Semester Blog!
1. Students will understand the impact the Great Depression and New Deal had on the US.
The Great Depression and Stock Market Crash
It all began on October 29th 1929, better known as Black Tuesday when the stock market crashed. The stock market crash was one thing that led to the Great Depression. Stock holders lost more than 40 billion dollars from October through December 1929.
Bank failures are another main reason for the Great Depression. People began to lose savings. The banks that were not failing were not trustworthy of the economic situation and started producing fewer loans. Business failures and job losses had a big impact on the Great Depression as well. People stopped buying goods and as people stopped buying a reduction in the number of goods took place. This led to problems in the workforce. People were now losing jobs as and they could no longer afford what they had purchased using installment plans. As you can probably imagine the unemployment rate began to rise. Trade with foreign countries was affected greatly and played a part in the Great Depression. The congress passed the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act to protect farmers and manufacturers from foreign competition. This created a high tax for imports, and led to less trade in the Americas. Not only did the American economy collapse, Europe’s economy suffered as well. Although the drought that was in the Mississippi Valley was not a direct impact on the great depression it did affect it. Many farmers could not pay their taxes or loans and had to sell their farms for a lower value.
What was the New Deal(1st and 2nd) and it's goals(3 R's)?
The First New Deal was from 1933- 1934. It didn't end the depression, but helped with the suffering of people. It tried to get a more organized partnership between corporations and the government. It wanted to restore the economy from the top down; it would start with the banks. The 1933 National Industrial Recovery Act set up the New Deal's strategy of fighting back the depression. It focused on economy recovery. The Second New Deal 1935-1941 wanted to restore the economy from the bottom up. They wanted to help the common people get jobs so that they would be able to pay for things. It emphasized social justice. It wanted to turn non consumers into consumers again.
Relief, Reform, Recovery: relief was to the unemployed and badly hurt farmers, reform on the business and financial practices, recovery of the economy during the great depression.
Why did people criticize the New Deal?
Charles Coughlin criticized the new deal. He opposed Roosevelt's new deal because he believed that Roosevelt was not going far enough to help the workers. Huey Long was a governor in Louisiana who turned against the new deal because he wanted to spread the wealth more evenly. He was assassinated. Francis Townsend was a doctor whose main focus was to get a pension for the elderly from national sales tax. He tried to get this so that retired people could live more comfortably. He criticized Roosevelt for not helping out the people enough.
There were a lot of other people who thought that he was doing way too much and was turning into a socialist. Most Americans thought Roosevelt was doing just the perfect amount. Some people thought that he did just enough to save our democracy.
Why was FDR upset with the US Supreme Court and what did he do to try to solve this issue?
The Judiciary Reorganization Bill of 1937 was proposed by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Franklin was upset that the Supreme Court hated on so many of the new deal programs and proposing everything he did to be unconstitutional. When the bill was taken to the Supreme Court there was a huge fight because they were thinking that this would turn our democracy to more of a dictatorship. Instead of passing the bill one person switched their vote to be in favor of the new deal.
How did the New Deal help:
The CCC provided relief, rehabilitation, and training for about around three million men. They would provide jobs for men. The CWA was made to provide jobs for many unemployed people. Most of the jobs that they gave were construction jobs. FERA help the homeless. It gave out welfare checks out to people and also helped people buy food and clothes. The NIRA and the NRA, helped people make more money, treating workers better They set minimum wages and maximum weekly hours. Companies that you knew were doing their parts in treating their workers well were presented with blue eagle codes in their windows which meant that the people were treating their workers well and paying them equally. The FSA was made to help poor farmers that were affected by the dust bowl. The REA was a loan program for rural electrification and telephone service. It primary goal was to promote rural electrification. Provided farms with inexpensive electric lighting and power. AAA controlled the supply and demand sequence of the seven “basic crops.” The government offered money to the farmers if they reduced the crop area.The Soil Conversation and Domestic Allotment Act was the first national soil conservation act to be started. The main reason this was created was to slow down agricultural production and to prevent soil erosion. The FDIC is a deposit corporation that guarantees the safety of one's money in member banks. It was originated by the Glass-Steagal Act of 1933. The FDIC protected consumer functions, manage failed banks, and observes particular companies for safety. The Securities Act of 1933 and Securities Exchange Act of 1934 created SEC. They were made to restore confidence in markets and have clearer rules for dealing and more reliable information. The Emergency Bank Relief Act was also known as the bank holiday. This act closed down banks and 5000 banks were passed. It regulated the Secretary of the Treasury and allowed the president to declare a National Emergency. It changed the ways that banks worked during emergencies such as the Stock Market Crash. It would close down banks and then assure people that if it was re-opened their money was safe. This act was made to help with the effects of the Great Depression for the banks. The Federal Security Act was meant to require investors to receive a lot of information on stocks that are out for public sale. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation gave 2 billion dollars to help aid state and local governments and banks. Helped with the economic troubles of the Great Depression. It mainly helped by loaning money out to people and businesses. It first gave money to the businesses that needed help the most so that they could continue to operate. The Home Owners' Loan Act helped people avoid having their homes foreclosed in the Depression. It extended the loan repayment period and divided the single of payments into smaller payments. The HOLA would judge the cities by the number of colored people that lived in that area. The Federal Housing Administration- It would help people pay loans for bigger payments The FHA would help people pay back loans so that they could get loans for houses from bankers. The Social Security Administration was passed and helped elderly, disable, and retired people.
