The Great Depression Unit: Progressing Level Assessment

(Identity Sample)

Consider the following pieces of evidence:

-1914-1918: Hoover organized and coordinated the Commission for Relief in Belgium which fed 10 million people during WWI.

-1919-1923: Hoover organized and coordinated the American Relief Administration which fed 17 million people after WWI.

-1929 (March): Hoover’s presidency began.

-1929 (October): The stock market crashed. 1930: Hoover signed the Hawley-Smoot Tariff.

-1930: Hoover and others in his administration believed the worst of the Depression had passed.

-1932: Hoover supported the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to provide loans to businesses but not individuals needing relief.

-1932: Hoover handled the Bonus Army crisis poorly

-1933: Hoover’s presidency ended. Homeless encampments became known as Hoovervilles

Based on the evidence above, what statement about Herbert Hoover is accurate?

• i. Hoover did not care about ordinary people.

• ii. Hoover was an ineffective president.

• iii. Hoover was known as the Great Humanitarian.

• both i & ii

• both ii & iii

Consider the following statement: As president, Herbert Hoover used the tools of government to try to end the depression more than most critics give him credit for. Which example best supports the statement above?

• He supported the creation of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation which issued government loans to banks, railroads, and big businesses. The RFC also provided loans to states that could no longer afford to provide citizens direct relief.

• After the Bonus Army was in Washington, DC for over a month, he ordered the army to remove them. This was a public relations disaster as the image of the army forcing out veterans of WWI with tanks and bayonets outraged many Americans.

• He signed the Hawley-Smoot Tariff which was meant to protect American farmers and businesses hurt by the Depression, but instead triggered a trade war in which European countries raised their tariffs making it harder for American businesses and farmers to sell their products in Europe.

• He signed a bill that led to the construction of new housing for homeless people which became known as Hoovervilles.

Examine the following set of New Deal policies:

-Glass-Steagall Banking Act: Separated investment banking from retail banking, which prevented banks from using depositors' funds for risky investments. It gave regulation of retail banks to the Federal Reserve, prohibited bank sales of securities, and created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

-Indian Reorganization Act: Returned or added land to reservations,created systems for tribal self-governance, and the developed tribal business.

-Social Security Act: Created the Social Security Trust Fund and Administration to provides income to the elderly, the blind, the disabled and children in low-income families

Did this set of policies provide:

• RELIEF: Giving direct aid to reduce the suffering of the poor and the unemployed

• RECOVERY: Recovery of the economy. Creating jobs and helping businesses grow by restarting the flow of consumer demand

• REFORM: Reform of the financial system to ease the economic crisis and introducing permanent programs to avoid another depression and insuring against future economic disasters

• REVOLUTION: Completely overthrow the US’s economic system.

(Sources Sample Question)

What statement is most accurate about the message in the cartoon?

• FDR was displeased about how slowly Congress passed his New Deal programs.

• FDR thought opponents of his programs were unfair in their criticisms.

• The American people thought the New Deal programs were verging on dictatorships.

• FDR and the American people were mostly pleased with the New Deal programs.

(E-Events Sample Question)

One of the goals of the New Deal was to reform the economy, politics, and society of the United States so as to prevent another Great Depression. One of the keys to developing reform programs was to understand the causes and effects of the Great Depression. Which set of causes of the Great Depression and the program meant to prevent that cause (cause/effect) is NOT correct?

• Bank Runs/Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (1933): The FDIC insured savings accounts in the case of bank failures.

• Farm Overproduction/New Agricultural Adjustment Act (1938): Provided for the conservation of national soil resources and to provide an adequate and balanced flow of agricultural commodities in interstate and domestic commerce and for other purposes.

• Stock Market Crash/Created 4 million higher-paying jobs in construction. Cities and towns had to add to the $400 million in federal funds. Congress canceled it in 1934 due to cost.

October 29th, 1929

• Black Monday
• Black Tuesday
• Black Wednesday
• Black Friday

Buying stock without knowing the risks, assuming it will just go up is known as ________.

• speculation
• buying on margin
• market capitalization
• hammering the market

Why did FDR propose the Supreme Court Packing Plan?

• to influence the Supreme Court to keep the New Deal going
• to make it more conservative
• to make the Supreme Court more efficient
• to make the Supreme Court more diverse

What federal policy led to the expansion of the Federal Government?

• New Deal
• Return to Normalcy
• Fair Deal
• Great Deal

(P-Population Sample Question)

Which of the following is the correct chronological order of events that led to a pattern of rural migration during the Great Depression?

• overproduction/farm foreclosure/migration

• unerconsumption/migration/overproduction

• farm foreclosure/migration/underconsumption

• migration/overproduction/farm foreclosure