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:
Copyright, USHistoryTeachers.com
All Rights Reserved.
ANSWERS:
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.
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.
Copyright, USHistoryTeachers.com
All Rights Reserved.
Copyright, USHistoryTeachers.com
All Rights Reserved.