Leighann Stejskal
|
|
Summer 2009
No author.
The transition from Hoover to Roosevelt was a turning point in U.S. History where governmental involvement in people’s everyday lives dramatically increased. In this lesson students will explore the differing policies of Hoover and Roosevelt to see how governmental involvement increased and also the public’s reaction to those policies during the Great Depression.
Overview/ Materials/Historical
Background/LOC Resources/Standards/ Procedures/Evaluation/Rubric/Handouts/Extension
|
Objectives |
Students will: · Be able to analyze primary source documents to determine policies of 2 U.S. Presidents during the Great Depression. · Be able to analyze primary source documents to determine what issues were of importance to ordinary citizens during the Great Depression. · Be able to analyze photographs of the time period to understand what life was like for many people in Iowa during the Great Depression. · Be able to write from the perspective of someone else to explain the policy issues of the Great Depression. |
|
Recommended time frame |
4 days |
|
Grade level |
9–12 |
|
Curriculum fit |
AP U.S. History, U.S. History |
|
Hoover Documents: (See handout section for excerpted versions) 1. Telegram to state governors, November 23, 1929 -
|
|
|
|
Iowa Core Curriculum: History Goal 1: Understand historical patterns, periods of time, and the relationships among these elements. · Identify and interpret major events that happened during a time period. Goal 2:
Understand how and why people create, maintain, or change systems of power,
authority, and governance. · Explore change over time through the lens of evolving government services. · Explore how government has reacted to problems in the past, such as social, environmental, political and/or economic issues and how the government’s actions affected individuals. Goal 4: Understand the role of individuals and groups within a society as promoters of change or the status quo. · Identify significant individuals who have affected historical development in positive or negative ways. Goal 5: Understand the effect of economic needs and wants on individual and group decisions. · Analyze the ways various societies have met their economic needs and wants over time. · Assess and analyze the development of various economic systems. Goal 8: Understand cause-and-effect relationships and other historical thinking skills in order to interpret events and issues. · Interpret actions taken, analyze impact experienced, and evaluate decisions made in history in the context in which they occurred. · Determine the validity and accuracy of primary sources and secondary sources and evaluate them for bias. · Predict how different decisions might have impacted the outcome of an event. |
|
|
Day 1: ·
Students
should already have a background on the stock market crash and the beginnings
of the Great Depression. ·
The
class should be split into smaller groups with half of the class getting
documents on Hoover and half of the class getting documents on Roosevelt. ·
In
small groups the students will read the documents pertaining to their
President and make a list of policies or ways that the President is planning
on dealing with the problems caused by the Great Depression, focusing on
unemployment and farming. ·
Have
the students use the Document Analysis Sheet to help them organize their
thoughts. ·
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/educ/docanal2.pdf ·
When each
group is done, have a class discussion about the policies and make a list on
the board for each President as to how they are planning to respond to
unemployment and the farming crisis. ·
Discuss
any similarities and differences between the two policies and emphasize that
Hoover was focused on the local/state governments getting involved with
minimal federal assistance, whereas Roosevelt felt it was the federal
government’s job to do anything in its power to help. Day 2: ·
Students
will use the Photo Analysis Sheet to help them analyze the Depression Photos
of Iowa. ·
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/educ/photo.pdf ·
If you
haven’t spent a lot of time analyzing photographs, use the first photo to do
an example with the class, then get them working on the rest of the photos. ·
Put up
stations around the classroom, 1–9 for the remaining photos. Each student
should fill out a photo analysis form for each photo so that they really
reflect on it and think about what they are seeing in the photograph. ·
When
all students have had time to look at each photo, come back together as a
class to discuss what they saw, how they felt, what they think life was like
for many people in Iowa during the Depression, and what they learned from
looking at the photographs. Day 3: ·
Split
the class back into their Hoover/Roosevelt groups from Day 1 and give the
Hoover group the Letters to Hoover and give the Roosevelt group the Letters
to Roosevelt. ·
Have
students use the Document Analysis Sheet to organize their thoughts. ·
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/educ/docanal2.pdf ·
Students
should be able to use their knowledge gained from analyzing the photos to get
a feel for what people were going through and why they were asking for
assistance from the Presidents. ·
When
students are done analyzing their letters, pair each Hoover student up with a
Roosevelt student and have them discuss what they have found in their own
letters. ·
When
