FDR and the New Deal

1. What plans did Roosevelt make in the four months while he waited to take office?        


    During the four months while FDR waited to take office, he began to formulate new policies which later became known as The New Deal. The policies of the New Deal aimed for three major goals; relief for the needy, economic recovery, and  financial reform.




2. How successful were FDR's fireside chats?       

  FDR's fireside chats were really successful. Roosevelt explained why the nation's welfare depended on the public's support for the government and the banking system. The fireside chats made it feel as if Roosevelt was speaking directly to American citizens. Roosevelt explained that banks would fail when too many people demanded their savings in cash. Over the next few weeks, many Americans began to return their savings back to the banks. 

3. How did New Deal programs affect various regions of the United States?       


     One of the policies of the New Deal Act was the AAA (Agriculture Adjustment Act). This act sought to raise crop prices by lowering production. The government paid cotton growers 200 million dollars to plow 10 million acres of their crops. The government also paid hog farmers to slaughter 6 million pigs which upset the general public who protested against it. The policy however, left more money in farmer's pockets and helped to raise farm prices. Another act was the Tennessee Valley Authority. The TVA renovated 5 existing damns and constructed 20 new ones. This provided flood control, hydroelectric power, and created thousands of jobs for an impoverished region.The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) put young men to work building roads, developing parks, planting trees, and helping in flood-controlled projects.The Public Works Administration provided money to states to create jobs helping to build schools or other community projects. To help these programs, Roosevelt established the Civil Works Administration which provided 4 million immediate jobs during the winter of 1933. As a result, the CWA build 40,000 more schools, paid the salaries of 50,000 school teachers in rural areas, and build more than half a million miles of road.

4. How did liberal and conservative critics differ in their opposition to the New Deal?            

   
     Liberal's argued that the New Deal did not go far enough to help the poor and to reform the nation's economic situation. Conservative's argued that Roosevelt was spending too much money on direct relief to the    poor and was using the policies of the New Deal to control business and socialize the economy. The AAA and the National Industrial Recovery Act angered the conservative critics because they believed it gave the government too much control over industry and agriculture. They believed the New Deal interfered with the workings of a free-market economy. 

5. Do you think Roosevelt was wrong to try to "pack" the Supreme Court with those in favor of the New Deal? Explain your answer.      

     No, I do not believe Roosevelt was wrong to try to "pack" the Supreme Court with those in favor of the New Deal. Many Americans were benefiting from the policies of the New Deal and Roosevelt feared that further court decisions could break down the New Deal. Of course the President would want the majority of the Supreme Court to be in favor of his policies. With the state of the nation improving and the benefits of the New Deal, Roosevelt wasn't wrong in trying to "pack" the Supreme Court with those in its favor. 




6. Of the New Deal programs discussed in this section, which do you consider the most important?

Explain your choice. Think About:
• the type of assistance offered by each program
• the scope of each program
• the impact of each program       


     While all of the policies of the New Deal were important and beneficial, I would consider the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) to be the most important out of the New Deal programs discussed in this section. The CCC provided young men with immediate jobs. The CCC put men aged 18-25 with jobs building roads, developing parks, and planting trees. By the time the CCC ended, almost 3 million men had passed through. The CCC paid a small wage, 30 dollars a month, 25 dollars was automatically sent home to their families. This gave the men a job while sending money home to help their families who were still unemployed. The CCC supplied the men with free food, uniforms, and shelter. Although most of the camps were segregated, the CCC gave jobs to both whites and African-Americans. The CCC provided employment and money which was desperately needed by millions of Americans and had tremendous accomplishments such as the planting of 3 billion trees, the building of 46,000 bridges, and developing 800 state parks.  