Key terms
Hundred days: a special session of Congress from March 9, 1933 to June 16, 1933, called by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in which important social legislation was enacted.
Fireside chats: an informal address by a political leader over radio or television, esp. as given by President Franklin D. Roosevelt beginning in 1933.
Priming the pump: this was how he encouraged the Americans to spend more money like how the government was spending more money.
Deficit spending: the amount of money that the government is spending. if you are going into deficit spending you are spending more than what you make
2. Students will understand the causes, effects and major events of WWII.
Pearl Harbor -The attack on Pearl Harbor was an unannounced attack by the Japanese Navy against the U.S Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941. On December 6, 1941 President Roosevelt made a final attempt to the Japanese emperor for peace. There was no response. Later in the day the U.S code breaking service started receiving a 14 part Japanese message but could only figure out the first 13 parts. They then sent the messages on to President Roosevelt and the Secretary of State. They believe this to be a Japanese Attack but are unsure of where this would take place. On December 7, 1941 the last part of the Japanese message was delivered to Washington D.C at approximately 9 a.m.. Around an hour after that another Japanese message was intercepted and it instructed the Japanese embassy to send the message to the Americans around 1 p.m. The Americans then realized that this time was early morning for Pearl Harbor, which means they are several hours behind. The U.S. war department then sent out an alert on a commercial telegraph because the radio contact with Hawaii was broke. The delay of the alert caused the alert to be four hours late.
D-Day
June 6, 1944
Operation Overload (codename)
D-Day was the allied invasion of Nazi Europe, largest amphibious military invasion in history. There were a lot of ground and naval forces. June 6th, 1944 D- Day (Operation Overload). GB, France, America, and Canada are the countries that invaded France's coast. It was a success because June 4-5 were stormy so Hitler let some of his troops leave. Allies had strong forces, and we led the Axis powers to believe that we were going to attack further north. Dwight D. Eisenhower was the overall supreme commander of the invasion forces. Marshal Bernard Montgomery was the commander of the found forces on d- day. After D-Day U.S. and other allied powers ended up pushing back German forces, fighting many battles and we usually won them. Germany was running out of resources and Hitler was basically going crazy and making bad choices. Decided that Soviets can move into Berlin which set the stage for the Cold War. Germany was split up to America, France, GB, and Soviet Union, Berlin was also split up between the four countries.
Atomic bombing
Ultimate defense system
The Manhattan Project was the American Plans for the Atomic Bomb.
Two atomic bombs were dropped, one on Hiroshima and one on Nagasaki
Africa/European Front
Stalin wanted us to openly invade Europe to get the Germans out of Soviet Union but we went to North Africa instead. Stalin wasn't very happy. There were a lot of Vichy French troops in North Africa and they were on the Axis side. They slowly came over to the Allied powers, and Hitler was very mad about this. Rommel- main Germany general, Montgomery- main British general, Patton Jr.- main U.S. general. Rommel died from like a forced suicide and Patton died in a car crash, both deaths aren't really what you'd imagine with such great generals. Tanks and planes became big in desert warfare, there wasn't really any place for them to hid though, but tanks could just go right through the flat land.
Pacific Front
Hiroshima
Attacked on august 6 1945. They knew an attack was coming but it was too late to evacuate. Our only other option other that dropping the atomic bomb was to invade. Nuclear warfare was used to invade Hiroshima. Roosevelt’s doctrine stated that the unrestricted submarine warfare was okay on Japan. Commerce rating- the use of naval forces to destroy the supply lines of an enemy on the open sea, rather than engaging the combatants themselves or enforcing a blockade against them. Major battles- midway, Coral Sea, iwo jima, guadall canal, Philippines. Island hopping- led by General MacArthur, Island hopping is crossing an ocean by a series of shorter journeys between islands, as opposed to a single journey directly across the ocean to the destination. You want to capture key bombers within American bombers. Mainly between U.S. and Japan after the attacks on Britain Mylasia and Pearl Harbor. Japan needed resources for their own war but U.S. wasn't giving them any, they looked for them in the many island nations in the Pacific. Japan attacked Hong Kong and the Philippines also. Macarthur, US general knew there was going to be an attack on the Philippines but decided not to do anything. When the attack happened US troops were over whelmed and they were forced to leave. Midway unsuccessful for Japanese they were turned back. This was considered the turning point of the war. Coral Sea was before Midway Japan didn't win but technically we didn't either but since Japan didn't win we did.
