"Isolationism" and FDR (1935 - 1941)

1. What were the goals of the isolationists? Why is "isolationism" a misleading term?
The goals of isolationists were to preserve peace and spread democracy and American values through example and not military means.
The term is misleading because it implies that the United States wanted to isolate itself completely from other nations. This was not the case because most isolationists supported foreign trade and certain bilateral agreements. Most of them also respected international laws that had been put into effect after WWI. Isolationists mainly wanted to stay out of war.


2. What did some isolationists feel that there was no need for Americans to feel threatened by developments in Europe and Asia?
Some isolationists felt that there was no need for Americans to feel threatened by developments in Europe and Asia because the United States was protected by the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean from the troubled countries. Also the U.S. had already formed friendly alliances with all other nations of the Western Hemisphere.


3. What were the purposes of the Nye Committee hearings?
The purpose of the Nye Committee was to investigate the reasons as why the U.S. entered WWI, in hopes of the public becoming aware of the reasons and keeping the U.S. out of trouble abroad. The Nye committee hearings uncovered that during WWI bankers were greedy and munitions-makers were highly unethical. They were accused of profiteering but there was no evidence to back this up. The hearings and newspaper reports still had their effect on the public because this caused Americans to be filled with anger and suspicion about big businesses and the banking industry. Inevitably the Nye Committee hearings increased the isolationist mood in the United States




4. List two impressions that the Nye Committee hearings created.
A) that American soldiers had died in WWI because corporations, who were looking to turn a profit, had convinced President Wilson to go to war in 1917
B) anger and suspicion about big business and the banking industry were already high due to the Depression and some Americans worried that powerful business interests would again drag the country into war

5. What were the purposes of the Neutrality Acts?
The purposes of the Neutrality Acts were to prohibit shipping and carrying of arms to warring nations (in order to maintain neutrality), establish a National Munitions Board (in order to bring the armament industry under control of the government), next it prohibited the sale of all war materials (including steel and oil), then it prohibited American ships from sailing in war zones and forbade Americans from traveling on the ships of belligerents.

6. List two reasons that some Americans considered Roosevelt's leadership radical and dangerous.
They worried about an intrusive government and an overly powerful presidency because of Roosevelt's New Deal program in response to the crumbling economy.

7. What was "Cash and Carry"?
"Cash and Carry" was the main part of the Neutrality Act of November 1939. This allowed the U.S. to continue trading with belligerents but required that the warring nations pay cash for what they wanted and that they carry the goods themselves.

8. Why did President Roosevelt freeze Japanese assets in the United States?
President Roosevelt froze Japanese assets in the United States because Japan took French Indochina into their occupation. President Roosevelt thought he could stop further aggression from Japan by prohibiting the sale of fuel and scrap metal to them, but this had the opposite effect and caused Japan to take over Indochina for military occupation and general maintenance of its empire.




9. What was the purpose of the America First Committee?
The purpose of the America First Committee was to keep the United States out of war.

World Events Set Stage for Isolationism

1. What was the Japanese reaction to the Treaty of Versailles? (pgs. 4 - 5)


During the Paris Peace Conference, Japan was debating over whether or not Japan should support the international system. Those who supported engaging with the national powers agreed as a means to obtaining natural resources and markets its growing economy needed but those who didn't support it mostly feared Japan wouldn't be treated fairly or with respect by the other countries, who were also competing for resources and economic markets in Asia. Japanese people had a reason to be worried. All over the world the Japanese experienced racist treatment and discrimination. For example, in the U.S. they were prevented from becoming naturalized citizens. The Japanese thought they could use the Paris Peace Conference as an opportunity to to address these issues of international racial discrimination. The Japanese public strongly agreed that an amendment demanding racial equality was needed. Meanwhile the U.S. had strong feelings against this idea, with some even viewing it as a threat to the 'white race'. Surprisingly, at the conference, majority voted for the amendment but it was later rejected by President Wilson. This caused the Japanese to become outraged and warned, that in the future, Japan might be less likely to put its faith in the principles of international cooperation. In the end, because the amendment did not pass, many Japanese turned away from the West and toward a more nationalist position for the coming years.

