Chapter 23 The Great Depression, the New

Deal, and World War II1929-1945

Essential Questions

Section 1Texans Go To War

The Stock Market Crash of 1929 brought hard times to Texas and the rest of the nation and

world. During the era that followed, known as the Great Depression, many Texans were out of work

and searching for relief.

Section 1 Summary• The stock market crashed in 1929

• Affected the whole US (including Texas)

• This time in history is known as the Great Depression

• During this time, many people were out of work and they needed help

Dark Days of October

From Boom to Bust• 1920s were good time for US businesses

but not farming– Crop prices fell– Banks went out of business because farmers

could not pay debts

• Other businesses that didn’t do well– Railroads– Coal Mines– Textile Industries

From Boom to Bust, con’t• In 1920s, many people invested in the Stock

Market

• Companies sell stock (shares in their companies) to raise money and grow– Stock: ownership in a corporation, usually divided

into shares

• If the company does well, the stockholders get their money back from their investments…usually make more money– Stockholder: owner of the stock

From Boom to Bust, con’t• In 1920s, people began to speculate on the stock market…

they risked their money hoping that prices would rise quickly…then they would sell the stock and make a quick profit– Speculate: to buy or sell stock in hopes of making money from

changes in the stock market

• Other people used credit to buy stock they really couldn’t afford (buying on margin)

• For a few years, rising prices as companies grew made a lot of people rich

• But, then the Stock Market crashed (October, 1929)– Crash: a sudden decline or failure

The Stock Market Crash of 1929

• Thursday, October 24, 1929– Stock holders sold a lot of stock (13 million shares)….Prices fell

• Friday, October 25-Saturday, October 26, 1929– To balance the falling prices, banks bought stocks…prices fell

again

• Monday, October 28– Prices fell again

• Tuesday, October 29, 1929– Stock holders sold more stock…trying to not lose any more

money (16 million shares)– So much money was lost on this day…became known as Black

Tuesday

Stock Market Crash, con’t• After Black Tuesday, stock prices kept falling and

people/banks lost 26 billion dollars

• Prices of stock were lower than people bought them for…no way to make money on them– People couldn’t pay debts– Banks ran out of money…people lost all money they

had in banks– Factories, stores, businesses closed– People lost jobs

The Great Depression • Lasted from 1929-beginning of WWII …longest

and worst economic depression in US history– People lost homes and farms– About ¼ of US workers didn’t have jobs

• At first, Texas was not as bad off as other parts of the country …not as many Texans had invested in the stock market, still more farmers, etc– Unemployment Rate wasn’t as high in Texas as in the

North• Unemployment Rate: the percentage of people who are

out of work

The Great Depression, con’t

• But as depression years continued, Texans couldn’t sell as much cotton…prices dropped and less demand

• By 1933, many Texas businesses closed and many Texans were out of work

Images of Depression

Cities Try to Help Texans Cope• People ran out of money

• State couldn’t help much

• So, city governments and civic organizations stepped in to help– In Dallas/Ft. Worth…city chambers of commerce sponsored gardening

projects to help people grow food

– Some cities had plays/musicals to help raise money

– Some city governments paid Texans to build parks, buildings, clean up cities, work on streets and sewers, etc

– Some cities allowed homeless Texans to live in public buildings

– But eventually even money for these type of things ran out

Drought and Dust Torment Rural Texans

• Bad draught hit Great Plains area of US in mid 1930s (around 1935)

• Since the farmers couldn’t grow crops, the fields were just dirt

• Then, the wind began to blow and dust covered everything …call black blizzards

– So strong it blast the paint off cars

– Blocked sunlight for hours

– Killed animals and damaged people’s eyes and lungs

Drought and Dust, con’t

• Between 1935-1937, things were so bad in Texas Panhandle that 1/3 of farm families left…same thing going on in OK, KS, CO, NM

• This region became known as the Dust Bowl

America Dust and Depression

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/dust-bowl-cause-1.jpghttp://www.weru.ksu.edu/new_weru/multimedia/dustbowl/big/dust_car_gs.jpg

http://www.weru.ksu.edu/new_weru/multimedia/dustbowl/big/usda23.jpg

Dust Bowl Years

The Dust Bowl

Women and Minorities Face Hard Times

• Depression years were especially hard on women, African Americans, and Hispanics

– Minorities fired to free up job for white person

– Women teachers were fired if husband had job

– White men had priority on jobs

– Many African American men/families were homeless

Women/Minorities, con’t• So, many African Americans joined the Democratic Party

and the NAACP…this group worked to end discrimination• • Hispanics were denied monetary help

– They ended up leaving Texas

– In 1929, LULAC was formed (League of United Latin American Citizens)• Helped Hispanics in Texas and helped to end

discrimination

Minorities During the Depression

Section 2Texans Look for a New Deal

Roosevelt’s New Deal began to bring Texans much needed relief from the Great Depression.