Hardship and Suffering During the Depression

1. What were some of Hoover's key convictions about government?        

     During the Great Depression, President Herbert Hoover tried to reassure Americans that the economy was a sound footing. He wanted Americans to remain optimistic. Many believed they should do nothing and let the economy fix itself, while Hoover believed the government could play a limited role in fixing the nation's problems. Hoover believed that one of government's chief functions was to foster cooperation between competing groups and interests in society. He believed if business and labor were in a conflict, government should step in to settle the dispute. Hoover believed the government's role was to encourage cooperation without controlling it. Hoover opposed any form of human welfare or direct relief to the needy  because of the popular American belief that people should take care of themselves without relying on the government. Instead, Hoover believed charities and organizations should help care for the less fortunate.  


2. What did President Herbert Hoover say and do in response to the Great Depression?       

     In response to the Great Depression, President Hoover asked employers not to cut wages or lay off workers while asking labor leaders not to demand higher wages or go on strike. Hoover also created special organizations to help charities generate contributions to the poor. None of Hoover's changes made much of a difference to the economy. More companies went out of business and unemployment rates continued to increase. One of Hoover's projects did make a difference however. In the fall of 1929, Hoover approved the construction of one of the worlds largest dams, the Boulder Dam. The dam later called the Hoover Dam, provided electricity, flood control, and enabled the growth of California's massive agriculture economy. 

3. Why do you think people blamed Hoover for the nation's difficulties?       

     Hoover became a scapegoat to the general public. Many Americans especially farmers were becoming more depressed and angry with the dwindling economy and blamed Hoover for the nation's difficulties. By 1930, people started calling shantytowns "Hoovervilles" as a direct insult to the president's policies. Homeless people called the newspapers they used to stay warm "Hoover blankets." Many Americans who had hailed Hoover as a great humanitarian now saw him as a heartless leader. Despite the constant criticism, Hoover refused to change his policies and stood his ground.  

4. How did Hoover's belief in "rugged individualism" shape his policies during the Great Depression.

Think About:

• what his belief implies about his view of people

• how that translates into the role of government

• Hoover’s policies (How effective were they?)       

     President Hoover believed in little government intervention. He believed the government should encourage cooperation and looked to the construction of Boulder Dam as a model of how the federal government can do just so. He attempted negotiating among private entities to promote his belief in smaller government. For example, he backed the creation of the Federal Farm Board. The Farm Board was intended to raise crop prices by helping members to buy crops. Hoover also tried persuading the nation's largest banks to establish the National Credit Corporation, loaning money to smaller banks. By late 1931, many people could see Hoover's policies weren't improving the economy. Hoover then signed into law the Federal Home Loan Bank which lowered mortgage rates for homeowners. Hoover's biggest economic measure was the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, passed by Congress in 1932. This bill authorized about 2 billion dollars for emergency financing for banks, life insurance companies, railroads, and other large businesses. Many argued that this would only benefit businesses and the poor still needed direct relief. the RFC was unprecedented example of federal involvement, however, in the end it was too little, too late. 



5. What did the Bonus Army want and how did Hoover respond?      

     The Bonus Army was made up of World War 1 veterans who came to Washington D.C to support a bill under debate in Congress. The Patman Bill authorized the government to pay a bonus to World War 1 veterans who had not been compensated adequately for their wartime services. Hoover opposed the bill believed the Bonus Army to be more like communists and criminals than veterans. Although he opposed the legislation, he respected their right to peacefully assemble and provided them with food and supplies. Hoover then ordered for the Bonus Army to leave but many stayed in hopes they would be able to meet with the president. 

6. When Franklin Delano Roosevelt heard about the attack on the Bonus Army, why was he so certain that he would defeat Hoover?

Think About:

• the American public’s impression of Hoover (See your answer to No. 3)

• Hoover’s actions to alleviate the Great Depression (see your answer to No. 4)

• how people judged Hoover after the attack.       



     When Franklin Delano Roosevelt heard about the attack on the Bonus Army, he was certain he would defeat Hoover in the upcoming election. The violent attack by the government on the veterans left Hoover's political image suffering. Many people were stunned to see such aggressiveness towards veterans. Hoover was already seen by the public in a negative way since they blamed him for the depression and not doing enough to save the economic state of the country. Hoover's inability to deal  effectively with the depression left people turning towards Franklin Roosevelt. 