2. Read the pull-out box on page 4 entitled, "Japan Becomes a Great Power." Cite specific evidence Japan was becoming a strong power that rivaled European & American interests. And, why specifically was Japan threatened by U.S. actions?

Japan's economy was rapidly growing, while its political and military power were increasing steadily. This made Japan the fifth largest financial contributor to the proposed League of Nations. Japan becoming an economic and military power was recent yet rapid. Japan modelled its navy, army, banking system, and constitution on those of the countries located in the western hemisphere. Gross domestic product, manufacturing, and mining were all increasing at a rather rapid pace. Some people of Japan wanted the country to head towards a democratic future and warned against relying to much on the military, but others argued that the country would need to use military force to achieve its goals. Japan had also defeated Russia in the Russo-Japanese War, which caused it to gain access to parts of Manchuria.

The U.S. had an increasing presence in the Pacific. They had acquired Hawaii, the Philippines, and Guam. Japan was becoming threatened by the U.S. actions because of their growing presence, which had begun to pose a threat to Japan's own plans of expansion.

3. Why was the Washington Naval Conference convened and what was accomplished? (pg. 6) (Note: Japan signs the agreement.)


The Washington Naval Conference was convened because Japan's growth as a naval power threatened U.S. interests. It sought to limit a naval arms race and to discuss issues related to the Pacific Ocean and the Far East. This was accomplished when both parties agreed to limit the size of their naval ships, placed a hold on building new battleships, made it illegal to use poison gases, and restricted the role of submarines in future wars. Also all the nations agreed to sign an agreement affirming China's sovereignty and establishing a a policy of open trade with the country. The nations also agreed to solve disputes by submitting them to a committee for resolution.

4. The Senate's willingness to ratify the Kellogg-Briand Pact reelected two strong and widely held sentiments. What were they? (pgs. 6 - 7)


The two strong and widely held sentiments were the Americans' strong distaste for being dragged into another European war and policy-makers' resistance to the obligations of permanent alliances and wish to preserve the ability to act when and where they wanted.

5. Why did Hitler enjoy popular support in Germany for most of the 1930s? Give three reasons. (pgs. 9 - 10)

Hitler enjoyed popular support in Germany for most of the 1930s because he improved the economic situation and reduced unemployment. He also restored national pride for Germans, who were still humiliated by the defeat of WWI and by how poor they had become.

6. Japan voiced its intentions to invade China for what two reasons? (pg. 10)


Japan voiced its intentions to invade China as a means of obtaining raw materials and increasing its power. Japan is an island nation so it depends a lot on foreign trade for raw materials and other supplies, especially for its rapidly growing population and industrial economy. Japan's growing economy was greatly crippled, when the Great Depression reduced foreign trade around the world. Because of this and continuous feelings of discrimination all over the world, Japan was increasingly interested in becoming an economically self-sufficient nation.

7. Compare the Reichstag fire and the explosion on the Japanese railway in Manchuria. What did they accomplish?

The fire in Reichstag occurred soon after the election. Hitler blamed the fire on German communists, saying they were attempting to overthrow the government and start a civil war. This allowed Hitler to use the fire as an excuse to suspend the freedoms guaranteed by the German constitution, including freedom of speech, freedom of press, and freedom of assembly.
The explosion on the Japanese railway in Manchuria was in September of 1931. Japan blamed on the Chinese dissidents and called for their military to invade. The Reichstag fire and the explosion on the Japanese railway in Manchuria both were successful being excuses to gain power. Hitler who put the blame on others and used the attacks as an excuse gained the power to rule, while the Japanese invaded Manchuria and gained its coal and iron ore reserves.

8. Why was the United States unable to oppose Japan in the early 1930s with a significant military force? (pgs. 11 - 12)

The United States was unable to oppose Japan in the early 1930s with a significant military force because the U.S. had drastically reduced the size of of its military since WWI. In 1932 the U.S. had only 244,900 troops compared to the 2,897,000 military personnel they had in 1918.