However, recovery was slow. To cheer Texans, the state threw a giant party to celebrate its centennial.

Section 2Summary

• After the Great Depression, President Roosevelt’s New Deal provided jobs, etc

• But, the economy was slow to recover

• To cheer up the Texans, the state threw a giant party to celebrate the Texas centennial

Roosevelt Offers a New Deal • In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt (democrat) was elected president of

US

(defeated republican Herbert Hoover)

• VP was John Nance Garner – nicknamed Cactus Jack; from Texas

• President Roosevelt promised Americans that better days were coming (that Depression would end)– Campaign Song: “Happy Days are Here Again”

Franklin D. Roosevelt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt

http://www.conservapedia.com/John_Nance_Garner

John Nance Garner

New Deal, con’t• Roosevelt passed new laws and created new programs

– To create jobs and improve the economy– Program was called the New Deal

• Famous Texans during these years

– Sam Rayburn: US Congressman• Helped pass laws that outlawed the actions that led to Great

Depression

– Jesse Jones: • Directed Reconstruction Finance Corporation which gave money to

banks and corporations to get business started again• Created the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)

– Insures the money that people deposit into banks…so people won’t lose money if banks fail

– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_H._Jones

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Rayburn

Programs Put Texans to Work• 2 New Deal Programs helped Texans

– WPA: Works Progress Administration

– PWA: Public Works Administration

• Gave people jobs building buildings…schools, post offices, hospitals, etc

• Gave writers, musicians, and artists jobs• Texans worked for these agencies from 1935-1943

– Built River Walk in San Antonio– Built San Jacinto Monument – Built dams on lakes– Wrote travel guides, performed plays, painted murals, etc

Providing Jobs for Youth• NYA: National Youth Administration

– Supported by Lyndon B. Johnson– Gave jobs to young people aged 16-25

• Worked in offices, libraries, schools• Built playgrounds and roadside parks

• CCC: Civilian Conservation Corps– Young people worked from 1933-1942– Earned $30.00/month

• Built dams, state parks, helped to fight floods if needed, helped preserve farmland, etc

Helping Farmers

• New Deal programs helped farmers– Programs to help soil conservation programs

• AAA: Agricultural Adjustment Administration– Paid farmers to plant fewer acres of crops…produced

less/prices went up

• Soil Conservation Service, AAA, CCC– Taught farmers how to keep soil from blowing away– Helped farmers plant trees– Helped create ponds/reservoirs to collect water

“Ma” Ferguson Returns• Regardless of New Deal programs, things were

still tough in Texas

• In 1932, “Ma” Ferguson elected again for governor (replaced Governor Ross Sterling)– Cut state spending– Cut taxes on many things except for oil tax

• She also did some corrupt things– Gave federal relief funds to friends/political supporters– Fired some of the Texas Rangers…replaced them with

some of her friends/supporters

An Era of Lawlessness• Crime nationwide increased during Depression years

– In Texas…lots of killing and crime• George “Machine Gun” Kelly• Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow

– Texas Rangers tracked them down– Killed by lawman Frank Hamer

• 1934, Texas elected new governor– James V. Allred

• Created Department of Public Safety• Created Texas Employment Commission• Got tired of corrupt ways of “Ma” Ferguson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnie_and_Clyde

http://www.alcatrazhistory.com/mgk.htmhttp://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/governors/govPage.cfm?governorID=31

Governor James Allred

Texas Celebrates Its Centennial• 1936: Texas celebrated 100 years (Centennial) of freedom from

Mexico– Centennial: one-hundredth anniversary

• Wanted a big celebration– Built Fair Park in Dallas for 25 million

• Housed 50 buildings • Cavalcade of Texas (showed 4 centuries of life in Texas)• Hall of Negro Life

– Called Texas Centennial Exposition

– Site of first World’s Fair in the Southwest

– Construction provided jobs for many Texans

– http://www.flickr.com/photos/christianspenceranderson/6546992507/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Section 3World War II Brings Changes to Texas

Government spending during World War ll finally put an end to the Great Depression. Brave Texans

served in battle and others contributed whatever they could on the home front.

