High School U.S.

History
The Great Depression and New Deal
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 The Great Depression and the New Deal

This guide is designed to help you understand and analyze the causes and effects of the Great
Depression along with the policies implemented to bring an end to the economic crisis. To begin our look
at this era of history, let’s start with your opinion on the role the government should play in the economy.

Read the statement concerning the role of the government in the U.S. economy. Mark the
continuum with your initials in the place that best represents your opinion. (Do not mark the
center.)

The U.S. government should be actively involved in the economy.

Strongly Agree___________________________X__________________________Strongly Disagree

Characteristics of the Era

As you read the following paragraph that summarizes the characteristics of the Great
Depression and the New Deal, highlight key ideas. Use these ideas to complete the
sentences that follow the passage.

The Great Depression of the 1930s was characterized by bank and business failures and high
unemployment. Even the agricultural sector was not immune as a severe drought and dust storms, known
as the Dust Bowl, hit the Midwest. The New Deal was President Franklin Roosevelt’s program to address
the problems of the Depression. He focused on economic relief to the unemployed by providing jobs
through government work projects. His focus on recovery created programs to stimulate the economy and
increase production because factories had stopped producing goods in many cases. This also included a
jobs program for individuals that would allow them to purchase items with their salary, resulting in an
increased demand for production. Finally, the president sought to reform the parts of the economy that
led to the Depression, including the banking industry. Critics of the New Deal believed this legislation
expanded the power of the executive too much. They also believed it gave the federal government too
much power to regulate private business and free enterprise.

After reading the characteristics of the Great Depression and New Deal era,

The three most important things I learned are…

1.

2.

3.

The characteristics of this era remind me of…

This passage had an impact on me because...

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 Presidents Responding to the Great Depression

Two individuals had different points of view concerning the role of government in responding to the Great
Depression. Both served as President of the United States; Herbert Hoover served from 1929 to 1933
and Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1945.

As you read the short biographies and quotes by both men, highlight their key ideas about
the role the government should play in the economy during the Great Depression.

Herbert Hoover served as a Republican president from 1929 to 1933. He brought

impressive qualifications to the office. He served as head of the American Relief
Administration which provided food to the inhabitants of Central and Eastern Europe after
World War I. He had also served
as director of the U.S. Food “We are challenged with a...choice
Administration and U.S. Secretary of between the American system of rugged
individualism and a European philosophy of
Commerce. When the stock market
diametrically opposed doctrines, doctrines
crashed shortly after he took office, he of paternalism and state socialism. The
attempted to lift the economy with policies that did not acceptance of these ideas would have
directly involve the federal government. His belief in meant the destruction of self-government
laissez-faire capitalism and American “rugged though centralization…and the
undermining of the individual initiative and
individualism” was based on the idea that welfare
enterprise through which our people have
programs sponsored by the government would reduce grown to unparalleled greatness.”
the desire to work. Instead, he believed it was up to
private organizations and charitable individuals to Herbert Hoover, 1932
Campaign
provide needed relief.

When the economic crisis deepened and the economy failed to rebound,
“I would like to state to youhe cut taxes, increased federal spending on public projects, and began
the effect that…[an]buying surplus farm crops. The Hoover Dam was an example of a
interference of government public project. It was one of the largest man-made dams in the
in business would have upon
nation. Built between Nevada and Arizona, it created a massive man-
our system of self-
government and ourmade lake for irrigation, flood control, and electric power in one of the
economic system. Thatdriest areas in the nation. Hoover also attempted to provide low-
effect would reach to the interest loans to small businesses and banks. He hoped by providing
daily life of every man and relief to these groups, the effects of increased business would “trickle
woman. It would impair the
very basis of liberty and down” to the average American. Most felt this was not enough, and he
freedom…” was soundly defeated by the Democratic candidate, Franklin D.
Roosevelt, in the 1932 election. Hoover retired from public office until
he was asked by Democratic president, Harry S. Truman, to oversee
Herbert Hoover, 1932 the Hoover Commission. The Commission was responsible for
Campaign reorganizing the executive departments and determining the food needs
of Europe, especially in American and British occupied Germany
following World War II.