each group is done, come together as a class and have each group share 1
thing from their letters. Have the Hoover students share what they learned
from the Roosevelt students and have the Roosevelt students share what they
learned from the Hoover students. ·
Make a
large list on the board of the types of things that people were struggling
with and what they were asking for. Have them relate this back to what they
saw in the photos the previous day. This should be a great discussion starter
for students. Day 4: ·
Have
students choose to be one of the Presidents and choose a letter or photograph
that really struck them. ·
As the
President of the United States, they are going to write a letter in response
to either the letter or the photograph that they chose and explain what they
are going to do. (Hint: They may not do anything, but they need to give
examples as to why they are not going to do anything.) ·
They
need to be specific in the letter and give at least 3 examples of specific
policy items from Day 1 to support their decision to help or not help this
person, group, family, organization, etc. |
|
|
Students will be evaluated on their letter written from the perspective of one of the Presidents to determine that they understand the policies of the President and how that President would have responded to situations of the Great Depression. The students need to have at least 3 ideas expressed in their letter that explain the policies of the Presidents. |
|
|
As an extension, the students could have a debate between Hoover and Roosevelt concerning the issues of the Great Depression such as unemployment, public works, the Bonus Army, the New Deal Programs, etc. This would require more research on the students’ part to become knowledgeable about the issues and topics in order to have a useful debate. |
Historical Background
During the economic boom of the “Roaring Twenties,” the average American
was busy speculating in the stock market, where big money could be made, and
buying automobiles and household appliances. Those appliances were bought on
credit, however. Although businesses had made huge gains—65%—from the
mechanization of manufacturing, the average worker’s wages had increased only
8%.
The disparity between the rich and the poor could not be sustained, with 0.1%
of society earning the same total income as 42%, pooled with production of more
and more goods and rising personal debt. On Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929,
the stock market crashed, triggering the Great Depression, the worst economic
collapse in the history of the modern industrial world. It spread from the
United States to the rest of the world, lasting from the end of 1929 until the
early 1940s. With banks failing and businesses closing, more than 15 million
Americans (25% of the workforce) became unemployed.
President Herbert Hoover, underestimating the seriousness of the crisis, called
it “a passing incident in our national lives,” and assured Americans that it
would be over in 60 days. A strong believer in rugged individualism, Hoover did
not think the federal government should offer relief to the poverty-stricken
population. Focusing on a trickle-down economic program to help finance
businesses and banks, Hoover met with resistance from business executives who
preferred to lay off workers. Blamed by many for the Great Depression, Hoover
was widely ridiculed. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the rich governor from New
York, offered Americans a New Deal, and was elected in a landslide victory in
1932. He took quick action to attack the Depression, declaring a four-day bank
holiday, during which Congress passed the Emergency Banking Relief Act to
stabilize the banking system. During the first 100 days of his administration,
Roosevelt laid the groundwork for his New Deal remedies that played a role in
rescuing the country from the depths of despair.
The Great Depression and the New Deal changed forever the relationship between
Americans and their government. Government involvement and responsibility in
caring for the needy and regulating the economy came to be expected.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dustbowl/peopleevents/pandeAMEX05.html
Primary
Resources from the Library of Congress
Resource Table – LOC Resources
|
Image |
Description |
Citation |
URL |
|
|
Part
of an impoverished family of nine on a New Mexico highway. Depression
refugees from Iowa. Left Iowa in 1932 because of father’s ill health. Father
an auto mechanic laborer, painter by trade, tubercular. Family has been on
relief in Arizona but refused entry on relief roles in Iowa to which state
they wish to return. Nine children including a sick four-month-old baby. No
money at all. About to sell their belongings and trailer for money to buy
food. “We don't want to go where we’ll be a nuisance to anybody.” |
Lange, Dorothea. Part of an Impoverished family of 9.
Aug. 1936. America from the Great
Depression to World War II: Black-and-White Photographs from the FSA-OWI,
1935-1945. American Memory.
Library of Congress. July 30, 2009. http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/fsa/8b29000/8b29700/8b29797r.jpg |
|
|
|
Christmas
dinner in home of Earl Pauley. Near Smithfield, Iowa. Dinner consisted of
potatoes, cabbage, and pie. |
Lee, Russell. Christmas Dinner. Dec. 1936. America from the Great Depression to World
War II: Black-and-White Photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945. American Memory. Library of Congress.
