Immediate Reactions to the Great Depression

1928 Presidential Election Herbert Hoover Alfred Smith

Election 1928 Herbert Hoover – R Alfred Smith – D Secretary of Commerce Liked for Adminstrative Skills & efficiency Campaign Slogan: “The Poor House is vanishing from among us” Won 58% of popular vote Alfred Smith – D Progressive Style Leader Combined with Progressive Party Campaign Slogan: “The Party of Progress and Thought” People didn’t like him because of his Catholic Faith

Immediate Reactions Smoot-Hawley Tariff (highest tariff rates in history) Congress thought they were protecting American manufacturers The tariffs upset European nations and caused them to retaliate and raised their own tariffs on American products Ultimately, the tariffs severely hurt American exports, stalled international trade, and allowed the Great Depression to spread

Immediate Reactions Moratorium of War Debt Payments Moratorium = postponement Hoover called a moratorium on the payments of war debts from European nations to the USA He hoped this would allow other nations to continue to consume American exports This was “too little, too late”

Immediate Reactions Rugged Individualism (Hoover’s theory) American people will work hard, hold high moral values, engage in creative problem solving, waste less, and focus on independence Direct relief from the government would violate American democracy and would encourage corruption and laziness Direct government aid was too similar to European Socialism

Immediate Reactions Reconstruction Finance Corporation Government organization with the power to lend money from the national treasury Lent $2 billion to banks, insurance companies, loan associations, railroads, and other businesses Hoped to get business going again Served as indirect relief (so it did not violate Hoover’s Rugged Individualism)

Immediate Reactions President’s Committee for Unemployment Relief Government committee that raised money for needy communities Encouraged people and businesses to contribute to privately organized welfare funds called community chests

Rugged Individualism Debate Directions: Answer the following opinion questions. Think back to what you know about American history. Is Rugged Individualism consistent with the definition of America? Why or why not? Is the United States in 2013 a Rugged Individualism society? Why or why not? Do you agree with the theory of Rugged Individualism? Why or why not? Should the United States adopt Rugged Individualism as a national policy? Why or why not?

What Was The Dust Bowl? Catastrophic eight-year drought that hit the Midwestern states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico Drought started in 1931

Timeline of The Dust Bowl 1931 - Severe drought hits the Midwestern and southern plains. As the crops die, the 'black blizzards" begin. Dust from the over-plowed and over-grazed land begins to blow. 1932 - The number of dust storms increases. Fourteen are reported this year; next year there will be 38. 1934 – (May) Great dust storms spread from the Dust Bowl area. The drought is the worst ever in U.S. history, covering more than 75 percent of the country and affecting 27 states severely. 1934 – (December) The "Yearbook of Agriculture" for 1934 announces, "Approximately 35 million acres of formerly cultivated land have essentially been destroyed for crop production. . . . 100 million acres now in crops have lost all or most of the topsoil; 125 million acres of land now in crops are rapidly losing topsoil. . . "

What Caused The Dust Bowl? Farming practices of the Midwestern farmers (plowing millions of acres of grassland) Severe weather patterns (tornadoes, blizzards, dust storms, extremes in temperature)

Dust Storm

What Were The Effects? Farm foreclosures – destruction of crops forced many farmers to default on their mortgage payments Dust Bowl families were displaced and became migrants roaming the Midwest (often migrating to California) Okies – nickname for the migrants (since so many of them came from Oklahoma)

What Were The Effects? Government program targeted to help farmers: Agricultural Adjustment Act – provided funds to keep farmers from losing their land, established farm subsidies to lower farm production and raise crop prices, set quotas for farmers to prevent overproduction

Faces of the Dust Bowl