions comprising the AFL and the United Mine Workers of America, led by John L. Lewis. After a split within the organization in 1938, the CIO was established as a separate entity.
  

• was temporary contract labor program initiated by an August 1942 exchange of diplomatic notes between the U.S. and Mexico

• conflict between servicemen and Mex. Am going members and teenage "zoot suitors" in Southern CA.

• President of the Brotherhood of carporters and a black labor leader in 1941 he arranged a march on Washington to end racial discrimination