July 30, 2009. http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/fsa/8b30000/8b30000/8b30046r.jpg |
|
|
|
Home
of owner-operator, Little Sioux Township, Woodbury County. The years of
drought and bad crops have drained resources to keep up taxes. This man owns
four to six hundred acres of land. |
Lee, Russell. Home of owner-operator, Little Sioux
Township. Dec. 1936. America from
the Great Depression to World War II: Black-and-White Photographs from the
FSA-OWI, 1935-1945. American Memory.
Library of Congress. July 30, 2009. http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/fsa/8b30000/8b30000/8b30042r.jpg |
|
|
|
Backyard
of shack in “Shantytown,” Spencer, Iowa. |
Lee, Russell. Backyard of shack in Shantytown. Dec.
1936. America from the Great Depression
to World War II: Black-and-White Photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945.
American Memory. Library of
Congress. July 30, 2009. http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/fsa/8a21000/8a21400/8a21442r.jpg |
|
|
|
Men’s
dormitory at night at the homeless men’s bureau, Sioux City, Iowa (for
unattached men). Unemployment is the primary cause of their being here. This
unemployment has been the direct cause of broken homes, through divorce and
incompatibility. Most of the men are willing to work if they could find it.
Average age fifty-two. Most of the men are from the urban districts. |
Lee, Russell. Men’s
Dormitory at Night. Dec. 1936. America
from the Great Depression to World War II: Black-and-White Photographs from
the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945. American
Memory. Library of Congress. July 30, 2009. http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/fsa/8b30000/8b30000/8b30049r.jpg |
|
|
|
Garage
on J.H. and Ellis Cline’s farm in northeastern part of Ringgold County, Iowa.
They rent one hundred eighty acres of land from an estate. |
Lee, Russell. Garage in Iowa. Jan.1937. America from the Great Depression to World
War II: Black-and-White Photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945. American Memory. Library of Congress.
July 30, 2009. http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/fsa/8c51000/8c51000/8c51092r.jpg |
|
|
|
Daughters
of John Scott, hired man near Ringgold County, Iowa. |
Lee, Russell. Daughters of John Scott. Jan. 1937. America from the Great Depression to World
War II: Black-and-White Photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945. American Memory. Library of Congress.
July 30, 2009. |
|
|
|
Frank
Moody and family lived in this home for two years. Near Anthon, Iowa. |
Lee, Russell. Frank Moody and Family. Jan. 1937. America from the Great Depression to World War II: Black-and-White
Photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945. American Memory. Library of Congress. July 30, 2009. http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/fsa/8b38000/8b38500/8b38535r.jpg |
|
|
|
Marcus
Miller and family in shack that he built himself. Spencer, Iowa. This is half
the house. Miller is a hired hand who has managed to save enough to make a part
payment on seven and a half acres of land. However, he is most anxious to get
steady work or to operate a farm. |
Lee, Russell. Marcus Miller and Family. Dec. 1936. America from the Great Depression to World War II: Black-and-White
Photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945. American Memory. Library of Congress. July 30, 2009. http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/fsa/8b30000/8b30000/8b30038r.jpg |
|
|
|
Farm
home of Andy Grubb near Mount Ayr, Iowa. He rents
one hundred eighty acres from an estate. |
Lee, Russell. Farm Home of Andy Grubb. Jan. 1937. America from the Great Depression to World War II: Black-and-White
Photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945. American Memory. Library of Congress. July 30, 2009. http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/fsa/8b30000/8b30000/8b30058r.jpg |
|
|
|
Franklin
Delano Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover in convertible automobile on way to U.S.
