Pop CultureDecade: 1930s

The Great Depression

1930◦ Census shows a

16.2% increase in population since the 1920 census.

◦ The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act is passed to protect and promote American goods over foreign imports.

◦ President Herbert Hoover asks Congress to pass a $150 million public works project.

Politics

The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act was sponsored by Senator Reed Smoot and Representative Willis C. Hawley.

1931◦ The Star Spangled Banner, by

Francis Scott Key, is approved by Congress and President Hoover as the national anthem.

◦ State of Nevada legalizes gambling.

1932◦ The Reconstruction Finance

Corporation is established to stimulate banking and business. 12 million workers are unemployed by this time.

◦ Franklin D. Roosevelt wins presidential election against President Hoover. (This is the first of his unprecedented four terms.)

President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the beginning of his first term.

1933◦ FDR starts his Fireside Chats

to address the American public.

◦ The New Deal social and economic programs are passed by the US Congress.

◦ The Civilian Conservation Corps is authorized under the Federal Unemployment Relief Act. It would provide work for two and a half million men during the succeeding nine years and help construct many national parks and other projects across the US.

◦ 21st Amendment is passed, ending prohibition.

1935◦ The Social Security Act if passed by Congress as

part of the New Deal legislation. 1937

◦ William Henry Hastie is appointed to the federal bench, becoming the first African-American federal judge.

1938◦ The National Minimum Wage is signed into law as

part of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The minimum wage was $.25. Additionally, the employment of minors is prohibited.

1939◦ The US declares its neutrality in the European war

after Germany invaded Poland.

1930◦ All Quiet on the Western

Front 1931

◦ Dick Tracy comic strip debuts.

◦ Dracula; Frankenstein 1933

◦ King Kong 1935

◦ Porgy and Bess, the opera by George Gershwin, opens in New York City.

Arts & Entertainment

1936◦ The book Gone with the

Wind is published by Margaret Mitchell.

◦ Modern Times (last Little Tramp)

1937◦ Snow White and the Seven

Dwarfs (1st full length animated feature film)

1938◦ The Adventures of Robin

Hood (Errol Flynn)◦ Orson Welles broadcasts his

War of the Worlds radio drama, causing a nationwide scare.

Gone with the Wind is set in Clayton County, GA and Atlanta during the Civil War and Reconstruction era.

Margaret Mitchell died at the age of 49 in 1949.

1939◦ Gone with the

Wind (Victor Fleming; Clark Gable, and Vivian Leigh)

◦ Stagecoach (first major role for John Wayne)

◦ The Wizard of Oz (Victor Fleming; Judy Garland)

1934◦ The Master’s golf

tournament is held for the first time at Augusta National Golf Club. The first winner of the annual tournament was Horton Smith, at four under par.

1935◦ Babe Ruth retires from

Major League Baseball 1939

◦ Babe Ruth is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the charter class.

Sports

Inventions, Innovations, and Technology 1930

◦ Pluto was discovered by an American astronomer.

◦ Vannevar Bush invents the analog computer while at MIT.

1931◦ Polaroid photography◦ First parking meter◦ Zippo lighter

Vannevar Bush was considered a pioneer in the development of the World Wide Web with his idea for the memex.

1935◦ DuPont Labs invents

nylon 1936

◦ Samuel Colt patents Colt revolver

1939◦ Albert Einstein alerts

FDR to an A-bomb opportunity, which led to the creation of the Manhattan Project.

Events 1930

◦ Construction on the Empire State Building begins. It would be completed in 1931.

1931◦ Al Capone sent to prison

for tax evasion. 1932

◦ High speed elevators are installed at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. These elevators travel 75 stories in one minute.

Upon its completion, the Empire State Building was the tallest building in New York and the world.

1932 cont…◦ Charles

Lindbergh’s son is kidnapped. His body is found two months later not far from his home.

1933◦ Assassination

attempt on FDR 1934

◦ Construction of the Natchez Trace Parkway, a scenic and historic trail between Nashville, TN and Natchez, MS is approved.

1934 cont..◦ Parker Brothers sells

Monopoly◦ Bonnie and Clyde killed◦ Dust Bowl hits American

southwest

1935◦ Bruno Hauptmann was

found guilty of kidnapping and killing Charles Lindbergh’s son.

1936◦ Summer Olympics open

in Berlin, Germany. The star of the games was Jesse Owens, a black American who won four gold medals at the games.

Hitler refused to shake hands with Jesse, even though it was his custom to shake the hands of winners.

1937◦ The German airship

Hindenburg bursts into flames while mooring. The 804 foot long ship is consumed by fire within one minute, killing 36 people.

◦ Golden Gate Bridge opens.◦ The Appalachian Trial is

completed, extending from Maine to Georgia.

◦ Earhart vanishes

1938◦ First commercial flight

over the Atlantic 1939

◦ New York World’s Fair opens for its two year run, bringing in 45 million paid visitors.

◦ The Golden Gate Exposition would be held at the same time with an attendance of over 15 million people.

The effects of the Great Depression began to affect the public and a more conservative approach to fashion displaced the attire of the 1920s.

For women, longer skirts returned and the waist-line returned to its normal position in order to bring back a more traditional “womanly” look.

For men, the popular, bold colors of the 1920s faded into more subdued colors of the 1930s.

Fashion

Abercrombie – a know-it-all Apple – any big town or city Bumping Gums – talk about nothing useful Cave – one’s house or apartment Copper - policeman Dame/doll – woman Dingy – silly Dukes/paws/meat hooks – hands Five-spot/Lincoln - $5 bill Grifter – a con man or woman

Slang

Joe – an average guy Low-down – all the information Off the cob – corny Packing heat – carrying a gun Sawbuck - $10 bill Shake a leg – hurry up Snitch – someone who informs the police Trip for biscuits – a task that yields nothing Wacky – crazy