Review Questions

1. Which of the following was a cause of the stock market crash of 1929?

too many people invested in the market
investors made risky investments with borrowed money
the federal government invested heavily in business stock
World War I created optimal conditions for an eventual crash

2. Which of the following groups would not be considered “the deserving poor” by social welfare groups and humanitarians in the 1930s?

vagrant children
unemployed workers
stock speculators
single mothers

3. What were Hoover’s plans when he first entered office, and how were these reflective of the years that preceded the Great Depression?

4. Which of the following protests was directly related to federal policies, and thus had the greatest impact in creating a negative public perception of the Hoover presidency?

the Farm Holiday Association
the Ford Motor Company labor strikes
the Bonus Expeditionary Force
the widespread appearance of “Hooverville” shantytowns

5. Which of the following groups or bodies did not offer direct relief to needy people?

the federal government
local police and schoolteachers
churches and synagogues
wealthy individuals

6. What attempts did Hoover make to offer federal relief? How would you evaluate the success or failure of these programs?

7. Which of the following hardships did African Americans not typically face during the Great Depression?

lower farm wages in the South
the belief that White workers needed jobs more than their Black counterparts
White workers taking historically “Black” jobs, such as maids and janitors
widespread anti-black riots in large urban centers

8. Which of the following was not a key factor in the conditions that led to the Dust Bowl?

previous overcultivation of farmland
decreasing American demand for farm produce
unfavorable weather conditions
poor farming techniques regarding proper irrigation and acreage rotation

9. What did the popular movies of the Depression reveal about American values at that time? How did these values contrast with the values Americans held before the Depression?

10. Which assessment of Herbert Hoover’s presidency is most accurate?

Hoover’s policies caused the stock market crash and subsequent depression.
Although he did not cause the stock market crash, Hoover deserves criticism for his inadequate response to it.
Hoover pledged a great deal of direct federal aid to unemployed Americans, overtaxing the federal budget and worsening the financial crisis.
Hoover disapproved of American capitalism and therefore attempted to forestall any concrete solutions to the Depression.

11. Which of the following phrases best characterizes Herbert Hoover’s foreign policy agenda?

interventionist, in terms of unwanted interference in other nations’ affairs
militaristic, in terms of strengthening American armed forces
isolationist, in terms of preventing America’s interaction with other nations
mutual respect, in terms of being available to support others when called upon, but not interfering unnecessarily in their affairs