Capitol for Roosevelt’s inauguration, March 4, 1933 |
No author. Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Herbert
Hoover in Convertible. 1933. I Do
Solemnly Swear: Presidential Inaugurations. American Memory. Library of
Congress. July 31, 2009. http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/ppmsc/02800/02895r.jpg |
|
|
|
Dead
animal skeleton on a farm. |
Lee, Russell. Untitled. 1935-1942. America from the Great Depression to World War II: Black-and-White
Photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945. American Memory. Library of Congress. July 30, 2009. http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/fsa/8b30000/8b30000/8b30056r.jpg |
|
|
|
Marcus
Miller in front of the shack he built for himself, Spencer, Iowa. |
Lee, Russell. Marcus Miller in front of the Shack. Dec 1936. America from the Great Depression to World War II: Black-and-White
Photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945. American Memory. Library of Congress. July 30, 2009. http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/fsa/8a21000/8a21400/8a21401r.jpg |
Resource Table – Other Resources
|
Image |
Description |
Citation |
URL |
|
N/A |
Hoover urges state
governors to increase public construction so as to reduce unemployment. |
The Depression Papers of Herbert Hoover. Myles B. Williams. The State Papers and other Public
Writings of Herbert Hoover. July 31, 2009. http://web.archive.org/web/ |
|
|
N/A |
Hoover states his views on
the use of federal funds for disaster relief. |
The Depression Papers of Herbert Hoover. Myles B. Williams. The State Papers and other
Public Writings of Herbert Hoover. July 31, 2009. http://web.archive.org/web/20021022095525/ |
|
|
N/A |
Hoover signs the
Reconstruction Finance Corporation Act. |
The Depression Papers of Herbert Hoover. Myles B. Williams. The State Papers and other
Public Writings of Herbert Hoover. July 31, 2009. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu |
|
|
N/A |
Outlining
the New Deal Program – May 7, 1933 |
Fireside Chats of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and
Museum. July 31, 2009. http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/050733.html |
|
|
N/A |
On
the Purposes and Foundations of the Recovery Program – July 24, 1933 |
Fireside Chats of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and
Museum. July 31, 2009. http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/042433.html |
|
|
N/A |
On
the Works Relief Program – April 28, 1935 |
Fireside Chats of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and
Museum. July 31, 2009. http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/042835.html |
|
|
N/A |
Primary Source Worksheet -
Photograph |
Primary Source Worksheets. Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. July 31,
2009. http://www.trumanlibrary.org/educ/photo.pdf
|
|
|
N/A |
Primary Source Worksheet –
Documents |
Primary Source Worksheets. Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. July 31,
2009. http://www.trumanlibrary.org/educ/docanal2.pdf |
|
|
N/A |
Letter to Hoover |
Hoover Online! Digital Archives. Herbert Hoover Presidential Museum and Library.
July 31, 2009. http://www.ecommcode.com/hoover/hooveronline/text/94.html |
|
|
N/A |
Letter to Hoover |
Hoover Online! Digital Archives. Herbert Hoover Presidential Museum and Library.
July 31, 2009. http://www.ecommcode.com/hoover/hooveronline/text/109.html |
|
|
N/A |
Letters to Roosevelt |
Levine, Lawrence W. “The
People and the President: America’s Extraordinary Conversation with FDR.”
Massachusetts: Beacon Hill, 2002. |
N/A |
|
|
CATEGORY |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
Content Accuracy |
The letter contains at least 3 accurate facts about the topic. |
The letter contains 2 accurate facts about the topic. |
The letter contains 1 accurate fact about the topic. |
The letter contains no accurate facts about the topic. |
|
Sentences & Paragraphs |
Sentences and paragraphs are complete, well-constructed, and of varied structure. |
All sentences are complete and well-constructed (no fragments, no run-ons). Paragraphing is generally done well. |
Most sentences are complete and well-constructed. Paragraphing needs some work. |
Many sentence fragments or run-on sentences OR paragraphing needs lots of work. |
|
Ideas |
Ideas are expressed in a clear and organized fashion. It is easy to figure out what the letter is about. |
Ideas are expressed in a pretty clear manner, but the organization could be better. |
Ideas are somewhat organized, but are not very clear. It takes more than one reading to figure out what the letter is about. |
The letter seems to be a collection of unrelated sentences. It is very difficult to figure out what the letter is about. |
- The
Depression Papers of Herbert Hoover
Telegram to state governors, November 23, 1929 - Hoover
http://web.archive.org/web/20021005113707/http://www.geocities.com/mb_williams/hooverpapers/1929/paper19291123.html
Press statement, February 3, 1931 - Hoover states his views on the use of federal funds for disaster relief.
http://web.archive.org/web/20021022095525/http://www.geocities.com/mb_williams/hooverpapers/1931/paper19310203.html
Press statement, January 22, 1932 - Hoover signs the Reconstruction Finance Corporation Act.
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=23210
- Fireside
Chats and other Documents of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Outlining the New Deal Program (Fireside Chat) - May 7, 1933
http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/050733.html
On the Purposes and Foundations of the Recovery Program (Fireside Chat) -
July 24, 1933
http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/042433.html
On the Works Relief Program (Fireside Chat) - April 28,
1935
http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/042835.html
·
Photo Analysis Sheet:
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/educ/photo.pdf
·
Document Analysis Sheet:
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/educ/docanal2.pdf
- Transcripts
of Letters to