Hardship and Suffering During the Depression

Employment: There were very few jobs during the Great Depression. Unemployment rates dramatically increased when the stock market crashed. The unemployment rate for African-Americans and Latinos were higher. Millions of people lost their jobs and ended up homeless living on the streets or in shantytowns. Men would set out the walk the streets everyday in search for a job. Many woman worked outside of their homes although they usually made less money than men did. As the depression moved on,  working woman became a target for resentment. Many people believed woman, especially married woman, shouldn't have the right to work when there were men who were unemployed. 


Housing: Millions of people were left homeless due to the Great Depression. They lost their jobs, were evicted from their homes, and would end up living on the streets. They found shelter where ever they could in parks or sewer pipes with nothing but newspaper to keep them warm. Some would built shacks made from scrap metal. Numerous shacks became known as Shantytowns. The poor would dig through garbage cans or begging for resources. Soup kitchens and bread lines became a common sight. 


Farming: Living in a rural area gave farmers an advantage over city life; most were able to grow food for their families. But with falling prices and rising debt, thousands of farmers lost their land through foreclosure. Many farmers turned to tenant farming and barely made a living. Thousands of farmers left their land behind due to drought and sand storms. Thousands of farm families had migrated to California and other Pacific Coast states due to the drought and lack of farm land. 



Race relations: Unemployment rates for African-Americans and Latinos were higher and they were the lowest paid. African-Americans and Latinos had to deal with racial violence from unemployed whites competing for the same jobs. Many whites felt that the Latinos should be deported or expelled from the country even though many had been born in America. By the late 1930's, thousands of people of Mexican decent left and relocated in Mexico, some were voluntary while others were deported by the federal government.   


Family life: Americans believed in traditional values and the importance of family unity especially during a time of hardship. With no money to spend many families found entertainment in staying home and playing board games, such as Monopoly, and listening to the radio. The economic difficulties put pressure on family life. Making ends meet was a daily struggle and many families broke apart. Some men became so discouraged by unemployment that they abandoned their families. Families in New York City were given $2.39 as a weekly payment from charity services.  



Physical health: During the 1930's children were suffering greatly. Due to lack of money, children had poor diets which led to serious health problems. Milk consumption decreased across the country and doctors reported a dramatic rise in malnutrition and diet related diseased such as rickets. Young boys and teenagers would hop aboard freight trains in search of work, adventure, or to escape from poverty. Many riders were beaten or jailed or accidentally locked in ice cars for days or fell pray to murderous criminals.    



Emotional health: The hardship of the Great Depression had a tremendous emotional impact. Many people were so demoralized that they lost their will to survive. Between 1928 and 1932, the suicide rate increased more than 30 percent. Three times as many people were admitted to mental hospitals compared to normal times. Many had to make huge sacrifices in order to survive. Adults stopped going to dentists and doctors because they couldn't afford it. Children gave up their dreams of going to college and couples often put off getting married or having children at all. During the Great Depression many people showed great kindness to strangers. They offered them food, clothing, or a place to rest. Families helped families which strengthened the bonds within communities.  
 


Explain or define each of the following:

 Dust bowl: The region that was hit the hardest by the drought that began in the early 1930's was called the Dust bowl. The Dust bowl included parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. 

Shantytown: Shantytowns were little towns consisting of shacks built from scrap metal during the Great Depression. People would built shacks when they lost their homes and became homeless.  


Direct Relief: During the early years of the Great Depression there was no direct relief or federal system. Direct Relief were cash payments or food provided by the government to the poor. Most cities did not offer relief to those who needed it. 

Causes of the Great Depression

1. What industrial weakness signaled a declining economy in the 1920s?    

The superficial prosperity of the late 1920s signaled a declining economy in the 1920s. Railroads, textiles, and steel which were key basic industries, hardly made a profit. New forms of transportation such as trucks, buses, and private automobiles made little use for railroads. Mining and lumbering which were in high demand during war time, were no longer in high demand. The number of new dwellings being built declined. When the housing starts fall, many industry related jobs fall as well.  