“We are turning the corner.”

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 Presidents Responding to the Great Depression

”Happy Days Are Here Again”

Franklin D. Roosevelt served as a Democratic president from

1933 to 1945, leading the nation through two of the most “Every man has a
significant events of the 20th century—the Great Depression right to life; and this
means that he has
and World War II. He was born to a privileged family. He also a right to make a
was also a fifth cousin of former President Theodore comfortable living.”
Roosevelt. He contracted the deadly disease of polio in 1921
Franklin D. Roosevelt,
and became crippled, confined to a wheelchair for the
1932
remainder of his life. His wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, often
served in place of her husband as the President’s eyes and ears. She became quite popular with the
American people and the rest of the world.

When Roosevelt was elected president in 1932, the nation was in the
“The country needs and, unless I grips of the Great Depression. Unemployment was as high as 25%
mistake its temper, the country
at its peak. Faced with the fact that several states were financially
demands bold, persistent
experimentation. It is common ruined and several more were on the brink, Roosevelt was told by
sense to take a method and try the outgoing Secretary of the Treasury the night before his
it. If it fails, admit it frankly and inauguration, that he might be the last president of the United
try another. But above all, try States. Roosevelt changed his speech, delivering instead one of
something.”
the most famous inaugural
Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1932 addresses in presidential 1932 Ballot
history. In the address, he Herbert Hoover
attempted to bolster the American public with the famous line, “The
only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” Franklin Roosevelt
He began to develop programs known as the New Deal to help the
American economy by providing relief, reform, and recovery. This led The reason for my vote is..
to a significant expansion of the power of the executive
branch. Opposition to this growth resulted in constitutional challenges
in the Supreme Court. When the Supreme Court declared several New
Deal laws unconstitutional, Roosevelt responded by trying to increase
the number of justices on the Supreme Court. This became known as
“Court Packing.” He hoped the new justices would change the vote in
his favor. Roosevelt’s plan was rejected because there were signs of
economic recovery and the country’s attention was turning toward the
growing threat of totalitarian governments, especially Nazi
Germany. (NOTE—the last years of Roosevelt’s presidency will be
addressed with World War II.)

Use the biographical information, campaign quotes and

slogans to identify beliefs Hoover and Roosevelt held about the
role of government in the U.S. economy. Decide which candidate
you would have voted for in the 1932 election. Mark your 1932
ballot and write a short explanation for your vote in the space
provided.

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 The Great Depression and New Deal
Before we begin a deeper look at this era of U.S. history, let’s explore the key vocabulary
terms. After reading each term and definition, create your own “Draw It Out” symbol to
illustrate the term and help you remember it.

Vocabulary Definition Symbol

Term
Banking Crisis Caused by people panicking and
pulling their money out of the bank,
which resulted in bank closures

Bank Holiday Declared holiday for banks in an attempt

to stop people from withdrawing money;
lasted until banks proved to federal
officials they were able to meet the
requirements to be solvent and able to
stay in business.

Black Tuesday October 29th--the day the Stock Market

crashed causing prices to fall to all-time
lows and fortunes and life savings lost

Bonus Army World War I veterans converged on

Washington, D.C., demanding immediate
bonus payment for wartime services to
provide relief from the economic hardship
during the Great Depression

Bull Market Time when the prices of stock on the

market continue to rise; 1920s prices
continued to rise leading to many
wanting to invest even if they had to
borrow money to do so

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 The Great Depression and New Deal
Before we begin a deeper look at this era of U.S. history, let’s explore the key vocabulary
terms. After reading each term and definition, create your own “Draw It Out” symbol to
illustrate the term and help you remember it.