9. Describe the major similarities and differences among liberal democracy, fascism, and socialism. (pg. 8)

Liberal democracies have a constitution, with elected representatives whose decision making is regulated by a rule of law the emphasizes the rights and freedoms of individuals. Fascism is an authoritarian form of government which puts the economy under government control, and emphasizes the control of the state over the individual. Many found Fascism to be brutally repressive and morally repugnant. Socialism tried to create a classless society that would end the exploitation of workers. To do this they had to dismantle the capitalistic economic system by taking the means of production from the owners and placing them in the hands of the state.

New Deal Essay Outline

The United States tried to solve the problems caused by the Great Depression through relief, reform, and recovery; the United States was successful in easing the Great Depression but not solving all the problems it caused.


I. Introduction
a. State thesis
i. Hoover tried but was too late
1. Economy was too bad
2. Incident with Bonus Army
ii. FDR used the New Deal
1. Successful
2. Limited
II. Hoover
a. Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC)
i. Government gives credit to banks, industries, railroads, and insurance companies (ex. trickle down money)
b. Boulder Dam
i. Financed millions of jobs
ii. Provide electricity and flood control
iii. Provide regular water supply enabling growth of California’s massive agricultural economy
c. Rugged Individualism
i. Americans are tough
ii. Government shouldn’t interfere with American economy at peacetime because it took away from the American foundation of freedom and individualism
d. Incident with the Bonus Army
i. WWI vets want money early so they camp out and rally- Hoover disperses them by sending in police- done brutally
III. FDR and the New Deal
a. Problems that needed to be solved
i. Lack of confidence in banks
ii. Law of prices
iii. Massive unemployment
b. Pump priming
i. Lower taxes
ii. Spend money
iii. Run up deficit
c. New agencies created to…
i. Provide relief to needy
ii. Reform finance
iii. Recovery economy
IV. Relief
a. Emergency Banking Act
i. Allowed the Treasury Department to inspect all banks
1. Reopen the sound ones
2. Keep the ones who were unable to repay their debts closed
3. The ones in ok condition will receive loans
ii. People began trusting the banks again
iii. People returning their savings to the banks
b. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
i. Required banks to act carefully with their customers' money
ii. Provided federal insurance for personal bank accounts of up to $5000
iii. Assure bank customers that their money was safe- regained people’s trust
c. Federal Emergency Relief Administration
i. Created jobs for millions of unemployed people
ii. Created bridges, roads, schools, and even outhouses
iii. Put people to work
V. Reform
a. Agricultural Adjustment Administration
i. Raise farm product prices
ii. Slow crop production
iii. Provide stability
iv. Farm prices did rise
b. National Labor Relations Act/ Wagner Act
i. Prevent further unfair labor practices
ii. Prohibited unfair labor practices such as…
1. Threatening workers
2. Firing union members
3. Interfering with union organizing
VI. Recovery
a. National Recovery Administration
i. Promote recovery by interrupting the trends of wage cuts, falling prices, and layoffs
ii. Establish standards for working hours and placed a ban on child labor
iii. Established codes of fair practice: limited production and established prices
iv. Set the prices of many products to ensure fair competition
b. Civilian Conservation Corps
i. Provided relief through work projects and cash payments
ii. Put young men (aged 18 to 25) to work building roads, developing parks, planting trees, and helping in soil erosion and flood-control projects
iii. 3 million young men had passed through and at least made a small living ($30 a month)
iv. The tremendous reforestation program would help to prevent another Dust Bowl
c. Social Security Act
i. Old-age Insurance
1. Supplemented retirement
2. Half from worker and half from employer
3. Helped to make retirement comfortable for millions of people
ii. Unemployment compensation system
1. Federal tax on employers
iii. Aid to families with dependent children and the disabled
1. Paid for by federal funds through states
VII. New Deal Success vs. Limitations
a. Success
i. Created millions of jobs
ii. Restored confidence and stopped investors pulling money out of the banks
iii. Expanded the federal governments role in the new economy
b. Limitations
i. Attempt to pack Supreme Court
ii. 1937 Recession
iii. Sit-down strikes
iv. Too complicated- too many rules and regulations
VIII. Conclusion
a. Reinstate thesis
b. Summarize ideas