2. What did the experience of farmers and consumers at this time suggest about the health of the economy?    

     The experience of farmers and consumers at this time suggests that the health of the economy was quickly declining. Between 1919 and 1921 annual farm income declined from about 10 billion to about 4 billion. Many farmers went into dept and had difficulty paying off loans. Many farms were taken when banks foreclosed as payment for loans. By the late 1920s, many consumers were buying less due to the rising prices and unbalanced distribution of income. The gap between the rich and the poor widened dramatically. The rich got richer while the poor got poorer. 

3. How did speculation and margin buying cause stock prices to rise?    


     Speculation and margin buying caused stock prices to rise because it created unrestrained buying and selling and easy money. The government didn't stop or regulate it so the stock prices started and continued to rise. What people were paying for the stocks didn't really reflect the companies true worth. People ignored the risk of losing all their profit when they were speculating. If the stock prices dropped, they wouldn't be able to pay off their loans from margin buying.   


4. What happened to ordinary workers during the Great Depression?    

     The Great Depression left millions of people without jobs or savings accounts. Millions of people lost their savings account when the banks collapsed. Unemployment skyrocketed as millions lost their jobs. Unemployment leaped from about 3 percent in 1929 to about 25 percent in 1933. One out of every 4 workers were without a job. Those who kept their jobs reduced their work hours and were forced to accept pay cuts. 

5. How did the Great Depression affect the world economy?    

     The United States was not the only country hurt by the Great Depression. European countries faced high war debt trying to recover from Word War 1. Germany had to pay war reparations to the Allies. The Great Depression limited America's ability to import goods resulting in difficulty to sell American farm products and manufactured goods abroad. Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act which was designed to protect American farmers and manufactures from foreign competition backfired reducing the flow of goods into the United States. Many countries retaliated by raising their own tariffs. Within a few years, world trade had fallen more than 40 percent. 

Define: 

a. Price-Supports:    Government assistance in maintaining the levels of market prices regardless of supply or demand. Congress issue price supports on key products such as wheat, corn, tobacco, and cotton.

b. Credit:   an arrangement in which consumers agreed to buy now and pay later often in the form of an installment plan. Usually paid with monthly payments. 
c. Dow Jones Industrial Average:    was and is now the most widely used barometer of the stock market's health. The Dow is a measure based on the stock prices of 30 representative large firms trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

d. Speculation:   when you bought a stock or stocks and bonds on the chance of a quick profit, while ignoring the risk.

e. Buying on Margin:    paying a small percentage of a stock’s price as a down payment and borrowing the rest.


f. Black Tuesday:    On October 29, what became known as Black Tuesday was when the bottom fell out of the market and the nation's confidence. 


g. Hawley-Smoot Tariff: Congress passed the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act in 1930. The tariff was designed to protect American farmers and manufacturers from foreign competition.  

Schenck v US (Free Speech)

1. What was Justice Holmes’ main argument  in the Court’s opinion in Schenck? Do you agree with the Court’s opinion? 

     Justice Holmes' main argument was that when words are used in such a way  that a  clear and present danger is created that they will bring about substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent, then those words  would not be  protected by the 1st amendment. Holmes stated that speech that might be protected in ordinary times would not necessarily also be permitted during times of war by noting that war times  "when a nation is at war many things that might be said in time of peace...will not be endured." He famously observed that a man who falsely yelled "fire!" in a crowded theater, causing a panic, would not have that speech protected under the 1st Amendment. Holmes implication was the Schenk's leaflet was just as dangerous. Therefore, the speech of the leaflet was not protected. I agree with the reasoning at the time, however, I agree that there is some speech that should be restricted. However, today a leaflet criticizing the war or the draft should be in my opinion, protected by the first amendment. Except for speech such as yelling fire in a crowded theater that creates a clear immediate danger, free expression and exchange of ideas should be protected.

