The Great Depression Widens

From Great Depression 22-2 Reading

1. How did the Great Depression affect minorities?     
Minorities, such as Mexicans and Mexican Americans, had an especially hard time during the great depression. They had higher unemployment rates and lower-paying jobs. They had to deal with racial violence from whites that were competing for jobs. Many whites demanded that they be deported. Hundreds of thousands of people of Mexican descent left the country; some voluntarily and some were deported.


2. Why did so many men leave their homes during the Depression?    
Men were accustomed to working and supporting their  families. When they lost their jobs, it became part of their daily routine to search the streets for employment. But it was very hard to find work. Many people stopped trying because they were so discouraged and even left their families. 


3. How did the Great Depression affect women and children?    
Woman had to work hard during the Great Depression. Many of them canned food and sewed clothing.  They learned how to be extremely frugal and save every penny. Those who worked outside the home earned much less than men. They became the targets of much hatred. People felt that woman weren't struggling as much as men (especially married women) and felt woman didn't deserve jobs if men were unemployed.
 

From Great Depression 22-3 Reading

4. What were some of Hoover’s key convictions about government?     
Hoover believed that one of the government's most import jobs was to find solutions that would benefit both sides of a dispute. He opposed any type of federal welfare or direct relief to the needy, believing that people should support themselves, which was known as rugged individualism. People found him to be cold and heartless, but he didn't change his beliefs despite public criticism. 


5. Why do you think people blamed Hoover for the nation’s difficulties?    
People did not feel like Hoover was helping them at all. Hoover didn't want to hurt anyone's "moral fiber" helping them, but the people couldn't care less about their moral fiber- they were starving. Hoover was taking a hands-off approach and waiting for the economy to fix itself, but things were only getting worse. 


6. What were some of the projects proposed by Hoover, and how effective were they?    
He urged key leaders of business, banking and labor to find solutions to the country's economic problems after the crash happened. He asked employers not to cut wagers or fire workers, and for labor leaders to not go on strike. Hoover also made an organization that helped charities help the poor. None of these things were very helpful, and the economy was still worsening after a year. Hoover also organized the Boulder Dam, which created jobs, provided flood control and electricity and enabled growth of California's agricultural economy. 


7. What did the Bonus Army want?    
The Bonus Army was made up of World War I veterans and their families. They were supporting the Patman Bill, which authorized the government to pay a bonus to veterans who had not been fairly compensated for their service during the war. They felt that the money ($500) should be payed immediately.

The Crash Occurs and the Great Depression Begins

1. What industrial weakness signaled a declining economy in the 1920s?        
Key basic industries (railroads, textiles, steel) only made a small profit. Railroads lost business due to competition from trucks, buses and personal automobiles. Mining and lumbering were no longer in high demand. Coal mining lost business from new forms of energy and the boo, industries of the 1920s (automobiles, construction and consumer goods) weakened.

2. What did the experience of farmers and consumers at this time suggest about the health of the economy?       
Agriculture was hit hard. Demand for crops fell after the war ended and prices fell by 40%. They increased production but were unable to sell everything they made, further lowering the prices. Farmers' income plummeted and many could pay off their debts.


3. How did speculation and margin buying cause stock prices to rise?      
People would just by something in hopes of making some quick cash and they would ignore all the risks (this was speculation). Buying on a margin was making a down payment and then borrowing the rest of the money. Easy money was available and trade was unrestrained. Rising prices didn't reflect the worth of their company. 


4. What happened to ordinary workers during the Great Depression?      
Many banks had to close down because they didn't have any money and people lost their entire savings. Millions of workers lost their jobs. Unemployment was at 25% and those who did have jobs had reduced pay and reduced hours.


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

The Great Depression not only affected American economy, but also the world economy. Many countries had to deal with war debt, and Germany had to pay war reparations. The Great Depression worsened these things by limiting America's ability to import European goods, which made it difficult to sell American products to other countries.

