Great Depression and New Deal Summary

Overview

Topic: The Great Depression (1929–1939) and New Deal responses.
Focus: causes, major events, government programs, social effects, and cultural responses.
Purpose: concise study notes summarizing key facts and terms for classroom review.

Stock Market Crash of 1929 triggered widespread financial losses, especially on Black Tuesday, Oct 29, 1929.
Bank runs: mass withdrawals damaged banks, causing failures and reduced lending.
Duration: generally dated from the 1929 crash through the 1930s, ending around 1939.

Severe unemployment and prolonged economic contraction across the U.S.
Rural crisis amplified by the Dust Bowl, causing crop failure and mass migration.
Increased poverty and homelessness; shantytowns known as Hoovervilles formed.

New Deal: series of programs and reforms under President Franklin D. Roosevelt to restore prosperity.
Second New Deal: additional initiatives to continue economic recovery and social reform.
Glass-Steagall Act (Banking Act of 1933): separated commercial and investment banking; created FDIC to insure deposits.
FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation): established 1933 to protect bank depositors and restore trust.
TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority): regional development and federally owned utility creating jobs and electricity in the Tennessee Valley.
WPA (Works Progress Administration): large employment and infrastructure program providing jobs on public works projects.
CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps): provided conservation-related jobs for unemployed young men starting April 1933.
Social Security Act: introduced federal social assistance measures to provide economic security for elderly and disadvantaged.

Photographic documentation: government-employed photographers recorded suffering to justify relief projects and shaped public perception.
Migration: Dust Bowl and economic hardship prompted large internal migrations, notably from the southern plains.
Crime and public figures: rise in criminal notoriety (bank robbers) and increased federal law enforcement ("G-men").
Entertainment and culture: films, photography, and art were significant during the 1930s, with New Deal art programs supporting artists.

Black Tuesday (Oct 29, 1929): massive stock sell-off initiating the crash.
Dust Bowl: severe drought and dust storms devastating the southern Plains during the 1930s.
Hoover Dam: major public-works project completed in 1935 to control Colorado River and provide jobs.
Hoovervilles: makeshift shantytowns named after President Herbert Hoover.
Fireside Chats: Roosevelt’s radio addresses (1933–1944) that reassured the public and explained policies.
Scottsboro Boys: 1931 case of nine Black teenagers facing racially charged trials, illustrating social tensions.
Tuskegee Syphilis Study: unethical long-term medical study that withheld treatment from Black participants.

Term	Definition
Stock Market Crash (1929)	Sudden collapse in stock prices; triggered widespread investor losses.
Bank Run	Mass withdrawals of deposits causing bank liquidity crises and failures.
New Deal	FDR’s program of federal reforms, relief, and job-creating projects during the Depression.
Glass-Steagall Act	1933 law separating commercial and investment banking; led to FDIC creation.
FDIC	Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; insures deposits to protect bank customers.
TVA	Tennessee Valley Authority; federal project for electricity, jobs, and regional development.
WPA	Works Progress Administration; major New Deal employment program for public works.
CCC	Civilian Conservation Corps; New Deal program employing young men in conservation work.
Social Security Act	1935 legislation establishing old-age benefits and other social assistance.
Dust Bowl	Environmental disaster of severe dust storms and drought on U.S. southern plains.
Hooverville	Shantytown populated by homeless people during the Depression.
Fireside Chats	Roosevelt’s radio talks to explain policies and build public confidence.

Program / Law	Year Started	Primary Purpose
Glass-Steagall Act / FDIC	1933	Separate banking functions; insure deposits and stabilize banks.
TVA	1933	Provide electricity, jobs, and regional economic development.
CCC	1933	Employ young men in conservation and public-land projects.
WPA	1935 (mid-1930s)	Create jobs through public works and infrastructure projects.
Social Security Act	1935	Provide pensions and social safety nets for vulnerable populations.

Use of photography: government-funded photographers documented poverty to support New Deal policies.
Fireside Chats: direct radio communication to explain banking reforms, unemployment relief, and wartime topics.

Racial inequality: cases like the Scottsboro trials exposed systemic racism.
Medical abuse: Tuskegee Syphilis Study represents a grave ethical violation and harm to Black participants.

Focus study on cause-effect links: crash → bank runs → unemployment → New Deal responses.
Memorize major program names, years, and purposes (see table).
Review primary examples: Dust Bowl migrants, Hoovervilles, and iconic Depression photography.
Connect social policies (Social Security, FDIC) to modern institutions to understand legacy.