What natural disaster characterized the Dust Bowl?
Farmers had cleared millions of acres of land for wheat farming
Severe drought struck in 1931
Strong prarie winds simply blew the soil away
Which farming practice intensified the Dust Bowl effect?
What happened to many Dust Bowl farmers?
🎨 Illustrate: Create an illustration of what you learned about the Dust Bowl.
Roosevelt encouraged the American people through the following quote:
“The country needs and …..demands bold, persistent experimentation.”
He also spoke of trying to help “the forgotten man at the bottom of the economic pyramid.”
At his March 4, 1933 inauguration Roosevelt told the nation that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself – nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror.”
He also said that the “greatest primary task is to put people to work.”
Who did Roosevelt refer to as 'the forgotten man'?
Roosevelt ordered all banks closed for 4 days.
Congress passed the Emergency Banking Relief Act to help banks reorganize.
Those banks that passed government inspection could reopen.
At the end of his first week in office, FDR assured Americans in a radio broadcast “that it is safer to keep your money in a reopened bank than under a mattress.” The next day deposits far exceeded withdrawals. The banking crisis had ended, and the president’s radio talk was the first of many. He called these informal talks fireside chats because he sat next to a fireplace in the White House as he spoke.
What act helped banks reorganize during the crisis?
This employed about 3 million young men to work on projects like 1.planting trees to reforest areas, 2.building levees for flood control and 3.improving national parks.
It had 2 main goals…
Raised farm prices quickly
Controlled production so that farm prices would stay up over the long term
Vegetables/livestock were destroyed to keep prices high
What was one goal of the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)?
One of the boldest programs launched during the Hundred Days was the TVA. It aimed to 1.controlled flooding, 2.promoted conservation and development, and 3.brought electricity to rural areas along the Tennessee River.
By building new dams and improving others, the TVA ended the region’s disastrous floods. And with hydroelectric power generating affordable electricity, thousands of farms and homes in Southern states were wired for electricity for the first time.
Some critics believed that funds for the TVA should be used to support programs nationwide. When the spring rains came in 1937, however, the system worked—the dams prevented the Tennessee River from flooding. In the end, most observers agreed that the TVA was an example of successful social and economic planning.
The goal was to stimulate the economy through the building of huge public works projects that needed large numbers of workers. They employed people to work on the 1. construction of roads, 2.shipyards, 3.hospitals, 4.city halls, and 5.schools.
What kind of projects did the PWA support?
To avoid future banking crisis Congress established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to insure bank deposits up to $250,000 per deposit. The government guaranteed that money placed in a bank insured by the FDIC would not be lost if the bank failed.
What does the FDIC guarantee for bank deposits?
Congress also passed a law regulating the sale of stocks and bonds and created the Securities and Exchange Commission:
This gave the SEC the power to punish dishonest stockbrokers.
What power does the SEC have regarding stockbrokers?
Payments for retired people.
A percentage is taken out of everyone’s paycheck and when they retire they will get a certain amount every month for the rest of their lives.
Also gives money to …
People with disabilities 2. the elderly poor 3. poor families
Begins at age 65
The New Deal did not cure the nation’s ills. The Depression dragged on, bringing continued hardship. Farmers continued to lose their land. Unemployment remained at high levels. Many people struggled to survive.
Yet the darkest days had passed and things were continuing to change.
What did the New Deal fail to do?
📚 Poll: How confident do you feel about the material we covered in today's lesson? Please select the emoji that best reflects your level of understanding.
Why was this area viewed as unsuitable for settlement in the early days?
Farmers of the area used practices that caused what types of problems?
What year did a severe drought strike the Great Plains region?
How long did the drought last?
The dust from the dust storms reached as far east as
Which organization planted trees to help the Dust Bowl region?
Once the drought was over, what percentage of topsoil was blown away in certain areas?
Where did many people migrate during the Dust Bowl?
What type of jobs did farmers take that had relocated during the Dust Bowl?
Why were the migrants called 'Okies'?
What percentage of the population left the Dust Bowl?
What is the main task Roosevelt said was important?
Why did Roosevelt order all banks to be closed for 4 days?
What bill provided relief for poor families?
What agency was created to create hydroelectric dams and provide electricity to rural areas of the Tennessee Valley?
What condition allowed banks to reopen?
What did FDR call his informal radio talks?
How many young men were employed by the CCC?
What is one purpose of building levees?
Which of the follow was a CCC project?
Why did the AAA control production levels?
What was one goal of the Tennessee Valley Authority?
How did the TVA help rural areas?
Why did some critics oppose the TVA?
How did the PWA aim to reduce unemployment?
Why was the FDIC established?
Why was the SEC established?
What does the Social Security Act provide for retired people?
At what age does Social Security benefits begin?
Who else receives money from the Social Security Act?
What is deducted from everyone’s paycheck for Social Security?
