History Chapter 23 New Deal America This Covers The Transformation Progressivism Domestic Affairs

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CHAPTER 23

New Deal America

1929–1939

This chapter covers the transformation of progressivism; domestic affairs in the administrations of

Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover; the Republican prosperity of the 1920s; and the first three years of the

Depression.

CORE OBJECTIVES

1. Identify the major causes of the Great Depression.

2. Describe the impact of the Great Depression on the lives of the American people.

3. Explain the response of the Hoover administration to the Great Depression.

4. Assess the goals and accomplishments of the early New Deal.

5. Analyze the major criticisms of the early New Deal.

6. Evaluate the ways the New Deal evolved and how it transformed the role of federal government.

CHAPTER OUTLINE

1. The Causes of the Great Depression

A. The Stock Market during the Twenties

B. The Crash

C. Why the Economy Collapsed

D. Government Actions and the Economy

E. The Impact of Europe’s Economy

2. The Human Toll of the Depression

A. Unemployment and “Relief”

B. Hunger

C. Homelessness

D. Desperate Responses

E. The Plight of Married Working Women

F. African Americans, Mexicans, and Asians

G. Dust Bowl Migrants

3. From Hooverism to the New Deal

A. Hoover’s Efforts at Recovery

i. Shortsighted Tax Increases

ii. Hoover’s Reaction to the Social Crisis

B. Rising Criticism of Hoover

i. Congressional Initiatives

ii. Farmers and Veterans in Protest

iii. The 1932 Election

4. Roosevelt’s New Deal

A. Launching the New Deal

i. The 1933 Inauguration

ii. The First Hundred Days

B. Shoring Up the Financial System

i. Banking Regulation

ii. Regulating Wall Street

iii. The Federal Budget and the End of Prohibition

C. Helping the Unemployed and Homeless

i. Putting People to Work

ii. The CCC

iii. Saving Homes

iv. Reviving the Industrial Sector

v. Agricultural Assistance

vi. Regional Planning: The TVA

vii. Eleanor Roosevelt

5. The New Deal under Fire

A. Continuing Hardships

i. African Americans and the New Deal

ii. Court Cases and Civil Liberties

iii. Native Americans and the Depression

B. Critics Assault the New Deal

i. Huey Long

ii. The Townsend Plan

iii. Father Coughlin

C. Opposition from the Court

i. The Supreme Court versus The New Deal

6. The Second New Deal

A. The WPA

B. The Wagner Act

C. Social Security

D. Taxing the Rich

E. A New Direction for Unions

F. Roosevelt’s Second Term

G. The Court-Packing Plan

H. A Slumping Economy

I. Setbacks for the President

J. A Halfway Revolution

LECTURE IDEAS

1. One way to show the emphasis on business during the 1920s would be to discuss Bruce Barton’s The

Man Nobody Knows (1925), a bestseller that described Jesus Christ as a successful businessman

(which was considered an extreme compliment). The following references are also useful:

2. A lecture on the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression is a must. Helpful resources

include:

3. Present a lecture dealing with the protest movements of the 1920s, especially during the Hoover ad-

ministration. Include in your lecture the demonstration by farmers, Communists, and veterans and the

issues that each group thought needed attention in America. Be sure to highlight how President Hoover

4. Many of President Herbert Hoover’s contemporaries vilified him for his inability to stop, or even slow,

the economic downturn in 1929–1930. Historians have maintained much of the same criticism of Pres-

ident Hoover, casting him as one of America’s worst presidents. This is especially interesting consider-

ing that Herbert Hoover was seemingly the most qualified individual elected to the presidency during

the 1920s. In a lecture, discuss the successes and failures of the Hoover administration, examining

some of the more recent studies that have emerged regarding Hoover’s presidency. For instance, see

the following:

5. Making sense of the New Deal requires the class to take a deeper look at FDR. You can begin this pro-

cess with a comparison between the philosophies of FDR and Hoover. Cover FDR’s early life, his

humbling bout with polio, his life as governor of New York, and his public service to his country. See

the following resources:

LECTURE IDEAS / FLIPPED CLASSROOM SUGGESTIONS

1. Divide the class into three groups and assign each group a president to research who served in the

1920s. Then have group presentations highlighting each president. Useful resources include:

2. The New Deal is typically divided into three broad categories: Relief, Recovery, and Reform. Divide

the students into three groups, and assign each group one of these categories. As part of their home-

work, ask the students to research New Deal legislation and select laws that fit within their category.

You might provide them with a list of questions to help them prepare for the next class such as:

3. Divide the class into two groups. Have one group explain why Franklin D. Roosevelt drew criticism

from conservatives and the other group explain why he drew criticism from liberals. Then have each

group present its findings and discuss how many causes can be identified.

4. Ask your students watch H. W. Brands’s presentation for the Hauenstein Center called “FDR: Traitor

to His Class?” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNkvGTxNVe4&t=110s). After the students have

5. Divide the class into several groups and ask each group to determine how the policies of the 1920s

were a rejection of progressivism. Then have each group present its findings and discuss how many

causes can be identified.

6. Have students identify the factors that created tremendous economic growth during the first half of the

1920s.

7. Have the student groups determine the causes of the stock market crash and the Great Depression.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. How were the policies of the United States in the 1920s a rejection of progressivism?

2. Discuss the effects of isolationism on America politics between the wars.

3. How did the issue of administrative corruption impact the effectiveness of the Harding administra-

tion?

4. Evaluate the various attempts to stabilize the American economy during the 1920s.

6. Discuss what actions Franklin D. Roosevelt took to strengthen America’s monetary system during

the Great Depression.

7. Describe the impact of the New Deal on different minorities in the United States.

9. Discuss Franklin D. Roosevelt’s legislative achievements during the Second New Deal.

12. Discuss the legacy of the New Deal and how effective it was in altering the nation’s social and politi-

cal landscape.

PRACTICING CITIZENSHIP

Within the American political system, one of the most important and enduring contests is between the

wishes of commercial interests and individual interests. Many politicians find that, in their campaigns,

they have to choose a side in the matter. Being pro-business or anti-business becomes an important organ-

izing factor and often dictates the source of much of the money spent in their campaign. The 1920s was a

decidedly pro-business era, whereas the recovery that followed demanded government intervention to

stabilize the economy. As students in the early twenty-first century, you have a unique perspective on this

phenomenon. What are the fundamental causes of economic collapse? What are the common traits of an