Vocabulary Definition Symbol

Term
Buying on a Margin Borrowing money from a broker to buy
stock; Usually only having to put down a
10% down payment on the total amount
borrowed

Checks and A principle of the U.S. Constitution giving

Balances System each of the three branches of
government power to check the other two
branches; Example-the power of the
executive branch to veto a law passed by
the legislative branch; the power of the
judicial branch to strike down a law or
action of the other two branches if it
violates the Constitution
Court Packing An unsuccessful attempt by President
Franklin D. Roosevelt to expand the
Supreme Court by adding up to six new
justices; critics claimed Roosevelt was
trying to control the Court

Deficit spending Spending public funds raised by

borrowing rather than by taxation

Depression A long-term downturn in economic

activity that occurs when a nation’s
economy is unstable and production is
low

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 The Great Depression and New Deal
Before we begin a deeper look at this era of U.S. history, let’s explore the key vocabulary
terms. After reading each term and definition, create your own “Draw It Out” symbol to
illustrate the term and help you remember it.

Vocabulary Definition Symbol

Term
Dust Bowl Result of severe dust storms and drought
conditions in the MIdwest that led to a
mass exodus of farmers on the Great
Plains who had lost their land due to
bank foreclosures; Many left the Great
Plains to find work in California

Fiat Money Using a paper currency system rather

than the gold and silver system to back
U.S. money supply

Fireside Chats Radio broadcasts by Franklin D.

Roosevelt to the American people in
order to explain his ideas and policies;
helped to restore the confidence of the
people and give them hope

Hawley-Smoot High tariff on imports passed in 1930 in

Tariff (sometimes an attempt to protect American-made
called Smoot- goods; resulted in 25 countries raising
Hawley Tariff) the tariff on American goods, which
caused global trade to plummet

Hoovervilles Term used to describe the makeshift

shelter towns (known as shanty-towns)
where many of the unemployed lived
during the Depression

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 The Great Depression and New Deal
Before we begin a deeper look at this era of U.S. history, let’s explore the key vocabulary
terms. After reading each term and definition, create your own “Draw It Out” symbol to
illustrate the term and help you remember it.

Vocabulary Definition Symbol

Term
Mexican As the economy slowed, close to
Repatriation 500,000 Mexican-American workers
were sent back to Mexico even though
many were American citizens.
Example of the racial prejudice toward
immigrants and minorities during the
Depression

New Deal Series of programs and regulations

Franklin D. Roosevelt endorsed to end
the Great Depression after he was
elected

Recovery Programs of Franklin D. Roosevelt

designed to stimulate the economy and
its industries to produce again; Examples
--National Recovery Administration, and
Agricultural Adjustment Acts

Reform Regulations and measures sponsored by

Franklin D. Roosevelt to prevent the
American economy from collapsing again
in this manner--Examples--Social
Security Act, Tennessee Valley Authority,
Securities and Exchange Commission

Relief Programs of Franklin D. Roosevelt

designed to help people pay basic
expenses until the economy was back on
its feet; Examples--Public Works
Administration, Civilian Conservation
Corps, Public Works Administration

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 The Great Depression and New Deal
Before we begin a deeper look at this era of U.S. history, let’s explore the key vocabulary
terms. After reading each term and definition, create your own “Draw It Out” symbol to
illustrate the term and help you remember it.

Vocabulary Definition Symbol

Term
Separation of A principle of the U.S. Constitution that
Powers divides the power of government
between the three branches--Legislative
makes the laws; Executive carries them
out; Judicial interprets and explains the
laws and actions of the other two

Speculation Practice of making a profit such as

buying stock even though there is a risk

Soup Kitchens A place where the hungry and

unemployed could come and receive a
meal of soup and bread; usually run by
private organizations and churches

Stock Market Speculation and buying on margin

Crash caused a dramatic decline on the price of
stocks in 1929 resulting in a sharp
decline in the economy

Volunteerism Freely giving service, labor, and/or

money to assist those who are less
fortunate; Herbert Hoover encouraged
Americans to practice this rather than
providing government relief during the
Great Depression

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 Causes and Effects of the Great Depression

By 1933, 13 million Americans—25% of the workforce were out of work. Those who were able to keep
their jobs often took pay cuts of one-third or more. By 1931, one-third of the banks failed. Factories
ground to a halt as the need for their products dropped. Farmers in the Midwest suffered a terrible
drought which devastated their crops. This was the most serious economic crisis in United States
history.

