Brisbane Boys' College Library: Senior: 11 & 12: Unit 3: The Great Depression in the USA

Significant Aspects of the Great Depression

S ongs about the Great Depression
Songs and their lyrics, including the iconic 'Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?', made famous by Bing Crosby.

The Pen and the Pad: Famous Poems of the Depression

Pantoum (Poem) of the Great Depression, by Donald Justice

Breadline, by Florence Converse
Another poem of the Great Depression.

The Impact of the Great Depression on Early Modernism
Includes the famous cartoon “October 29 Dies Irae” (Latin for 'Day of Wrath') about the Stock Market Crash, as well as an analysis of the iconic 1936 'Migrant Mother' photograph, and a link to the gospel song 'Everybody Needs a Prayer', which expresses the hopes and concerns of a troubled nation.

PRIMARY SOURCES: A Social History for Every Classroom: The Great Depression and WWII

PRIMARY SOURCES: Virginia Commonwealth Libraries: The Great Depression

The Enduring Impact of the American Dust Bowl
Accessed via JSTOR database.

Cartoons about the New Deal
https://www.loc.gov/collections/cartoon-drawings/?q=new+deal
Khan Academy: The New Deal
History.com: Did New Deal Programs Help End the Great Depression?
Cato Institute: Fresh Debate About FDR's New Deal
PRIMARY SOURCES: Digital Public Library of America
Includes photographs, speeches, letters, and oral histories.
PRIMARY SOURCES: Docs Teach: The New Deal - Revolution or Reform?
PRIMARY SOURCES: Docs Teach: Where was the New Deal?
Discusses these programs: the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Academy of Political Science: What the New Deal Did
From JSTOR database.
A New Deal Historiography
By Cathy Li, New York University, website at https://www.nyu.edu/content/dam/nyu/brademasCenter/documents/Intern%20Research%20Papers/Li,%20Kathy%20New%20Deal%20Historiography%20Final.docx
Routledge: The Great Depression and New Deal—A Historiographical Survey
The New Deal: Accomplishments and Failures

Radical Responses to the Great Depression

Digital History: Legacy of the Great Depression

Significant People During the Great Depression

Cartoons about Herbert Hoover
The Changing Face of Herbert Hoover
Lumen Learning: Assessing the Hoover Years on the Eve of the Great Depression
The New Yorker: Hating on Herbert Hoover
The Atlantic: Herbert Hoover is the Model Republicans Need
Christopher Newport University: Herbert Hoover
Libguides page.
Lumen Learning: The Great Depression and President Hoover's Response
Austin Community College: Herbert Hoover's Tragic Presidency
The Balance: President Herbert Hoover's Economic Policies
The Library of Economics and Liberty: Hoover's Economic Policies
PRIMARY SOURCES: Newport University LibGuides
PRIMARY SOURCE: Consequences of the Proposed 'New Deal'
As the 1932 presidential campaign drew to a close, Hoover fired back against his Democratic challenger in a speech at Madison Square Garden. He seized on proposals made by Democratic leaders in Congress, and Roosevelt’s own words from the Commonwealth Club address, to portray the opposition as dangerously irresponsible and committed to a philosophy at odds with that of the American Founding. The president reminded his listeners of the progress made in the past thirty years, and while he admitted that the past three years had brought considerable distress, he asserted that the system established by the Founders in the Constitution had proven capable of weathering the worst of the crisis.
PRIMARY SOURCES: State Historical Society of Iowa - Great Depression and Herbert Hoover
PRIMARY SOURCE: National Archives: FDR's First Inaugural Address Declaring 'War' on the Great Depression
PRIMARY SOURCE: National Archives: FDR's Fireside Chat on the Recovery Program

Herbert Hoover Responds to the Stock Market Crash
By: Dawes, K. P.; Defining Documents: The 1920s, 7/1/2014, p. 298, Database: History Reference Center
State Historical Society of Iowa : The Great Depression and Herbert Hoover
Hoover and Historians: The Resurrection of a President

Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Chapter 4 on Franklin Delano Roosevelt, from Leuchtenburg, William E., The American President : From Teddy Roosevelt to Bill Clinton, Oxford University Press USA, 2015. Accessed from ProQuest Ebook Central database, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uql/detail.action?docID=4083524.
Assess the effectiveness of The New Deal
Cartoon about FDR and the New Deal
From https://americanhistory.si.edu/american-enterprise-exhibition/corporate-era/new-deal

Christopher Newport University: Eleanor Roosevelt
Primary sources.
University of Texas: Eleanor Roosevelt
DocsTeach: Eleanor Roosevelt
Primary source.
FDR Library: Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt Readings
Click on 'Handout with Documents" obtained from this URL:
https://www.womenshistory.org/resources/lesson-plan/eleanor-roosevelt-agent-social-change
Legacy of Eleanor Roosevelt
Accessed via JSTOR database.

Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt, the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt, was born into an already-historical family. Her life would be filled with hardships, determination, advocacy, and triumphs. This is the story of one of the most influential First Ladies of the White House, a truly remarkable woman.
Eleanor Roosevelt in Her Own Words
Eleanor Roosevelt wasn't content to be a seldom-seen, never-heard First Lady. Instead, she worked tirelessly for the many causes dear to her heart, including the rights of African Americans, women, and the poor. After Franklin D. Roosevelt's death, she traveled the world promoting peace in the aftermath of World War II. Roosevelt was so beloved she became known as the "First Lady of the World." This extraordinary woman's life and work is presented in this charming biography that utilizes her own words from her prolific writings. Roosevelt's wit, charm, and intelligence shine in each passage, while carefully chosen photographs reflect important moments in her life.
The Wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt
Nearly five hundred sage observations from the "First Lady of the World" A role model for generations of women, Eleanor Roosevelt lent her passion, support, and life experience to humanitarian causes in the United States and abroad, making her a popular and influential figure of the twentieth century. Both as a first lady and as a public figure, Mrs. Roosevelt championed the poor, minorities, and women. Her work as a civil rights advocate resulted in the desegregation of the armed forces and the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Culling quotes from her books, letters, and articles, and also providing timelines, contextual explanations, and a reader's guide, The Wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt offers a thorough and lasting tribute to a tireless and compassionate leader.

Primary Sources

Newport University Libguides: Primary Sources on the Great Depression

Library of Congress: Primary Sources on The Great Depression and WWII

Sam Houston University: The Great Depression & New Deal: Primary Source Collections

Southern Connecticut University: The Great Depression 1929-1939

History Central: America's Great Depression (1929-1939) Primary Source Documents

HathiTrust Digital Library

Using Primary Sources in the Classroom: The Great Depression

IOP CAM: Source Analysis and Evaluation Skills

IOP CAM

Analysing Political Cartoons and Propaganda Posters

Analysing Political Cartoons
From 'History Alive 10', by Robert Darlington.
Analysing Propaganda Posters
From 'History Alive 10', by Robert Darlington.

QCAA Sample IA2 Annotated Response on Mao Tse-Tung

QCAA Sample IA2 Annotated Response on Mao Tse-Tung

ONESearch Database Explorer

The ENTIRE collection of resources provided by the BBC Library can be searched on ONE single, powerful search platform, which retrieves print books, eBooks, database articles and websites. Click HERE for assistance.

Starting Points

1. Causes of the Depression

Stock Market Crash, 1929
Long-term Problems in the Economy (see Peter Clements; Norman Lowe)
- Unequal distribution of wealth
- Rural poverty
- The instability of 'get-rich' quick schemes
- Problems with the banking system
- The cycle of international debt
- A slowdown in the economy
- Overproduction of agricultural products (Bidgood et al.) and falling crop and commodity prices
- Stock market's dependence on borrowed money
- Government policies such as high tariffs which reduced international trade and contracted the money supply

2. Daily life During the Depression
The Great Depression caused widespread homelessness and illness, fueled discrimination, and increased migrant labor. Investigate the Impact of poverty (especially on children), rise of crime, role of cars, electricity, radio and cinema (see Wendy L. Lanier; David E. Kyvig)

Possible Key Question: To what extent was the Depression-era motto: “Use it up, wear it out, make do or do without' an accurate reflection of what life was like for ordinary people during the worst economic downturn in modern history?

3. The Dust Bowl and the Great Depression
Possible Key Question: How did the development of the American Dust Bowl make Americans refugees in their own country?

Possible Key Question: How important was the Dust Bowl issue during the Great Depression, and how effective were New Deal programs in alleviating the problem?

4. The New Deal
Investigate Aims, What ideas and actions were involved (see your textbook), Opposition to it, What it achieved (see Norman Lowe) and How effective it was (your textbook).

Significant programs: The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Possible Key Question: In what ways did the New Deal permanently change the federal government's role in the affairs of the United States?

Possible Key Question: Was the New Deal successful in ending the Depression in America, and what was its role in restoring public confidence and creating relief programs for Americans?

Possible Key Question: Eric Rauchway (The Great Depression and the New Deal, Oxford University Press, 2008) states that 'The openly experimental, obviously fallible, always compromised quality of the New Deal programs and their progeny illustrated the imperfect nature of the democracy that they led to'. How can this comment be justified?

Possible Key Question: In what ways, and why was the New Deal considered to be a controversial policy by some?