        

Prohibition

1. How did small-town life and city life differ?   
Small town life and city life were very different. In the 1920's, the city was "the place to be". People were leaving farms and towns to move to the city. Small towns had lots of close friendships and you knew the people around you and the people had conservative moral values. The city had a lot of competition and change, and people were judged by accomplishments, not background. They also tolerated behaviors that weren't tolerated in small town life (drinking, gambling).


2. Why do you think the Eighteenth Amendment failed to eliminate alcohol consumption?   
The Eighteenth Amendment failed to eliminate alcohol consumption for several reasons. A main reason was that people honestly didn't believe in the Amendment- only a tiny 19% supported it. Also, it was too easy to get to alcohol- people made it themselves, went to speakeasies, bought from bootleggers, and more. Lastly, the government wasn't really able to enforce the law. Only 1,500 federal agents and police were in charge of it and there was no way that they could do it.   


3. How did criminals take advantage of Prohibition?   
Prohibition created general disrespect for the law, due to many people not supporting it. It also contributed to organized crime. Gangsters had bootlegging empires (Al Capone killed his competition). Al Capone's empire was worth $60 million per year.


4. What was the conflict between fundamentalists and those who accepted evolution?   
Fundamentalists  were skeptical of scientific knowledge. They believed in the Bible and felt that God created everything. People who accepted evolution believed in the scientific evidence that was found and the work done by scientists and felt that that was the truth- humans evolving- as opposed to the fundamentalists who believed God made the world and everything in it, including humans, in 6 days. 


5. How might the overall atmosphere of the 1920s have contributed to the failure of Prohibition?    
The overall atmosphere of the 1920's contributed to the failure of Prohibition. People had just gotten out of the war, so they were kind of stressed and wanted to celebrate- alcohol is good for both of those things. Also, people had to cut back and make sacrifices during the war. Now that the war has ended, people don't want to cut back anymore, but the Prohibition is making them cut back. With the increase in city life, people were being more social and trying new things, so alcohol was something that went with socializing and trying new things. 

                              News Analysis on the First Presidential Debate

Source Information      

Date:  

October 3, 2012

What news organization (or individual) produced this?:  

The New York Times (Jeff Zeleny and Jim Rutenberg)

What is the type of news source?:    

Online News Paper
 

Content
 

What is the main headline?:  

Obama and Romney, in First Debate, Spar Over Fixing the Economy

What facts (statistics, important events, etc.) are included?:   

The topics that were discussed and some facts about the plans that were presented ($1 of tax increases for every $10 in spending cuts.)

Is anyone quoted? If so, who? What did they say?:    

Yes, both President Barack Obama and Congressman Mitt Romney were quoted many times on a variety of different subjects that were discussed. (“I like the way we did it in Massachusetts,” Mr. Romney said of his health plan.) (“At some point,” Mr. Obama said, “the American people have to ask themselves: Is the reason Governor Romney is keeping all these plans secret, is it because they’re going to be too good? Because middle-class families benefit too much? No.”)  

What information or ideas might have been left out?:    

The authors left out their opinions and it mostly showed only one side of most issues.

 

Message

Who is the intended audience?:    

The intended audience is people who missed the debate and wanted an opinion free recap of what was discussed and what happened.

Does the author seem to have an opinion? If so, what is it?:    

The authors seemed to try their hardest to not put an opinion into the article, but at parts it seemed as thought thew thought the candidates were generally evenly matched, but Romney had more style and Obama wasnt treating him like a serious competitor. 

What is the tone of the source?:   

The tone was very factual and informative, and a bit casual and non confrontational. 

What words or phrases create the tone?:  

"On a basic level it was a clash of two ideologies..."

 "The two quarreled aggressively over tax policy, the budget deficit and the role of government, with each man accusing the other of being evasive and misleading voters."

Is any one person or group discussed positively? Negatively?: 

No, they were both presented in a neutral, facts-only manner.