FDR & the New Deal

1. Describe how people struggled to survive during the depression.
During the Depression, in the city people lost their jobs, were evicted from their homes, and were forced to sleep in the streets. People made houses out of whatever they could. After awhile shantytowns, towns made of shacks, began popping up. Soup kitchens offered free to low cost meals. Bread lines organized by charities and public agencies offered food to people who waited in lines. Both means of recieving food cheaply became a common site. African Americans and Latinos were targeted by whites who competed for the same jobs. 24 African Americans were lynched and thousands of Latinos deported. Both were faced with a higher unemployment rate and lower pay.
During the Depression, in rural areas, many farmers could grow crops to feed their families. Although they had one advantage over city living, their lives were still difficult because numerous farmers lost their land and were forced to foreclose their farms to falling prices and increasing debt. This eventually led to many of them living a life of tenant farming.

2. How was what happened to men during the Great Depression different from what happened to women? Children?
During the Great Depression many men had great difficulty dealing with unemployment because they were so used to working. They wandered the streets looking for jobs. After years of unemployment many left their families. Hoboes, mostly men, began wandering the country. Some even found relief in homeless shelters located in big cities.
Women were faced with similar hardships. Finding jobs was not easy and when they did, they were often paid less than most men. During the Depression working women became targeted because many people believed women, especially married ones, should not work when there was a large number of unemployed men. Women also worked within their households to carefully manage budgets. They canned food and sewed clothes to save money. Many Americans assumed women had it easier than men during the Depression because they were not seen on the streets begging or in the bread lines; this was not the case because most were actually starving. Many were ashamed to admit to their hardships.
Children faced equal hardships. Poor diets and a lack of money for healthcare led to serious health problems such as malnutrition and disease. Child-welfare was underfunded due to the Depression. School years were cut and some schools even closed also due to a lack of fundment. This left thousands of teenagers out of school and instead working in horrible conditions. Many teenagers avoided the suffering by hopping freight trains and touring the country. Life was still not easy because riding was still dangerous. Many were beaten or jailed by freight yard patrolmen, forced to sleep standing up to the hum of the deafening rumble, and the others were sometimes killed by murderous criminals.

3. Describe the causes and effects (on people) because of the Dust Bowl.
The Dust Bowl was caused due to farming techniques in the previous decade. Farmers across the country had used tractors to break up the grasslands and plant millions of acres of farmland. the plowing removed the protective layer of prairie grass. Farmers continued to exhausten the land by overproducing goods. Then the grasslands became unsuitable for farming. When the drought and winds began in the early 1930s it was too late and there was not enough grass and trees left to hold down the soil.
The effects of the Dust Bowl forced farmers to leave their land and houses when topsoil was blown around exposing sand and grit. These families left and went west. By the end of the 1930s thousands of farm families had migrated to California and the West Coast states.

Objective: Summarize the initial steps Franklin D. Roosevelt took to reform banking and finance.
4. What was the New Deal and its three general goals? (The 3 Rs)
The New Deal was a program designed to alleviate the problems of the Great Depression. The program consisted of meeting with a team of hand picked advisers and Roosevelt formulating a set of policies for his new administration. The three general goals of the New Deal was to provide relief to the needy, economy recovery, and financial reform.

5. What did Roosevelt do during the Hundred Days?
During the Hundred Days, Congress passed more than 15 major pieces of the New Deal legislation. Roosevelt declared a bank holiday and closed all banks to prevent more withdrawals. He then persuaded Congress to pass the Emergency Banking Relief Act, which would allow the Treasury Department to inspect all banks; they would reopen the sound ones and keep the ones who were unable to repay their debts closed and then assist them to receive loans. Roosevelt addressed the nation through fireside chats, which informed them about the New Deal and explained the banking system and how it's welfare depended on the support of the people. Next Congress continues toward reorganization of the banking system by passing the Glass-Steagall Act. The Glass-Steagall Act established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which provided federal insurance for personal bank accounts of up to $5000. This assured bank customers that their money was safe. It also required banks to act carefully with their customers' money. Then Roosevelt worked on regulating the stock market and passed the Federal Securities Act, which required corporations to provide complete information on all stock offerings and made them reliable for all misrepresntations. To raise government revenue by taxing alcohol, Roosevelt persuaded Congress to allow a bill which would allow the manufacturing and sale of some alcohol.