To understand this critical period, read the long term causes of the Great Depression and
then make an inference about what you think or wonder by predicting what might happen as
a result of each.

After you finish, rank the five causes with 1 being the most significant and 5 being the least
and record your choices in the space provided.

Long Term Cause Explanation What I think… OR

What I wonder...

Industrial Problems Encouraged by prosperity in the

20s, the production of cars, radi-
os, telephones, and other house-
hold goods increased resulting in
factories producing more than
they could sell domestically or
overseas.

Uneven distribution of income 5% of the population held 30% of

the total income; ½ of the nation
was living below the poverty line;
and wages were low for factory
workers. Farmers experienced
low crop prices as the demand for
food dropped after World War I.

Unstable banking practices Banks made money by using de-

posits to make loans with interest
and/or making investments. Dur-
ing this time, some banks made
unwise investments and loans by
allowing people to over speculate
on stocks and borrow on the
margin by only putting a 10%
down payment on the loan.

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 Causes and Effects of the Great Depression

To understand this critical period, read the long term causes of the Great Depression and
then make an inference about what you think or wonder by predicting what might happen as
a result of each.

Long Term Cause Explanation What I think… OR

What I wonder...

Weak international economy The world, especially post World

War I Europe, experienced an
economic slowdown coupled with
having to pay heavy war
debts. At the same time
American farmers and factory
owners lobbied Congress for
higher tariffs on foreign imports to
protect American made
products. When the high Hawley-
Smoot protective tariff was
passed, 23 nations retaliated by
imposing tariffs of U.S. exports.

Monetary Policy and use of the One of the Federal Reserve’s

Gold Standard responsibilities was to set the
interest rate charged on a loan. In
the late 20s, the Fed raised the
interest rate making borrowing
money more expensive. They felt
this rate hike was necessary to
maintain the gold standard the
U.S. used to value the nation’s
currency as well as hoping it
would stabilize the economy.

Rank the five causes with 1 being the most significant and 5 being the least and record your
choices in the space provided.

_____ Industrial Problems

_____ Uneven distribution of income

_____ Unstable banking practices

_____ Weak international economy

_____ Monetary Policy and use of the Gold Standard

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 Immediate Cause--The Great Crash of 1929

During the month of October, 1929 stock prices began to fall and stockholders began to sell. On October
29, 1929 also called “Black Tuesday,” the stock market crashed. Within days, fortunes were wiped out
almost overnight and the nation began a rapid descent into the Great Depression.

A. Industrial Problems
B. Uneven distribution of income
C. Unstable banking practices
D. Weak international economy
E. Monetary Policy and use of the Gold Standard

Short-term Effects of the Great Depression

As you read the short term effects, match each to one of the five major causes you feel was
most responsible.

_____ 1. By mid-November, $25 billion of the value of stocks had disappeared.

_____ 2. By 1932, 22% of all the banks in the U.S. failed.

_____ 3, In the first two years following the crash, over 50,000 businesses failed.

_____ 4, Unemployment rose to 25% and the percentage was even higher in the major industrial
cities such as Chicago.

_____ 5. Total wages for those that kept their jobs dropped from $12 billion to 7 billion.

_____ 6. U.S. exports dropped further hurting the U.S. economy.

_____ 7. Over 3 million people lived in makeshift shacks known as “Hoovervilles.”

_____ 8. Approximately ⅓ of the nation’s farmers lost their land when they were crippled by the
drought, low food prices and the inability to pay loans.

