DEPRESSION, DUST BOWL, AND A NEW DEAL
As the text from the 1930s Celebrate the Century stamp sheet reads:
"By 1933 the average wage was 60 percent less than in 1929 and unemployment had skyrocketed to 25 percent. Dust storms forced many farmers to give up their land.
"Americans escaped harsh realities by playing Monopoly, reading adventures of 'Buck Rogers' and 'Flash Gordon,' and listening to Hoagey Carmichael's 'Stardust.' Popular films included King Kong and It Happened One Night. For the first time, African-American athletes became national idols; Joe Louis in boxing and Jesse Owens in track and field.
"Prohibition was repealed in 1933. President Franklin Roosevelt fought the Great Depression with his New Deal programs. The 'Star-Spangled Banner' was chosen as the national anthem. The Empire State Building rose above the Manhattan skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge spanned the San Francisco Bay. Back on the ground, the parking meter made its first appearance in 1935.
"As the decade closed, many Americans were anxious about the growing war in Europe. New words -- all-star, oops, pizza, and racism -- were entering the American vocabulary."
PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT
Eight days after taking office, President Franklin D. Roosevelt made the first of his radio "fireside chats." As if speaking directly to each listener, he explained complex issues and measures being taken to deal with them.
Question 1:
What was name of the policy that transformed the way the United States applied
the Monroe Doctrine?
The Web site:
You can find the answer to that question at the Franklin D.
Roosevelt page on the White House Web site.
EMPIRE STATE BUILDING
Completed in 1931, New York City's Empire State Building has 103 stories and rises 1,250 feet above the ground. For more than 40 years it was the tallest building in the world.
Question 2:
If you were to walk up to the top of the Empire State
Building, how many steps would you climb?
The Web site: http://www.esbnyc.com/tourism/tourism_history.cfm?CFID=462207&CFTOKEN=64964753
You can find the answer to that question on the "Facts
and Trivia" page of the
official Empire State
Building Web site.
JESSE OWENS, SIX WORLD RECORDS
On the afternoon of May 25, 1935, Ohio State University's track star Jesse Owens was credited with setting five world records and tying another. The following year he went to the Olympics in Munich Germany.
Question 3:
How many Gold Medals did Jesse Owens win during the 1936 Summer Olympics held in
Berlin?
The Web site: http://www.jesseowens.com/
You can find the answer to that question on the official Jesse Owens Web site. Read the
"Jesse Owen's Biography" on that site.
GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE
After more than four years of construction, the Golden Gate Bridge opened to vehicular traffic May 28, 1937. Boasting a 4,200-foot-long main span, the "International Orange" bridge carried the moderate price tag of $35 million.
Question 4:
The Golden Gate Bridge is used by many people on a daily
basis. It's a good thing that the bridge is held together by rivets. How many
rivets are their in the tower of the Golden Gate Bridge?
The Web site: http://www.goldengatebridge.org/research/facts.html
You can find the answer to that question by reading the FAQ's
section on the official Web site of the
Golden Gate Bridge.
AMERICA SURVIVES THE DEPRESSION
Dorothea Lange's 1936 photograph of Native American Florence Owens Thompson symbolizes the courage of Americans as they tried to survive the hard times of the Great Depression.
Question 5:
During the Depression years, people who were lucky enough to have jobs were paid very low
wages. About how much was an accountant paid each week during the Depression? About how
much is an accountant paid each week today?
The Web site: http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-15481_19268_20778-52530--,00.html
You can find the answers to those questions on the Then and
Now: Prices page of the Michigan Historical Museum's Web site. (Do some more
comparing: Study the chart at that Web site to learn what some common store-bought items
cost during the Depression. Check store ads in today's newspapers to see how much those
items cost today.)
THE MONOPLOY GAME
Produced commercially for the first time in 1933, the MonopolyŽ game became the world's most famous board game. In a period of economic depression, players enjoyed amassing fortunes and driving opponents bankrupt.
Question 6:
Charles Darrow is the creator of Monopoly. He handmade the
original versions of the game. How much did he sell each of his handmade
monopoly games for?
The Web site: http://www.adena.com/adena/mo/mo02.htm
You can find the answer to that question on The Authorized Story of Monopoly Web site.
FIRST ISSUE 1936
Established in November 1936, LIFE magazine opened a new era of photojournalism. With limited text, and photographs on almost every page, it expanded our awareness of current events and the human race.
Question 7:
What was pictured on the cover of the very first issue of LIFE magazine, on November 23,
1936?
The Web site:http://www.life.com/Life/lifeclassic.html
You can find the answer to that question by clicking on "Classic Covers" on
the on the LIFE magazine home page.
Just enter the date "November 23, 1936" into the "Cover Collection" search engine and
you will find your answer
there.
HOUSEHOLD CONVENIENCES
Showing faith in new technology, household purchases focused on electric mixers, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, irons, and pop-up toasters. The 1930s also saw the spread of sliced bread and packaged frozen foods.
Question 8:
The pop-up toaster was one of the household conveniences that became commonplace in
kitchens across America in the 1930s. "This amazing new invention makes perfect toast
every time!" proclaimed ads in the Saturday Evening Post. "Without
turning! Without burning!" The pop-up toaster was invented some years before it
became popular. In what year was it invented, and by whom?
The Web site: http://www.toaster.org
You can find the answer to that question on the Toaster
Museum Web site. Just check out the years 1920-1940 in "The Cyber Toaster
Museum."
SUPERMAN ARRIVES 1938
The Man of Steel was the world's first comic book super hero. His sensational powers and dynamic deeds changed forever the content and style of the comic book.
Question 9:
Who were the authors of Superman's adventures in action comics #1?
The Web site:http://www.redboots.net/comics/supe_history.htm
You can find the answer to that question at Superman
- A Hero For Troubled Times. J
FIRST LADY ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
Eleanor Roosevelt was an extremely vocal, active, and influential First Lady. During press conferences for women reporters and in her syndicated column, she championed the rights of women, youths, minorities, and the disadvantaged.
Question 10:
Unlike First Ladies before her, Eleanor Roosevelt spoke her opinions freely in lectures,
radio broadcasts, and in a daily newspaper column. What was her newspaper column called?
The Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/ar32.html
You can find the answer to that question on the Anna Eleanor
Roosevelt Roosevelt page of the official White House Web site.