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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What inversion of racial relationships happened regarding Robin Langston's father during the Depression?

2. According to a quotation in the Introduction, what was the typical response to receiving a pink slip during the beginning of the Depression?

3. What unorthodox job did Phyllis Mortimer take when her family fell short of money in the 1930's?

4. What industry did Jose Yglesia attempt to unionize?

5. In what war did the Bonus marchers fight?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Bob La Follette?

2. How did Yip Harburg find his way to making music?

3. How did the jazz community take care of its own in the Depression?

4. Why was psychoanalysis largely ineffective in the Depression?

5. What did Arthur Robinson experience after the Wall Street Crash of 1929?

6. What was the purpose of the Bonus March?

7. During the Depression, what did Terkel do instead of becoming a lawyer?

8. How did hobos get by during the Depression?

9. How did Blackie Gold end up maintaining national forests in the 1930's?

10. What does Peggy Terry have to say about race and the Depression?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Franklin Roosevelt administration was a hothouse of young minds and genius fiscal conservatives. Write an essay about the crucible of ideas that this administration fostered. What initial ideas came out of this group, and how were they killed out of the gate? What politicking occurred within the administration, in terms of currying favor with the President? What actions did FDR take that alienated huge swaths of his supporters?

Essay Topic 2

Among the strangest interviews in the book are those dedicated to the plight of farmers in the Midwest, in particular the sections regarding reactions to the price of corn. Write an essay about how the fluctuating price of corn led to massive wastes of foodstuffs. What did farmers do in an attempt to boost the price of corn? What other products did they turn to when the price of corn plummeted to absurdly low levels? What absurd and, later, sensible solutions did the United States government offer?

Essay Topic 3

The Great Depression was a time during which the most basic and reliable of systems in the United States failed. Though full-on revolution never broke out in America, dissident movements cropped up regularly. Write an essay about three such movements. What issue or injustice gave rise to this spontaneous act of dissidence? How did the movement grow in strength? What happened that finally put an end to the movement?

Part 1) The Bonus March.

Part 2) The opening night of The Cradle Will Rock.

Part 3) The farmers of Iowa stopping corn deliveries.

(see the answer keys)

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