Section 3 Summary• The end of the Great Depression happened

when the government started spending more money during World War II

• Many Texans contributed in many ways during the war…on the battlefield and at home

• When World War II started, the Great Depression ended

The World at War Again • Great Depression affected other countries as well as the

US– In some countries, dictators rose up and said they

could make life better

– Once they were in power, they started attacking other countries

– This started World War II

• World War II: 1939-1945

• US entered into World War II: 1941

The World at War Again, con’t

• Allies– Great Britain, France, Soviet Union

• Axis– Germany, Italy, Japan

• US entered war when Japan dropped bomb on Pearl Harbor on December 7,1941

• US sided with the Allies• US declared war on Japan first then added Germany and Italy a few days later

– http://pft2009.blogspot.com/2011/12/67th-anniversary-of-pearl-harbor-attack.html

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/pearlhbr/pearlhbr.htm

• 750, 000 Texans served in World War II– Including 12, 000 women

• Demand for goods for the war helped Texas businesses– Dallas/Ft. Worth built airplanes– Texas Gulf Coast towns launched warships

and cargo vessels– Texas oil helped with fuel

The World at War Again, con’t

The War Effort in Texas

• Texas trained many soldiers– Had 15 major military bases– Had 40 airfields– Naval flight training base in Corpus Christi

was largest in world

• Texas had prisoner-of-war camps– 50, 000 prisoners-of-war

• Prisoners worked on farms and military bases to help Allies

The War Effort in Texas, con’t

• Texans “sacrificed” with food– They planted Victory Gardens– They bought war bonds– They collected scrap iron and old tires

• Women worked while

men were at war– See “Women in the Workforce”

on p. 489

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A Bounty of Texas Heroes • Dwight D. Eisenhower

– Born in Texas …lived most of life in Denison, TX

– Supreme Allied Commander General

– Planned D-Day into Normandy, France in 1944

– Accepted Germany’s surrender in 1945

– Elected president…mainly due to his valor during the war• Valor: personal bravery

Bounty of Texas Heroes, con’t• Admiral Chester W. Nimitz

– Commander of Pacific Fleet– Turned back Japanese navy– Was present when Japanese surrendered about the

USS Missouri on September 2, 1945

• Oveta Culp Hobby– Wife of former Texas Governor, William Hobby– Colonel of Women’s Army Corp (WAC)– Joined Navy, Coast Guard, and Marines– Served as Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP)

• Provided air support for Allies

www.relaxedpolitics.com/.../DwightEisenhower.jpg

Dwight Eisenhower

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/g460000/g466244.jpg

Chester Nimitz

http://www.womensmemorial.org/H&C/History/images/COL_Hobby_1943.jpg

Oveta Culp Hobby

Bounty of Texas Heroes, con’t• 22,000 Texans died in World War II

• Many Texans received medals and commendations for bravery

• 30 Texans received the Congressional Medal of Honor …highest award given for bravery beyond call of duty– Johnnie Hutchins (US Navy)

• Saved ship from a torpedo• Steered ship out of torpedo’s path…died holding on the

wheel of the ship• Had a ship named after him

Diverse Groups Unite in the War Effort

• Minority Texans received honors– 5 Medal of Honor recipients were Hispanic

• An Hispanic doctor, Dr. Hector Garcia, received the Bronze Star and 6 battle stars

– African Americans won medals• Doris Miller (a man)

– Awarded the Navy Cross» Manned a machine gun at Pearl Harbor and KIA» Navy named a ship after him» Cuba Gooding, Jr. played Miller in the 2001 movie, Pearl Harbor

• Leonard Harmon– Died while protecting a wounded ship mate– Awarded the Navy Cross– In 1943, was first African American to have a ship named after him…the

USS Harmon

Congressional Medal of HonorUS Army

Johnnie Hutchins

Doris Miller

Audie Murphy• Most decorated soldier in war

• US Army– Received 33 awards– Received every US medal for valor– Received the Medal of Honor

• During a battle in France, he jumped into a burning tanker ship, took control of the ship’s guns, and killed or wounded 50 enemy soldiers, stopped an enemy tank

• From Farmersville, TX – 35 miles northeast of Dallas

• Became an actor

Texas After the War• World War II ended in 1945

• US President: Franklin D. Roosevelt– Serving his 4th term– He died in office

• VP Harry Truman took over as President

• Texas made the gradual change from a rural state to an urban state– More sophisticated– More dependent on industry and not as much on farming

• African Americans, Hispanics, and women were determined to have equal rights

Picture Sources• http://www.amfirstbooks.com/IntroPages/ToolBarTopics/Articles/Featured_Authors/S

mith,_W._Leon/2010/Art/Army_Congressional_Medal_of_Honor.gif

• http://www.navsource.org/archives/06/images/360/0636001.jpg

• http://www.navsource.org/archives/06/images/360/0636004.jpg

• http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/g400000/g408456.jpg

• http://www.warfoto.com/1audie.jpg

• http://www.military-money-matters.com/images/audie-murphy.jpg