It was a time of dashed dreams and lost fortunes. But it also proved America's resilience-hardship was met by hope, and tragedy answered with daring plans. From the stock market crash of 1929 to the recovery spurred by the coming of World War II, The Great Depression is an illuminating look at a difficult age. Americans united in the face of despair-escaping their troubles with dance marathons, helping each other out on the hard road from the Dust Bowl to California's "Promised Land," and rallying behind the revolutionary policies of FDR's New Deal. The Great Depression would be useful for classes on American History, American Culture, Political Science, Economics and Civics. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

Desperate Measures

One of the Depression's lowest points came in 1932 when 25,000 World War I veterans marched to Washington and camped along the Potomac River, demanding payment to a promised bonus. President Hoover ordered the Army to remove them, and General Douglas MacArthur did so with tear gas and tanks in the "Battle of Washington." Meanwhile, Louisiana's populist governor, Huey Long, galvanized the poor with his firebrand personality and revolutionary ideas. Desperate Measures shows how the approach of World War II did what all the protests and recovery programs failed to do-end the Great Depression.

Vocabulary

• cue
• eclipsed
• beleaguered
• subsequently
• melee
• odyssey
• improbable
• contingent
• fiasco
• enigma
• authentic
• prominent
• bivouac
• arrogant
• facade
• dirge
• squatters
• coveted
• pompous
• pragmatic

Discussion Questions

1. The Bonus Army marched on Washington in 1932. What was the Bonus Army? Why did it march on Washington? Was the Bonus Army's demands justified? Were their actions justified?
2. The Bonus Army March started out as a peaceful protest and assembly but turned violent. Why did the march turn violent? Was the Bonus Army or the U.S. government to blame?
3. Why did the Depression cause class conflict in America? How were the Bonus Army March and the popularity of Huey Long symptoms of this conflict?
4. How did the Bonus Army March contribute to the fall of President Herbert Hoover?
5. Huey Long, the Populist governor of Louisiana, was a hero to the poor and a demagogue to the upper classes. Why did Huey Long appeal to the working classes? Why did the upper classes loathe him?
6. Huey Long, at the very least, was a controversial and complex character in American history. Discuss the political career of Huey Long and debate the pros and cons of his public service. How might your views be influenced by your economic and class position?
7. What is gerrymandering? How is it a political weapon? How did Huey Long use it against his nemesis, Judge Benjamin Pavey?
8. What was the appeal of the Communist Party to some Americans in the 1930s?
9. How did World War II finally end the Depression?

Extended Activities

1. Imagine that you are a radio news reporter during the "Battle of Washington." With the aid of a classmate, conduct an interview with one of the veterans of the Bonus March. Why is he marching? What does he hope to gain?
2. Write an account for a newspaper of the assassination of Huey Long.
3. Interview your older friends and relatives who were alive during the Great Depression. Discuss how they survived the effects of the Depression on themselves and their families, etc.