1. the Hoover Dam

Name:______Date:______Class:______

President Hoover and the Great Depression Part A: Open Response: Instructions: In at least one paragraph, answer the questions below.

1. How did Hoover think the government should respond to the Great Depression? Describe how many Americans responded to his approach. ______

2. What caused the Dust Bowl and how did it impact the USA? ______

3. What was the Bonus Army? How did Hoover respond to the Bonus Army? ______

Part B: Important Terms: Instructions: In at least one sentence, explain the historical significance of the terms of below. 1. The Hoover Dam:

2. The Federal Home Loan Bank Act:

3. Hawley-Smoot Tariff:

4. Hoovervilles:

5. Dwight Eisenhower:

6. Volunteerism:

1. How did Hoover think the government should respond to the Great Depression? Describe how many Americans responded to his approach. Hoover did not want the government to intervene. He believed the government could step in to help negotiate labor issues, but not to use tax payer money to give direct relief to those in need. During the Great Depression, there were virtually no government programs to help the poor and Shantytowns formed, entire villages of homeless people in shacks. Many called these villages of shacks “Hoovervilles” to show their disapproval of Hoover’s tactics.

2. What caused the Dust Bowl and how did it impact the USA? The Dustbowl of the 1930s was a massive drought mixed with high winds that destroyed crops. A massive storm of dust spread across the nation. It was partially caused by farmers who exhausted the land by over farming. Dust was gathered in the air due to the loose soil the farmers created. This destroyed many crops.

3. What was the Bonus Army? How did Hoover respond to the Bonus Army? Thousands of veterans protested in Washington D.C. in 1932. They were veterans of World War I. The Wright Patman Bill was created to pay a bonus to WW I veterans immediately. These veterans wanted bills like this to become law. The group called themselves the Bonus Army and they protested in Washington D.C. in the 1930s. Though initially friendly to the protesters, Hoover eventually resorted to calling the soldiers Communists and became oppositional to them. Hoover eventually sent in the army to stop the protests and force the veterans to disperse.

Part B: Important Terms: Instructions: In at least one sentence, explain the historical significance of the terms of below. 1. The Hoover Dam: This was a dam at the Colorado River near Los Angeles and Los Vegas. It helped spur on agriculture and bring water to western cities. 2. The Federal Home Loan Bank Act: This act helped citizens to pay their home mortgages. 3. Hawley-Smoot Tariff: This was a tariff meant to protect American businesses from foreign competition, but it failed and actually made the economy worse. 4. Hoovervilles: Shantytowns, also called Hoovervilles, were entire villages of homeless people in shacks. 5. Dwight Eisenhower: He was told by Hoover to disperse the Bonus Army

6. Volunteerism: This was a tactic of Hoover to simply ask businesses to not fire employees on a voluntary basis without forcing them to do anything.