1. Georgia in the 1920s & 1930s
Georgia Studies

2. Drought & the Great Depression
Two events led to hard economic times for Georgians, & caused farmers to leave their farms:
The Boll Weevil destroyed nearly half the cotton crop (1922)
Small beetle which punctures cotton buds & lay eggs inside, so they are hard to kill
Drought/Overuse of Land
During WWI farmers were encouraged produce as much as possible
Soil became exhausted and would not yield crops in Georgia
Drought caused rest of nation’s crops to suffer

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The Great Depression
The economy normally goes through highs and lows
An extreme economic drop is known as a “depression”
Unemployment is high
People cannot afford many good and services
Businesses suffer greatly or fail altogether
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The Great Depression
The worst depression in the U.S. occurred in the 1930’s
This was caused by a chain of events beginning after WWI
Although the U.S. originally prospered after the war, other countries involved in the war suffered greatly
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The Great Depression
Era before the depression known as the “Roaring Twenties”
Many people made many purchases of the new products available to them
When they couldn’t afford items, they put them on credit
Businesses made large profits
Consumers invested in business stocks
Economy grew very quickly (too quickly)
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The Stock Market Crash
Consumer confidence led to investment
Many people borrowed money to buy stocks
On October 24, 1929, the value of stocks dropped dramatically – Black Tuesday
Many people tried to sell their stock at the same time
Soon banks could not collect on the loans people had taken
The banks ran out of money and many lost their savings from their accounts
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8. Stock Market Crash, cont.
People who lost their savings could no longer make payments on their possessions bought on credit
Many were forced to sell everything they had just to buy necessities
People lost their homes and farms or had to sell them for the best price they could get
People could no longer buy luxury items & unemployment increased
Businesses who survived cut production as fewer people bought goods
This period was called the great depression and lasted over ten years
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9. What name was given to the 1920 time period?
Multiple Choice
iRespond Question F
A.) The "Boring Twenties"
B.) The "Depressing Twenties"
C.) The "Roaring Twenties"
D.) The "Prosperous Twenties"
E.)
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What bug had major impact on the economic and social structures of the south?
Multiple Choice
iRespond Question F
A.) cockroach
B.) boll weevil
C.) mosquito
D.) gnat
E.)
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11. An extreme low in economic times is called a:
Multiple Choice
iRespond Question F
A.) impression
B.) succession
C.) deduction
D.) depression
E.)
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12. Eugene Talmadge
One of Georgia’s most charismatic and controversial politicians
20 years of his life were spent in service to Georgia’s government
Some saw him as a political hero
Others saw him as a racist bully

13. Eugene Talmadge: Early career
Began as Commissioner of Agriculture
Farmers & people who lived in rural communities loved him because his policies supported farmers
Although he was accused of several illegal acts during his time as commissioner, he served three terms before he was elected governor
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14. Eugene Talmadge: Governor
He proved to be a strong governor
He used “executive order” to fulfill a campaign promise to lower the cost of car tags
Executive order is an act by governor that does not have legislative approval
When the Public Service Commission (elected officials) refused to lower utility prices, he fired them
He appointed replacements who would lower the prices
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15. Eugene Talmadge: Governor
He had the state treasurer and comptroller general physically removed from their offices in the state capitol
He was an outspoken critic of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Did not like Roosevelt’s New Deal Programs
Did what he could to keep the programs out of Georgia
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The Third Term
After his second term as governor, Talmadge ran for the U.S. Senate in 1936 and 1938, but lost both elections
He was elected governor again in 1940
His third term was filled with controversy
He was against integration at the University of Georgia and threatened to have the Dean of the College of Education fired
The chain of events that followed seriously damaged the University system and accreditation for all public universities for white people was removed
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Eugene Talmadge, cont.
After the University system debacle, Talmadge lost the next gubernatorial election
In 1946, he was elected governor a fourth time
His election was due largely to his opposition of a supreme court decision to allow black people to vote in primary elections
He died before taking office
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FDR & The New Deal
At the beginning of the Great Depression, Herbert Hoover was president
His policies depended on the individual states to help themselves
Most states were too poor to create programs to help their citizens who were struggling
People began to believe the only way the economy would prosper again was for the federal government to help the states out
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FDR & The New Deal
In 1933 Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office and set up a plan called the New Deal
When Roosevelt took office, American agriculture was suffering and unemployment was high
The New Deal involved creating new jobs and national relief programs to help the economy grow
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New Deal Programs
The Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA)
Purpose of the Agricultural Adjustment Act was to raise the price of staple crops by limiting supply
Farmers in GA were paid to plant less cotton to drive the prices up
This administration also hoped to raise the price of farms and vary crops grown
They also hoped to protect the soil from being overworked
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New Deal Programs
The Rural Electrification Administration (REA)
Before 1935, very few rural areas in GA and around the country had electricity
Private electric companies did not offer service to many people who lived near power lines
This agency provided loans to states to improve electric service to rural areas
The money was used to build power plants & power lines
Within four years, GA was leading the country in the number of REA groups
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New Deal Programs
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
This program created jobs for thousands of young war veterans who were suffering from job loss & poverty
In exchange for work, the men received housing, food, and money
Work included soil conservation, reforestation, fire prevention, and park building
Educational classes and job training were also provided
Many Georgia parks were built by the CCC
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New Deal Programs
Works Progress Administration (WPA)
As the largest work relief program in U.S. history, it provided jobs for both men and women in construction and education
Roosevelt hoped this program would repair the spirit of people
The Georgia library system is an example of a WPA program
Over 100 hundred libraries received assistance
Program provided pay for workers and technical services for libraries
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New Deal Programs
The Social Security Act
Passed by Congress in 1935
Permanent plan to protect workers from losing their wages
Two social insurance programs were formed to remedy severe poverty & prevent it in the future:
Old-age benefits for retiring workers would support them when they could no longer work (managed by federal government)
Insurance was provided for unemployed and disabled to provide people with a sense of security in their jobs (managed by state & federal government)
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The New Deal
These programs changed the way people looked at labor
Unions had greater power and began to ask for better wages and working conditions as well as better welfare packages
The New Deal gave those who suffered during the Depression security & power
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26. Under the "New Deal", what does AAA stand for?
Multiple Choice
iRespond Question F
A.) Association of Aggravated Allies
B.) Aeronautics Applied Agency
C.) Agricultural Adjustment Agency
D.) Agricultural Agency of America
E.)
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27. Which summary is best when referring to the "New Deal"?
Multiple Choice
iRespond Question F
A.) To make America better politcally
B.) To create economic opportunities for Americans
C.) To recruit other countries as allies for America
D.) To generate international economic opportunities
E.)
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28. Who is the U.S. President that implements his "New Deal"?
Multiple Choice
iRespond Question F
A.) Herbert Hoover
B.) Dwight D. Eisenhower
C.) Franklin D. Roosevelt
D.) William Taft
E.)
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29. What was the primary function of the Works Progress Administration?
Multiple Choice
iRespond Question F
A.) To find jobs for people overseas
B.) To find jobs for men and women in construction and education
C.) To make sure people were doing their jobs
D.) To give people promotions
E.)
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