Note: See Historiography (i.e. how interpretations of the same events shift with time as a result of many different factors) of New Deal in Bruce Dennett and Stephen Dixon - later edition)

5. Impact of World War II on the New Deal

Focus turned to international from domestic interests
Focus turned from isolation to war
Implementation of war economy and its impact

(see your textbook)

6. Impact of Historical Figures

J. Edgar Hoover (see Dennett & Dixon; Peter Clements)
- Possible Key Question: Why were President Hoover's attempts to deal with the Great Depression unsuccessful?
- Possible Key Question: Have President's achievements during the early years of the Great Depression been underestimated?
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
- Policies implemented (eg basic welfare like Social Security Act).
- Possible Key Question: Should FDR's leadership during the Great Depression ensure his status as one of America's greatest presidents?
Eleanor Roosevelt
Possible Key Question: To what extent could Eleanor Roosevelt be described as a passionate civil rights activist?
John Maynard Keynes
- Possible Key Question: In what ways did Keynesian economic theories spearhead a revolution in economic thinking?
- Possible Key Question: What was Keynes’ “big idea”, and was it was the right remedy for ending the Great Depression?

7. Legacy / Results of the Great Depression
(Your textbook is a good starting point)

The rise of Keynesian economics
Growth of the Federal government and Federal fiscalism (financial relations between units of governments in a federal government system - deals with the division of governmental functions and financial relations among levels of government)
Growth of the regulatory state
Rise of social welfare programs
Development of unemployment insurance
Development of old age assistance and Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)
Development of Social Security
International trade and finance changed (eg Tariff reductions)

(see Gene Smiley; Linda and Charles George)

Writing Template for Response

IA2 Task Template

Useful Databases

Useful E-books

The Roaring Twenties
Covers the social, political, and economic history of the 1920s, including developments in science, from astrophysics to laboratory science to discoveries and inventions; the creation of new professional sports leagues; the labor union movement; censorship, and writers, artists, and moviemakers. This volume captures the complexities of the 1920s.
The 1930s
Dust storms ravaged the Great Plains, and the economy crashed, leaving thousands unemployed, homeless, and hungry. Nazism began its rise to power in Germany, and a hurricane devastated New England. The 1930s were a time of enormous devastation, but also of great progress. Franklin D. Roosevelt promised a New Deal for America. Amelia Earhart attempted to become the first woman to fly around the world. Walt Disney began a media empire that would change entertainment forever. The 1930s would shape America and the world, with each new policy and invention creating the backdrop for a new world power.
Rainbow's End
Rainbow's End tells the story of the stock market collapse in a colorful, swift-moving narrative that blends a vivid portrait of the 1920s with an intensely gripping account of Wall Street's greatest catastrophe. The book offers a vibrant picture of a world full of plungers, powerful bankers, corporate titans, millionaire brokers, and buoyantly optimistic stock market bulls. Then, in October 1929, came a "perfect storm"-like convergence of factors that shook Wall Street to its foundations, and was a turning point in history.
The Stock Market Crash Of 1929: The End of Prosperity
On October 29, 1929, more than 16 million stock shares were sold at the New York Stock Exchange, and by the end of November investors had lost more than $100 billion in assets. This book looks at the events that helped usher one of the grimmest periods in American history.
The Great Depression in United States History
The Great Depression began when the never-ending party of the Roaring Twenties came to a sudden half. On October 29, 1929, which became known as Black Tuesday, the stock market crashed, starting a downward economic slide. David K. Fremon recounts the fascinating events leading to the crash of the New York Stock Exchange, and tells of personal tales as a quarter of hard-working people were without jobs, banks failed, businesses were wiped out, and the Great Depression began.
The Life of Herbert Hoover
This is the first definitive study of the presidency of America's least understood and most under-appreciated Chief Executive. Combining government with private resources, Hoover became the first president to pit government action against the economic cycle, setting precedents and spawning ideas employed by his successor and all future presidents.
The Great Depression and the New Deal
This guide to the Great Depression and the New Deal provides information, analysis, biographical profiles, primary documents and current resources, with the aim of helping students to understand this pivotal period in American history.
The FDR Years
Born in 1882 in New York, Franklin Delano Roosevelt entered public service through the encouragement of the Democratic Party and won the election to the New York Senate in 1910. This book details his administration at the height of the Great Depression as he valiantly led the nation with the phrase, The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
The coming of the New Deal: 1933-1935
Describes Franklin Delano Roosevelt's first tumultuous years in the White House. Coming into office at the bottom of the Great Depression, FDR told the American people that they have nothing to fear but fear itself. The conventional wisdom having failed, he tried unorthodox remedies to avert economic collapse. His first hundred days restored national morale, and his New Dealers filled Washington with new approaches to recovery and reform. Combining idealistic ends with realistic means, Roosevelt proposed to humanise, redeem, and rescue capitalism.
The Great Depression and New Deal
From Documents Decoded series. The political ideas that resulted from confronting the crisis of the Great Depression and the New Deal of the early 20th century reshaped America. Presents documents illustrating the Great Depression crisis and the New Deal response that enables readers to witness the clash of conservatism and liberalism in a time of crisis Offers essays and notes that explain the documents--which include posters, articles, speeches, and court decisions--in the context of historical events.