The Great Depression (College Board AP® US History): Flashcards

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Cards in this collection (13)

  • The stock market crashed on October   , 1929, a day known as Black Tuesday.

    The stock market crashed on October 29, 1929, a day known as Black Tuesday.

  • Define stock market.

    The stock market is where investors buy and sell shares, which are pieces of ownership in companies.

  • Define over-speculation.

    Over-speculation is buying stocks on the assumption that prices will keep rising, rather than on the companies' real value.

  • Define buying on the margin.

    Buying on the margin is borrowing money from banks or brokers to buy stocks, paying only a small percentage upfront.

  • Why did buying on the margin cause ruin when prices fell?

    Investors could not repay their loans, leading to widespread financial ruin.

  • Define overproduction.

    Overproduction is when farms and factories produce more goods than people can afford to buy, causing prices to drop.

  • How did high consumer debt weaken the economy?

    Many Americans had borrowed heavily for homes, cars, and household goods and were unable to repay their loans.

  • How did the Smoot-Hawley Tariff (1930) hurt the economy?

    It made imported goods expensive, hurting international trade.

  • True or False?

    During the Great Depression, 25% of the US workforce lost their jobs.

    True.

    Nearly 13 million workers lost their jobs as businesses closed after the stock market crash.

  • Why did thousands of banks collapse after the crash?

    Loans to investors and businesses could not be repaid, and millions of Americans lost their life savings.

  • How did the collapse of consumer confidence worsen the Depression?

    Americans stopped spending and investing, so businesses failed, causing more unemployment and closures.

  • Define Hooverville.

    A Hooverville was a makeshift shantytown built by people who lost their homes during the Depression, named after President Herbert Hoover, who was blamed for failing to address the crisis.

  • True or False?

    Americans who kept their jobs after the stock market crash saw their wages stay roughly the same.

    False.

    For those still employed, wages dropped by nearly 50%, forcing many into poverty.

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