_____ 9. Immigrant factory and farm workers, especially those from Mexico, were targets of
hostility and prejudice.

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 Long Term Effects of the Depression
As you read the long term effects, decide if the effect is a political, economic, or social
effect and record your answer below each statement.

[Link] public works projects provided employment along with much needed internal improvements
such as dams, highways, bridges, and public buildings. Many of these improvements are still
standing today.

2. The power of the federal government increased significantly due to government regulations and new
taxes to support the economy.

3. The Treasury changed to a fiat or paper currency system rather than the gold/silver standard to
back U.S. money and increase the money supply.

4. Federal agencies such as FDIC and the SEC were established to be a watchdog over banks and
the stock market.

5. The federal government instituted programs such as Social Security insurance, farm subsidies, and
the idea of a minimum wage to provide a “safety net” for Americans.

6. A shift in the relationship between the federal government and the states when the federal
government became more directly involved in the lives of individuals.

7. The worldwide depression led to the rise of extremist ideologies in European countries such as
Spain, Italy, and Germany.

Using your analysis of the causes and effects of the Great Depression, complete the
following summary.

The __________________ was the catalyst that began the Great Depression. The two most important

causes that contributed to the Great Depression were (1) ____________________________ because

____________________________________ and (2) _____________________________________

because_________________________________________________________________________.

The most important short term effect was ______________________________________________

because_____________________________________________.

The long term effect that has had the most significant impact is ____________________________

because___________________________________.

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 Interpreting the Pictures
Part of understanding the Great Depression is to realize just how difficult it was for most Americans.
For each group of pictures below, identify the term from the vocabulary study it
represents.
Select one set of pictures to personalize by writing a short narrative below the set. Be sure to
include answers to the following questions: Who are you? Where are you? What are you
doing? How are you feeling?

Set One
Term:

Set Two

Term:

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 The Great Depression and the Arts
Just as the freewheeling Twenties were depicted in the literature and jazz of the decade, the literature,
music, and photographs symbolized the despair of the people in the United States.

This era produced one of America's greatest novels, The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, published
in 1939. His novel was based on the lives of workers, he called” Oakies,” who had migrated from
Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl to California to find work. NOTE—It is estimated that over one million
farmers lost their land and left searching for a better opportunity.

Read the following quotes from the novel and explain what you think it means and how it
characterizes the Great Depression.

1. “...and in the eyes of the people there is the failure; and in the eyes of the hungry there is a growing
wrath. In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy for the
vintage.” — John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath

2. “ ‘ Sure,’ cried the tenant men, ‘but it’s our land...We were born on it, and we got killed on it, died on
it. Even if it’s no good it’s still ours...That’s what makes ownership, not a paper with numbers on
it.’” — John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath

3. “ We’re sorry. It’s not us. It’s the monster. The bank isn’t like a man.”
“Yes, but the bank is only made of men.”
“No, you’re wrong there--quite wrong there. The bank is something else than men. It
happens that every man in a bank hates what the bank does, and yet the bank does it. The bank
is something more than men, I tell you. It’s the monster. Men made it, but they can’t control
it.” — John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath

4. “One man, one family driven from the land; this rusty car creaking along the highway to the west. I
lost my land, a single tractor took my land. I am alone and bewildered. And in the night one family
camps in a ditch and another family pulls in and the tents come out. The two men squat on their
hams and the women and children listen. Here is the node, you who hate change and fear
revolution. Keep these two squatting men apart; make them hate, fear, suspect each other.” —
John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath

5. “The works of the roots of the vines, of the trees, must be destroyed to keep up the price...Carloads
of oranges dumped on the ground. The people came for miles to take the fruit, but this could not
be. How would they buy oranges at twenty cents a dozen if they could drive out and pick them
up?...A million people hungry, needing the fruit and kerosene sprayed over the golden
mountains...Burn coffee for fuel in ships. Burn corn to keep war, it makes a hot fire.. Dump
potatoes in the rivers and place guards along the banks to keep the hungry people from fishing
them out.” — John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath

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 The Great Depression and the Arts

In 1932 Yip Harburg wrote a song that symbolized the feelings and frustration of the people in the Great
Depression. This song often played on the radio and became one of the most popular songs in 1932.