2. Do you think some limits on the freedom of speech are necessary? Explain. (Use your own opinion and support it using information from the reading.)       

Yes, I believe there should be some limits on the freedom of speech, however, these limits should be as minimal possible. Free speech should only be limited under very few circumstances including speech which causes an immediate, clear, and present danger (yelling fire in a crowded movie theater), or which is considered hate speech such as desecrating grave stones or churches with speech expressing hate for a particular race or religion.  

3. List three examples of the "historical impact" of the Schenck decision. 

The historical impact of the Schenck decision is that challenges to restrictions of free speech continue today. In 1965, students who were suspended from school for wearing armbands that symbolically criticized the Vietnam war challenged that suspension as a violation of their free speech. In that case, the court ordered the school to re-admit the students. In Texas V. Johnson (1989) the court over turned a law which had convicted a man who burned an American flag to symbolically protest Reagan administration policies. In the 60's and the 70's some U.S colleges instituted speech codes to discipline students for discriminatory or harassing speech. Federal courts have struck down a number of these speech codes as being too restrictive and violating the first amendment. 

  

Imperialism's Bitter Fruit

1. What made the Filipino insurrection "far different than any conflict in which Americans had previously fought"?

During the war in the Philippines American soldiers encountered battles unlike any they had known before. For the first time they had to fight a guerrilla movement which could act swiftly rather than a slower moving traditional army. In addition, the traditional rules of war that had been followed regarding treatment of prisoners and civilians were almost completely ignored. Both the Filipinos and the Americans tortured and killed prisoners and committed other atrocities. As the Filipino insurgents could easily blend into the civilian population, the U.S punished civilians after an attack by Filipino guerrillas. U.S troops also had orders to kill males above the age of ten who did not surrender.      

2. Why were African-Americans among the strongest critics of the war against the Filipino nationalists?

Black soldiers were disturbed by the racist attitudes which prevailed in the military about the Filipinos. The white military referred to the Filipinos as "niggers." In addition, black soldiers themselves found the same discrimination in the Philippines that they encountered in the U.S. They were prohibited from restaurants, barber shops, and many other locations marked as "white only." The Filipinos encouraged African-Americans to desert and join the Filipinos in their fight for independence.


3. Why did the United States lose its appetite for imperialism in the early 1900s ?

In the early 1900s Americans lost their appetite for imperialism mainly due to the difficulties of occupation. In the Philippines and at home there was continued opposition and anti imperialist sentiment. Critics of imperialism such as Mark Twain effectively expressed their opposition in the press. The occupation also brought many legal questions to the fore front which required the Supreme Court to address. In just three years the Supreme Court was required to make fourteen separate decisions regarding the Philippines. The American public became less interested in what was happening so far away form the United States.


4. How did the United States contribute to the development of Cuba and Puerto Rico ?

In Cuba and Puerto Rico, the U.S was primarily concerned with guarding American business and security interests. However, the Americans also brought technology and their business and administrative skills which enabled rapid development. New roads, telegraph lines, and schools were constructed. Sanitation was developed and improved. Medical advances including defeating yellow fever, were made and the finical health of the country was improved.


5. Why did many Cubans come to resent the U.S. presence on their island ?

After their long nationalist fight with Spain, Cuba felt great resentment toward U.S rule. The Platt amendment in 1901, fueled more resentment. The plan gave the U.S the power to oversee the Cuban economy, power over Cuban foreign policy  and allowed the U.S to take steps to protect life, property and liberty. The U.S also was permitted to build a naval base at Guantanamo bay. Cubans now had few opportunities in an economy controlled by Americans and some Spanish. They also were unhappy with Cuban plantation owners who formed alliances with foreign businesses.    
6. Do you believe the United States was imperialist? why or why not ?


I believe the United States was imperialist during this time period. I believe this because the U.S annexed Hawaii and acquired Cuba, The Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico. It did so in order to increase its political, economic and military power.

