Georgia: After WWI and the Great Depression
Guided Notes
Unit Essential Question: What political, economic, and social issues impacted the lives of Georgians during
the Depression and the New Deal?
Lesson Essential Question #1: How did the boll weevil and drought impact Georgia?
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Cotton and the evil Boll Weevil
When WWI ended, cotton dropped from 35 cents/lb to _____ cents/lb. Hard times were coming for
Georgia farmers.
Demand was lower for cotton and production was lowered due to the _______________________.
This beetle insect immigrated from Mexico and found its way into the cotton belt of the south around
1915.
It would lay its eggs in the boll (seed pod) of a cotton plant and the growing boll weevil survived by
eating the cotton plant and __________________ it.
Farmers (especially sharecroppers) could not earn a ______________ or pay off debt.
Drought in Georgia (1924-1927)
To make matters worse, G.A. experiences a severe _______________.
This affected all kinds of agriculture, not just cotton.
More profits are _________in the south, and some farmers quit and move to urban areas to work in
_________________.
Georgian’s were suffering and the ____________________was just beginning for them.
An Even Worse Drought for Georgia
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_____________ drought on record in _______ - ________.
The typical Georgia family farm had:
o ______ electricity
o No running __________
o ________ were inadequate, consisting mainly of molasses, fatback, and cornbread.
The ____________ of the state’s most rural counties made the support of even minimal education
standards _______________.
Few rural clinics, ________________, or health care workers.
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So what was the economy like for the rest of the U.S.A.? The “Roaring 20’s”
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For the _____________ and ________________, the 1920’s in the United States had been a time of
excitement and for many _______________________.
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This was called “THE _________________________.
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Mass production of consumer goods like the refrigerator, telephones, toasters, baby food, and sliced
bread encouraged the economy to grow.
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Businesses grew when consumers started to use _____________ to pay for goods and services.
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____________: the ability of a customer to obtain goods or services before payment, based on the trust
that payment will be made in the future.
What else was happening during the “Roaring Twenties?”
 1927 was the year of first talking motion picture.
 Walt Disney creates Mickey Mouse!
 Gas stoves were introduced.
 The ___ _______________________ passes and _________________ have the right to __________!
 Many (but not all) Americans were enjoying new freedoms.
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What was life like for African-Americans in the south during the 1920’s and 1930’s?
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While many Americans were enjoying their new freedoms, life was still difficult for AfricanAmericans in the south.
_________________ laws still denied African- Americans equal opportunities:
Economically
Politically
Socially
The Great Migration
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The drought, along with the impact of the boll weevil, led to the _____________________:
southern _____________ tenant famers leaving the South to migrate north for work.
Lesson Essential Question # 2: What factors led to the Great Depression and how did it impact Georgia?
The Great Depression- Factors
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Too
much
credit
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By 1930, Georgia and other parts of the country began to see an economic down turn that
leads to the _______
. This was caused by several factors.
Over
Production
Stock
Market
CrashAKABlack
Tuesday
The Great Depression Continued: Living Through the Depression
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________________________: Stock market prices fall greatly; millions of people lost all
of their wealth. This was October 29, 1929.
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__________: 13 million unemployed
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9,000 __________ closed
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_____Georgia banks failed.
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_____________________: named for President Hoover – shacks where homeless people
gathered.
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Soup kitchens set up by ________________ and governments to feed hungry.
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________________were often forced to close or shorten schedules.
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Georgians were already ______________ from economic problems before Black
Tuesday.
Ticket out the Door
Summary:
1. What two factors led to Georgia’s agricultural problems during the Roaring Twenties?
2. Explain how those two factors impacted Georgia.
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Lesson Essential Question # 3: How did the New Deal programs impact Georgia and American society?
The New Deal
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_______: Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President.
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New Deal: Roosevelt’s plan to end the depression through government ______________ and support.
o Examined ________ for soundness
o Give __________ to unemployed workers
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Paved the way for _______________, though all programs did not work
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New Deal Programs and their Impact
CCC – Civilian Conservation Corps: New Deal government agency that hired ______________ men
ages ______________as well as war _____________ of all ages to work on environmental conservation
projects such as national parks, sewer systems, and bridges.
o Impact – Provided ___________ for many unemployed citizens. It worked very well in Georgia
due to so much rural land and unemployed farmers due to the boll weevil problem.
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AAA – Agricultural Adjustment Act: Law passed by congress to pay farmers to grow and _________
to grow certain crops. This was an effort by the government to ____________ farm prices by paying
farmers to change from growing cotton to produce more diverse crops.
o Subsidies – Payments made to _________________ by the government as incentive to produce
or not produce certain crops.
o Impact – Encouraged farmers to produce crops such as peanuts, corn, livestock, and not grow _________.
Today, Georgia is a leading producer of those crops, as well as peaches, poultry, and chicken.
New Deal Programs and their Impact (cont’d)
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REA – Rural Electrification Administration: New Deal program that provided __________ to people
in _________ areas.
o Impact – Within _____ years most farms and people that lived in rural areas had electricity.
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SSA – Social Security Act: Anew deal program that provided _______________ pay and other
government benefits such as unemployment insurance to workers. The SSA was created to aid the
____________ or _________________ Americans who otherwise relied on the charity of others.
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The act passed in ______ despite the opposition from then Georgia Governor Eugene
_________________.
o Impact – People now had a government backed retirement and help if they lost their _______.
o Fact – Social Security is the ________ New Deal program still in effect today.
African- Americans during the New Deal
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Did _______ benefit from many New Deal programs
WPA: Works Public Administration – did employ many ___________________________
Roosevelt’s “Black Cabinet”: _____________ African-Americans working with President Roosevelt.
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Georgia’s New Deal Governors
 Richard B. ______________
o Worked to ______________ state government like a successful business
o Elected to U.S. Senate and served for ______ years
 __________ Talmadge
o Did not like New Deal programs in Georgia
 Eurith “_______” Rivers
o Worked with Roosevelt to increase New Deal ______________ in Georgia
o Began programs for public _____________
o Term ended with __________________ problems.
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Georgia’s New Deal Governors (cont’d)
Talmadge re-elected in _____________
o Began to use some __________ __________ programs
Used his ____________ as governor to remove state officials working to _____________ Georgia’s
state colleges.
Ellis ______________
o Reformed Board of Regents and state ______________
o Removed ___________ tax
o New state _________________
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