As you read the words of the three stanzas of “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” consider
what message Harburg was trying to convey.

They used to tell me I was building a dream

And so I followed the mob
When there was earth to plow or guns to bare Meaning—
I was always there right on the job

They used to tell me I was building a dream

With peace and glory ahead
Why should I be standing in line Meaning—
Just waiting for bread?

Once I built a railroad, I made it run

Made it race against time
Once I built a tower, now it’s done Meaning—
Brother, can you spare a dime? Yip Harburg, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?’

In conclusion, what was Harburg trying to say? Why do you think this song became so
popular?

Finally, study this iconic photograph of a young mother with seven children from the Great Depression.

What do you think she is thinking? Why do you think this

picture has become a symbol of the despair in the
Great Depression?

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 The New Deal
As you read about President Roosevelt’s plans to bring the nation out of the Depression, be sure you
understand the three types of programs he proposed.

After his inauguration, President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced plans or a “New Deal” for a series of
programs designed to help end the depression gripping the nation. They consisted of relief programs
which provided relief for people affected by the depression until the economy stabilized; recovery
programs designed to stimulate the economy; and reform programs to prevent future economic problems
such as those that had caused the depression. The programs, often called the Alphabet Soup because
they were known by the initials of the program, fit one of these three categories.

Read about each program and then decide if it is a relief, recovery, or reform program and
explain why it fits into that category.

CCC
This program put young men to work
Civilian
building roads, parks, and helping in
Conservation
erosion control projects.
Corps

WPA This program provided the unemployed

Works Progress with jobs in construction, teaching, and the
Administration arts.

NIRA
This established the National Recovery Ad-
National
ministration which had the power to set
Industrial
rules and regulations for the economy.
Recovery Act

AAA This program protected farmers from by

Agricultural providing subsidies to reduce production
Adjustment (which would increase the price) and to
Administration teach methods of preventing soil erosion.

FDIC This created federal insurance of bank de-

Federal Deposit posits. This was intended to strengthen
Insurance confidence in banks and prevent future
Corporation bank failures.

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 The New Deal
Read about each program and then decide if it is a relief, recovery, or reform program and
explain why it fits into that category.

SEC
This regulated the stock market and
Securities and
restricted the practice of buying on margin.
Exchange
.
Commission

This program provided pensions, unem-

SSA
ployment insurance, and aid to families
Social Security
with dependent children. It also provided
Act
aid to those with some disabilities.

TVA This provided for the federal funding of

Tennessee Valley dams to prevent flooding and to generate
Authority electricity that could be sold.

NLRB
National Labor This allowed workers to join unions and
Relations Board prevented management from outlawing un-
(also known as the ions.
Wagner Act)

FHA This program was created under the Na-

tional Housing Act. It provided for home
Federal Housing mortgages and repairs and still exists to-
Administration day.

After Roosevelt declared a bank holiday by

closing the banks. He convinced Congress
Emergency to pass this and have the Treasury Depart-
Banking Act ment inspect banks. Only those that were
sound could reopen right away. Those that
needed help would get loans.

This law provided guidelines for proper soil

Soil Conservation
maintenance to make sure that another
Act
dust bowl could be avoided.

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 President Roosevelt and the Supreme Court

As Roosevelt’s programs took effect, many conservatives began to question whether the New Deal
programs overstepped the powers given to the federal government in the U.S. Constitution, especially
those given to the executive branch. In the first hundred days of his administration, President Roosevelt
sent measure after measure to Congress, and his bills met with little organized opposition in either
house. The executive and legislative branches worked cooperatively to make changes to the American
economy. The third branch of government, the judiciary, did not have an opportunity to become involved
in the New Deal until the middle of Roosevelt’s first term. Since the Supreme Court only hears actual
cases and controversies, the people had to wait until a person with ‘standing to sue’ challenged a New
Deal law before anyone could know whether the Court would uphold the new laws.