6. Why were Roosevelt's fireside chats significant?
Roosevelt's fireside chats were significant because they explained in clear simple language the measures of Roosevelt's New Deal to all American listeners. He continued by explaining the bankinf sytem and why the nation;s welfare depended on the public's support of the government. Finally he finished by explaining that banks would fail when too many people demanded their saving in cash. This caused people to again believe in and trust the banking system; this is hown when people returned their savings to banks.

7. Describe four significant agencies and/or bills that tightened regulation of banking and finance. A. The Glass-Steagall Act established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which provided federal insurance for personal bank accounts of up to $5000. This assured bank customers that their money was safe. It also required banks to act carefully with their customers' money.
B. Roosevelt passed the Federal Securities Act, which required corporations to provide complete information on all stock offerings and made them reliable for all misrepresntations.
C. Congress passed the Emergency Banking Relief Act, which would allow the Treasury Department to inspect all banks; they would reopen the sound ones and keep the ones who were unable to repay their debts closed and then assist them to receive loans.
D. Congress created the Securities and Exchange Comission was created to regulate the stock market. One of it's goals was to prevent people with inside knowledge about companies from rigging the stock market for their own profit.

Causes of the Great Depression Outline

The Great Depression of 1929 was not due to one major particular cause, such as the Wall Street Crash, but to a number of causes, which were equally responsible for Great Depression of 1929.


I. Introduction
A. Tell why the Wall Street Crash was equally as responsible as the other causes for the Great Depression of 1929 and how all the causes affected each other in a cycle. Other Causes...
1. Crisis in Farm Sector
2. Overproduction by American Industries
3. Unequal Distribution of Income

II. Crisis in Farm Sector
A. prices and international demand for crops rose causing farmers to take out more loans
1. for land and equipment and plant more crops
B. once the war was over the prices and demands dropped
1. farmers thought the solution to this was to increase production

III. Overproduction
A. industries in high demand during wartime, were no longer needed as greatly
1. farmers thought the solution to this was to increase production but didn't work
B. consumers bought fewer goods and services
C. farmers couldn't pay off their loans
1. forced to foreclose their farms and give them to banks as payment for the debt

IV. Unequal Distribution of Income
A. production had expanded much faster than wages
1. rich got richer and the poor got poorer
2. most Americans could not fully participate in economic advances
B. many people could not purchase the great amount of goods that the factories produced

V. Wall Street Crash
A. Banks fail
1. Farmers can't pay back their debt and must default
2. Consumers paid with credit which easily allowed debt to build up over time

