The Mid 20th Century Study Guide Answers

Key to Texas

The Mid 20th Century: 1930 - 1960

The Great Depression & the New Deal
New Deal Politics and Social Change
World War II
Changes after World War II

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The Great Depression & the New Deal

What happened on "Black Thursday"?(7.7:D)
On "Black Thursday," October 24, 1929, the stock market crashed, and the nation�s economy plummeted.
What happened to the price of cotton and oil during the 1930s?(7.7:A,D)
Cotton prices fell dramatically, finally hitting bottom at about a nickel a pound. Oil prices also declined and hit bottom at 10 cents a barrel.
Who did the majority of Texans vote for in the presidential election of 1932?(7.7:D)
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
How did the New Deal attempt to help people?(7.7:A,D)
The New Deal offered federal assistance and public works programs to the public and promised relief, reform and recovery.
Which two New Deal programs targeted youth?(7.7:A,D)
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) employed youths to work on soil erosion control and park maintenance. The National Youth Administration (NYA) employed high school and college students for construction work.
What was the WPA? What kind of projects did it do?(7.7:A,D)
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) in Texas put people to work constructing buildings on college campuses, the Ft. Worth public library, parks, bridges, dams, sewage plants, schools, public hospitals and municipal buildings. They also paved streets and highways.
What event during the Great Depression caused additional problems for farmers in the Great Plains?(7.7:D)
An exteme drought that caused the Dust Bowl
How did the New Deal attempt to help farmers?(7.7:A,D)
The Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) helped farmers as it tried to raise farm prices by decreasing production. The program paid subsidies to farmers who would take some land out of production to eliminate surplus which would raise farm prices. The government also offered assistance with drought relief after the Dust Bowl almost destroyed parts of West Texas and western Oklahoma and Kansas. Farmers were also aided by the Farm Credit Bureau which helped prevent foreclosures and provided loans

Politics and Social Change

Name four powerful national politicians from Texas who supported the New Deal.(7.7:B,D)
Texans like John Nance Garner, Jessie H. Jones, Wright Patman and Sam Rayburn became powerful figures in Washington.
What position did Sam Rayburn hold in the U.S. Congress?(7.18:B)
Rayburn served as Speaker of the House for most of the period from 1940 to 1961.
Who was James V. "Jimmy" Allred and what did he accomplish?(7.7:B,D)
In 1934, James V. "Jimmy" Allred, a New Deal supporter, won the gubernatorial election. During his term, Allred established the Department of Public Safety and helped pass New Deal programs that aided the elderly and unemployed. After winning a second term, Allred was appointed to a federal judgeship by FDR.
Who was Pappy O�Daniel?
Pappy O'Daniel was a radio show host who later became Governor and a U.S. Senator from Texas.
Why was Lyndon Johnson known as one of "Roosevelt�s Boys"?
Johnson was such a strong supporter of the New Deal that he became known as one of "Roosevelt�s Boys."
How did the NAACP try to help African Americans in Texas?(7.7:B,C,D)
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) pressured local Texas leaders to include African- Americans in New Deal programs. They also challenged Texas all-white Democratic primary.
Who was A. Maceo Smith?(7.7:B,C,D)
A. Maceo Smith became active in the Dallas chapter of the NAACP and remained a prominent leader in the organization from the 1940s through the 1960s. Along with the support of other NAACP leaders, he challenged Texas�s all-white primary.
What did the Supreme Court rule in Smith vs. Allwright?(7.7:B,C,D)
In 1944, the Supreme Court ruled in Smith v. Allwright that the Texas Democratic white primary was unconstitutional.
What was the major purpose of LULAC?(7.7:B,C,D)
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) was organized to fight segregation and discrimination against Hispanics. By 1948, LULAC had won a number of lawsuits that ended the legal segregation of Mexican Americans in public facilities in Texas.

World War II

What event caused the United States to enter World War II?(7.7:D)
The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941
How many Texans joined the military service during World War II? How many Texas women served in the armed forces?(7.7:D)
Approximately 750,000 Texans served in World War II, including 12,000 women.
What was Chester Nimitz's role in World War II?(7.7:D)
Chester W. Nimitz served as commander-in-chief of the Naval forces in the Pacific.
How did Texas benefit economically from World War II?(7.7:D;7.12,B)
Texas benefited greatly from war-time mobilization. New air force bases were built near major cities such as Austin, Corpus Christi, Houston, Lubbock, Wichita Falls and Ft. Worth. Aircraft factories and oil refineries flourished in Dallas-Ft. Worth, Galveston, Houston and Corpus Christi. The war also created more need for fuel and machinery.
Who was "Rosie the Riveter"?(7.7:D)
"Rosie the Riveter" was the nickname given to women who worked in defense industries.
How were African Americans in the United States affected by World War II?(7.7:D)
African- Americans also found new job opportunities in wartime work. However, they often received lower wages, were segregated, and were sometimes met with violence.
What was the purpose of FDR�s Executive Order 8802?(7.7:D)
President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802, to prohibit employment discrimination in war-time industries. It also established the Fair Employment Practices Commission (FEPC) to enforce the order.

Changes after World War II

What happened to the economy in Texas following World War II?(7.7:C;7.12:A)
During the post-war years, the economy continued to boom. New financial institutions were established to loan money to new industries. By the end of the war, Texas had become the nation�s leading producer of oil.
What was the trend in the population distribution in Texas following World War II?(7.7:C;7.12:A)
Urban areas continued to grow. By 1950, Texas was 60 percent urban. Suburbs around Dallas and Houston began developing and would continue to grow throughout the rest of the century.
List two major trends in Texas agriculture following World War II?(7.7:C;7.12:A)
Many farmers switched to commercial farming, which was made easier by new technology and improved mechanization. Texas also began moving away from the sharecropping and tenant farmer system that had kept many Texans, both white and black, in poverty and debt. The invention of a mechanical cotton-picker in 1944 was a major factor in the decline of sharecropping and tenant farming.
Why was the G. I. Bill important?
The G. I. Bill paid military veterans a generous subsidy if they wanted to return to school. Using the G.I. Bill, more Texans attended college after the war than ever before. By 1960, 186,000 students took college courses in the state.
What was the Red Scare? What caused the end to the Red Scare?
A wave of anti-Communist hysteria, known as the Red Scare, gripped the country in the 1950s. The Red Scare ended in 1954 when Senator Joseph McCarthy accused the army of having communists in its highest ranks. He began the Army-McCarthy Hearings which were carried live by the relatively new medium of television. In the hearings, McCarthy could not produce proof of any of his charges.
Who was Oveta Culp Hobby?(7.7:C)
Oveta Culp Hobby, from Killeen, Texas, was the first secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, first commanding officer of the Women's Army Corps, and chairman of the board of the Houston Post.
What was the impact of the completion of the interstate highway system?(7.7:C;7.12:A)
The completion of the interstate highway system in the 1950's increased people's mobility and accelerated urban areas in the state. It also provided easier methods for transporting goods to other states, which enhanced national trade.