The Spanish-American War

1. How was the United States connected to Cuba in the 1890s?

      Cuba had been a country of interest for Americans for many years prior to the 1890s. Because it was only 90 miles from the tip of Florida, many Americans believed it to be a natural extension of the US. During the 1890s it became a profitable source of trade for American businessmen. After the Cuban revolt against Spain ended the Americans poured investments over $50 million into Cuba and became the biggest purchaser of Cuban sugar.  The US removed tariffs making sugar cheap for Americans to buy. Both the US and the Cuban economies benefited and  the trade increased to $100 million. The depression of 1893, however, had a negative effect on both economies.  


2. What were the main reasons the United States intervened in Cuba? (i.e. went to war) Which reason do you believe was most important? Explain your answer.
 

     There were many causes which together led to the US intervention in Cuba.  Among them were: the role of the press in inflaming public opinion by reporting both facts and fiction regarding the war in order to sell newspapers; religious magazines and politicians with strong religious convictions who believed it was America’s duty to help those suffering abroad; sympathy for the Cuban war effort from the US black community because of the large black Cuban population; merchants who were alarmed that their trade had been reduced or stopped because of the conflict; and a letter from the Spanish ambassador which was published and in which he  sharply criticized the President, leading Americans to believe that their country had been insulted. However the most important was the attack on the U.S.S. Maine, a US warship making a courtesy call to Havana harbor. 260 US sailors were killed in an explosion which destroyed the battleship and the cry “Remember the Maine-to hell with Spain” became popular across the country, although there was no certainty that the Spanish government was responsible.  Because of this tragedy, McKinley came under increased pressure to enter the war from both the general public who were outraged by the “Maine” and businessmen who felt  a war victory  would create increased economic strength and stability for the US. If the US was victorious, it would control strategic ports enabling it to increase valuable trade with Asia.



3. Why were many African-Americans eager to serve in the Spanish-American War?
 

     Blacks faced continuing discrimination at home.  Military service was one of the few accepted ways that a black person in the US could advance, although even that was limited with blacks not permitted to become officers. Nonetheless, many blacks considered the war as an opportunity to raise the status of blacks in the US. They hoped that if they fought that they would gain an increased level of respect and that the levels of discrimination might be reduced.

4. How did racial attitudes at the turn of the century shape American peceptions of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines?

     

     The racial stereotypes of the day were applied not only to  African Americans in the US but also to the blacks and Asians who lived in Cuba, Puerto Rico , Guam and the Philippines. American leaders did not believe that these people could help with progress and did not think that they were capable of developing stable democracies.

5. Why did Emilio Aguinaldo feel that the United States supported his campaign for Filipino independence?

  

     Aguinaldo believed that the US supported his campaign for Filipino independence based on the help that he had received from the Commander of the Pacific Fleet, Commodore George Dewey. Dewey supplied them with rifles, ammunition and cannons. But Dewey did this not because he supported Filipino independence but because he viewed Aguinaldo’s troops as allies in the war against Spain. Although he was later criticized for his actions, Dewey remembered the help that the freed black slaves had given to the Union in defeating the Confederacy and realized that Aguinaldo’s troops could offer the same type of help to his campaign against Spain.

6. Why do you think the Spanish-American War was called "a splendid little war" by an American diplomat at the time? Do you think we could have a "splendid little war" today? Explain your answer.

     I believe that the Spanish – American War was referred to as “a splendid little war” because  it was extremely short in time and resulted in an overwhelming American victory. The American success restored a great deal of pride  in the US both in the country and the military.  The number of casualties was also relatively few and many people also believed that the US was now taking its rightful position as a world power.  No, I don’t believe that we could have the same type of war today.  Things are much more complicated in the world today and there are many more countries with military power or the ability to make things more complicated and difficult.  Whether it is  WW1, WW2, Vietnam, Afghanistan or Iraq,  wars since then have not been brief or without massive amounts of casualties.  With the exception of the World Wars, perhaps, the wars have not been considered something to be proud about and certainly none have been thought to be “splendid”.