U.S. History Practice Test: The Great Depression and the New Deal
- Great Depression and New Deal
- 10 questions
- 12 minutes
These 10 questions cover the economic collapse that began in 1929 and Franklin D. Roosevelt's response. Many New Deal agencies have similar initials, so remember what each one actually did.
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Question 1
The stock market crash that helped begin the Great Depression took place in
Correct answer: B
Prices fell sharply in late October 1929, with the worst day on October 29, known as Black Tuesday. March 1933 is when Roosevelt took office.
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Question 2
In the 1920s, many investors bought stocks "on margin." What does that mean?
Correct answer: C
Buying on margin let people own more stock than they could afford. When prices fell, lenders demanded their money back, and many investors were ruined.
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Question 3
Shantytowns of homeless people during the early 1930s were called "Hoovervilles" because
Correct answer: A
People named the camps after Hoover to mock him, because they felt he did too little to help. Hoover Dam was a construction project, and it has nothing to do with the name.
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Question 4
What caused the Dust Bowl on the southern Great Plains in the 1930s?
Correct answer: D
Farmers had plowed up the prairie grass, and when drought came the wind blew the dry soil away in huge dust storms. Many families, often called "Okies," moved west to California.
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Question 5
What were Franklin D. Roosevelt's "fireside chats"?
Correct answer: C
Roosevelt spoke on the radio in a calm, direct style to explain the bank crisis and New Deal programs. Millions listened at home, and the talks helped rebuild confidence.
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Question 6
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), created in 1933, was meant to
Correct answer: B
Thousands of banks had failed, and depositors lost everything. Federal insurance on deposits ended the bank runs, because people no longer feared losing their money.
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Question 7
What did the Social Security Act of 1935 create?
Correct answer: A
Social Security set up old-age pensions paid for by payroll taxes and helped states run unemployment insurance. A federal minimum wage came later, with the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.
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Question 8
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) gave jobs mainly to
Correct answer: D
The CCC hired young unmarried men to plant trees, build trails and fight erosion, and they sent most of their pay home. Women in weapons factories belong to World War II.
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Question 9
What was the main work of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)?
Correct answer: A
The TVA built dams in a poor region that often flooded, and it brought cheap electric power to many homes for the first time. It still operates today.
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Question 10
In 1937, Roosevelt's "court-packing" plan proposed to
Correct answer: C
After the Court struck down several New Deal laws, Roosevelt asked to add a justice for each one over age 70, up to six. Congress rejected the plan, and even many of his allies opposed it.
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