VI. Conclusion

Causes & Early Effects of the Great Depression

1. What happened on "Black Tuesday"?
On Black Tuesday the Stock Market crashed.

2. How did the economic trends of the 1920s in industry, agriculture, and with consumers help cause the Great Depression? (Make sure you include significant details about each area in your answer. It should be at least a paragraph)
During the 1920s economic trends in industry helped to cause the Great Depression when key industries barely made a profit. Industries such as mining and lumbering, which once were in high demand during wartime, were no longer needed as greatly. New forms of energy such as hydroelectric, fuel oil, and natural gas gave coal mining stiff competition. Railroads lost business to new forms of transportation. Although the boom industries of automobiles, construction, and consumer goods became weakened too. A major indicator of an economic downturn would be the decline in new dwellings being built. A decline in this area affected jobs in other related areas such as lumbering and furniture manufacturing.
During the 1920s economic trends in agriculture helped to cause the Great Depression. During the World War I the prices and international demand for crops rose which caused farmers to take out more loans for land and equipment and plant more crops. However, once the war was over, the prices and demands dropped. Farmers thought the solution to this was to increase production and sell more crops but this put them in even more debt. Many couldn't pay off their loans and were forced to foreclose their farms and give them to banks as payment for the debt. When farmers began to default on their loans they caused many rural banks to fail. Congress tried to help farmers out by passing a bill, which called for federal price-supporters for key products but President Coolidge vetoed the bill twice.
During the 1920s economic trends with consumers helped to cause the Great Depression when they bought fewer goods and services. This was because of rising prices, unbalanced distribution of income, and overbuying of credit in previous years. The gap between the rich and the poor increased when production had expanded much faster than wages. Basically during the 1920s the rich got richer and the poor got poorer. An unequal distribution in income meant that most Americans could not fully participate in economic advances. Many people could not purchase the great amount of goods that the factories produced. Also consumers paid with credit which easily allowed debt to build up over time.

3. According to your reading, what are the major causes of the Great Depression?
The major causes of the Great Depression were the decline in demand for key industries and agriculture, consumers not buying products, the widening gap between the rich and poor, and people not being able to pay off their debts.

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4. What was Hoover’s philosophy of government?
Hoover’s philosophy of government was that it was the government's role to ecourage and facilitate cooperation between business and labor, and not to control it.

5. What was Hoover’s initial reaction to the stock market crash of 1929?
Hoover’s initial reaction to the stock market crash of 1929 wasto call together key leaders in fieldsof business, banking, andlabor, urging them to work together to find solutions to the nation's economic woes and to act in ways that would not make the bad situation at hand worse. He also created a special organization to help private charitiesgenerate contributions for the poor.

6. What was the nation’s economic situation in 1930?
The nation’s economic situation in 1930 was continuously getting worse

7. How did voters in 1930 respond to this situation?
Voters in 1930 responded to this situation by voting against Hoover and the Republicans. Democrats won more seats in Congress causing Republicans to lose control of the House of Representatives and their majority in Senate dwindle to one vote.

8. What did Hoover do about the economic situation?
Hoover began negotiations among private entities for the economic situation. Hoover also created the National Credit Corporation to prop up the banking system. as presidential elections were about to happen, Hoover pressed Congress to pass a series a measures that would reform banking, provide mortgage relief, and funnel more federal money into a business investment. Hoover then signed the Federal Home Loan Bank Act in 1932 which lowered mortgage rates for homeowners and allowed farmers to refinance their farm loans and avoid foreclosure. In January of 1932 Hoover's Reconstruction Finance Corporation was approved by Congress. The RFC was given up to $2 billion for emergency bank financing, life insurance companies, railroads, and other large businesses.

9. How did the economy respond to his efforts?
The economy responded to his efforts by still continuing to fail and decline.

The Twenties Woman

1. Note two ways women's fashions changed.
A)Instead of wearing dark and prim anklelength dresses they bagan wearing bright waistless dresses an inch above the knees.
B)They began wearing skin toned silk stocking, sleek pumps, and strings of beads. They also started clipping their long hair into boyishbobs and dyed it black.

2. Note two ways women's social behavior changed.
A)Women began smoking cigarettes, drinking in public, and openly talking about sex.
B)They began dencing the fox trot, camel walk, tango, Charleston, and shimmy without an end.

3. Note two words that describe the attitude reflected by these changes.
double standard

4. Note one way women's work opportunities improved.
Women's work opportunities improved by the requirement of extensive correspondence and record keeping which created a demand for filing clerks, typists, secretaries, stenographers, and office-machine operators.

5. Note two ways women's home and family life improved.
A) Stores overflowed with ready-made clothes, sliced bread, and canned foods.
B) Public agencies provided services for the elderly, public health clinics served the sick, and workers' compensationassisted those who could no longer work.

6. Note three negative effects that accompanied women's changing roles in the 1920s.
A) rebellious adolescents
B) conflict between traditional and modern ways of thinking
C) increased pressure of juggling work and family life