3. Students will understand how/why the Allies won WWII.
The Allies used atomic bombing which was a major factor in why they won. The Allies had a good code breaking technique and also had several resources. When Hitler turned against the Soviet Union it really help.
4. Students will understand the causes, effects and major events of the Cold War.
a. Define the Cold War and it's causes
Struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Rivalry between Communist USSR and the non-communist USA.
Split up Germany in four parts, Difficulty splitting it up, that's what started the Cold War,
US wanted all countries to trade all around the world. USSR didn't want 'western' or democratic influences to bring them down.-After WWII there was competition to see who the best and strongest country was. Space Race, Arms Race
Truman’s anti communist act treaty
Political, strategic and ideological struggle between US and USSR
b. Policy of Containment -domino effect, mutual deterrence, massive retaliation, Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, NATO
Policy of Containment contained Communism. Truman Doctrine was a strategy to contain communism. Truman used "The Long Telegram" speech by George Kennan as a base to bring up his Doctrine. Turkey and Greece needed our help to save them from communism, we provided them with the Truman Doctrine and money/ military help. .. Marshall Plan, main plan for rebuilding and creating a stronger economic foundation for Western Europe. America aided Europe from the end of the war to the beginning of the plan. Iron Curtain Speech- Winston Churchill gave this speech after WWII talking about the split in Europe between communist and democratic. Domino Effect- When one country became communist it would topple over and effect another boundary to become communist. US didn't want to fall to communism so we used the Policy of Containment. NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization was an organization established to protect Western Europe, if Eastern Europe invaded West NATO would help, but if West invaded East NATO countries wouldn't help. NATO's been around for 60 years and helps solve conflicts between countries. De- Stalinization, Nikita Khrushchev wanted to neutralize the influence and acts of Joseph Stalin. Revising Stalin's policies and removing monuments that supported Stalin. Peaceful Coexistence was the theory of USSR in Cold War.
c. Both Berlin Crises –
First Berlin Crisis-USSR blocked western allies’ accesses to Berlin that Allies controlled. USSR got total control of the city. Allies tried to airlift supplies into our parts of Berlin, Royal and US Air force in charge of flying supplies. USSR thought that after a while all of Germany would be communist.
Second Berlin Crisis - The West part of Germany was really good, people had freedom, the economy was better and so was the social part. The East was terrible, food shortages, people couldn't own their own land, and 2.6 million people left the east and went west. The wall was originally made of barbed wire but it got better as time went on. There were different ways of trying to get across the wall, tunnels, flying, climbing the wall. It was erected to stop people going from east to west.
*Berlin wall became the symbol of the cold war
d. The Red Scare--McCarthyism and HUAC
McCarthyism (Joe McCarthy) was brutal in politics. He had a list of many people he thought were communists. He accused many people to be communist. People liked him at the start because he wanted to get the communists out. After a while people saw that he was making false accusations. HUAC aimed at German Americans involved in Nazi and KKK, more focus was on the Nazis.
e. Fidel Castro, Bay of Pigs and Missile Crisis
Missile Crisis- October 1962
Placed nuclear missiles by the soviets on Cuba
cause; soviets didn’t like how we had the advantage of hitting them but they could not hit us. Allied with Cuba to get a better advantage.
Fidel Castro
-leader of Cuba
Bay of Pigs
-An attack to overthrow Cuba’s government
f. China
Nixon’s visit to China- ended isolation. Improved relations between the U.S and China. Started One-China Policy.
g. Nuclear Arms Race and Reductions
Weapons built between the US and the Soviet Union. The US feared Germany in the 30’s. The fear was of Atomic Bombs. Stalin found out about how the US was making Atomic Weapons. The Soviet Union struggled with making the Atomic Bombs because they had a lack of uranium. Hydrogen Bombs were produced and were very large. Massive Retaliation was when you have nuclear weapons and you use them once you get attacked, you attack back so people stop attacking. Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was the saying that there could be no nuclear arms testing above ground. So people started testing underground.
Reagan’s Missile Defense System-way for US to defend missiles.
h. How the Cold War ended.
The Invasion of Afghanistan,
Fall of Communism
Truman focused on Europe not the Pacific side of things because they saw that China wouldn't give up communism.
US won because we had really good Allies
Soviet Union was in a depression
5. Students will understand the causes, effects and major events of the Korean Conflict.
North wanted to connect the country under communism, South and the US wanted to unite them under democracy. Purpose: unite under communism (Koreans), democracy (US)
Vietnam Conflict
1950- 1975
North Vietnam was communist and they wanted to get the US out of Vietnam and wanted to re-unite their country with communism. North wanted to join the South and become communist.
Comments