As you complete the reading below,

 highlight three key ideas from the passage.

 identify a possible argument supporting Roosevelt’s plan and another argument that is
not in favor of his plan?
 what is your opinion of the President's plan to change the number of Justices on the
Supreme Court? Use your highlighted portions to complete the 3-2-1 graphic organizer
that follows the reading.

In the winter of 1934-35, the answers to the questions of whether the New Deal was a radical and
unconstitutional departure from traditional governmental involvement in the economy began to come. The
Supreme Court approved parts of the New Deal but struck down many important New Deal measures. The
National Industrial Recovery Act, The Agricultural Adjustment Act, and attempts from both federal and
state attempts to establish minimum wages were declared unconstitutional. Never before had a Supreme
Court majority taken on almost the entire governmental program of a powerful president whom Congress
solidly backed and vetoed the program law by law. The Court showed the President and Congress what a
powerful check judicial review could be.

These decisions became a key issue during the presidential election campaign in 1936. Republicans
defended the Court’s recent decisions and the Democrats argued the Supreme Court’s interpretation was
fit for “horse and buggy times, not today’s economic crisis.” Most Americans widely accepted the New
Deal. As a result, President Roosevelt won every state’s electoral vote except Vermont and Maine and
defeated the Republican candidate, Alfred Landon, by more than 10 million votes.

Roosevelt interpreted his landslide victory as a mandate for further reforms. With his personal popularity
and prestige, and his huge congressional majorities, only the Supreme Court appeared to stand in his way.
Most presidents can influence the Court through their appointments, but during Roosevelt’s first five years
in office not one justice died or retired. Roosevelt was confident that the people approved of his policies,
but would they approve of his efforts to restructure the Supreme Court?

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 President Roosevelt and the Supreme Court

Just two weeks after his second inaugural speech, Roosevelt sent a proposal to Congress. Its support-
ers called it a “court reform” measure, while its opponents called it an effort to “pack the court.” Simply
stated, Roosevelt’s bill provided that whenever a federal judge who had served ten years or more
failed to retire within six months after reaching his seventieth birthday, the President could appoint an
additional judge. This additional judge would be assigned to the same court on which the older jurist
was serving. No more than fifty such additional judges could be added to the entire federal judicial sys-
tem, and the maximum number of Supreme Court justices was set at fifteen.

The Supreme Court was frequently characterized as the “Nine Old Men.” In 1937 it was an accurate, if
unflattering, description. The youngest justice was 62; the oldest, 81. All four of the justices who had
regularly voted against New Deal measures were over 70. The intended effect of Roosevelt’s court
proposal was obvious even if the President emphasized other reasons for supporting his bill.

Interpreting an Editorial Cartoon

Study the editorial cartoon below. Then, answer the questions that follow.

1. What do you see happening in the cartoon?

2. What is happening in history at this time?

3. What is the cartoonist saying about the Chief

Executive (President Roosevelt)? What 3
pieces of evidence from the cartoon supports
your interpretation?

4. How does the cartoon illustrate the idea of separation of powers with the three branches of
government?

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 Reviewing the Great Depression and New Deal

Review the New Deal programs (on pages 17 and 18) and consider the categories you
identified for each: Relief, Recover, or Reform.
For each of these categories identify the program you feel would have been the most
effective and explain why.

Program I feel it was the most effective because….

Relief

Recovery

Reform

Refer back to your answer on the continuum at the beginning of the study. Mark the
place on the continuum that now reflects your position on the statement and explain
if and how your opinion has changed.

The U.S. government should be actively involved in the economy.

Strongly Agree_____________________________________________Strongly Disagree

What connections do you see with the causes and effects of the Great Depression to the political,
social, or economic problems of today?

Is the coronavirus aid packet an example of relief, recovery, or reform? Explain your answer.

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