Study Tool: Chronological Events of the 1932-1939 Era - The New Deal

This chronology attempts to simplify the New Deal. 

( ) = Abbreviation or – if a full name – the proper name, with abbreviation if applicable, that you could use to look up the item if you want more information

 

 

Date

Presidential Election/ Event

Beyond America/ Foreign Policy

Government Institutions

US Land Expansion

US Economic Development

Issue/Organization Development

Political Party Development

1922

 

Italy: Mussolini in power

 

 

 

 

 

1932-11

Herbert Hoover v. F. D. Roosevelt v. Norman Thomas

 

 

 

Dust Bowl in 1930s in high plains

 

 

1933-01

 

Germany: Hitler, Chancellor

20th Amendment ratified – ends March start

 

 

 

 

1933-03

 

“Good neighbor” policy in inaugural address, later repeated at 1933 Pan-American or Montevideo Conference by the Secretary of State

 

 

National “bank holiday”; federal inspection; license by Treasury to reopen (Emergency Banking Relief Act)

 

“fireside chat” to public; “the first hundred days” of special session as method with Congress

1st New Deal starts

1933-03

 

 

 

 

 

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

 

1933-04

 

 

US abandons the gold standard

 

 

 

 

1933-05

 

 

 

 

Relief program, Harry Hopkins – Federal Emergency Relief Administration, FERA)

 

 

1933-05

 

 

 

 

Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)

 

 

1933-05

 

 

 

 

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

 

 

1933-06

 

 

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

 

 

 

 

1933-06

 

 

 

 

Home and farm refinancing[1]

 

 

1933-06

 

 

 

 

National Recovery Administration[2] (NRA)

Public Works Administration (PWA)

 

 

1933-06-16

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special session adjourns

1933-10

 

Panama - joint duties over canal[3]

 

 

 

 

 

1933-11

 

Recognition of Soviet Union

 

 

Civilian Works Administration (CWA), Harry Hopkins[4]

 

 

1933-12

 

 

21st Amendment – repeal of Prohibition[5]

 

 

 

 

1934-00

 

Mexico – resolution of fair compensation for US properties following nationalization[6]

 

 

 

Liberty League formed. Others:

- Share Our Wealth, Huey Long of LA

- Old Age Revolving Pension, Dr. Francis Townsend of CA

- National Union for Social Justice, Father Charles E. Couglin

 

1934-04

 

Nye Commission[7] and isolationism

 

 

 

 

 

1934-05

 

Platt Amendment renounced (once friendly government in place and with Guantánamo secure)

 

 

 

 

 

1934-06

 

 

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)[8] established

 

 

 

 

1934-06

 

 

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established

 

 

 

 

1934-06

 

 

Federal Housing Administration (FHA) established

 

 

 

 

1934-11

 

 

 

 

 

 

Democrats – 9 more in House, in Senate

1935-00

 

 

Schechter v. United States – NRA unconstitutional

 

 

 

 

1935-01

 

 

20th Amendment, 1st use

 

 

 

2nd New Deal starts

1935-04

 

 

Soil Conservation Service established in Agriculture Department

 

 

 

 

1935-05

 

Italy: invades Ethiopia

 

 

Resettlement Administration (RA)[9]

 

Huey Long assassinated; Rev. Gerald A. Smith takes over

1935-05

 

 

 

 

Rural Electrification Administration (REA)

 

 

1935-06

 

 

 

 

National Youth Administration (NYA)

 

 

1935-07

 

 

 

 

National Labor Relations Act – Wagner Act

 

 

1935-08

 

Neutrality Act – embargo arms

Social Security established

 

 

 

 

1935-11

 

 

 

 

 

Congress of Industrial Organization (CIO), John L. Lewis formed

 

1936-00 9

 

Germany: reoccupied the Rhineland

Germany, Italy: mutual defense pact

Spanish Civil War

United States v. Butler – AAA unconstitutional

 

 

Olympics in Berlin —Jesse Owens, black – 4 gold medals

Mary McLeod Bethune – NYA, Office of Negro Affairs – “black cabinet”

1936-02

 

Neutrality Act – extended + no loans to belligerents

 

 

 

 

 

1936-11

Alfred M. Landon v. F. D. Roosevelt v. William Lemke

 

 

 

 

 

Endorsement of Lemke’s Union Party by Father Coughlin’s group

1937-01

 

Neutrality Act – no arms with civil wars

 

 

 

 

 

1937-02 +

 

 

Supreme Court, justices to 15 maximum; shift

 

GM sit-down strike; FDR does not send troups

 

 

1937-05

 

 

 

 

Republic Steel – 10 strikers shot

 

 

1937-11+

 

Panay incident with Japan in China

 

 

Recession – renew relief

 

Southern Democrats shift Republican

1938-00 9

 

Germany: takes Sudetenland; Munich – Chamberlain

 

 

 

Heavyweight title –Joe Louis, black, beats Max Schmeling, German

 

1938-06

 

 

Fair Labor Standards Act

 

 

 

 

1938-10

 

 

 

 

 

“War of the Worlds,” Orson Welles

 

1938-11

 

 

 

 

 

 

Republican increases

1938-11

 

Kristallnacht

 

 

 

 

 

1939-04

 

 

 

 

 

Marian Anderson, Lincoln Center

 


 

Copyright C. J. Bibus, Ed.D. 2003-2013

 

WCJC Department:

History – Dr. Bibus

Contact Information:

281.239.1577 or bibusc@wcjc.edu

Last Updated:

2013

WCJC Home:

http://www.wcjc.edu/

 

 

 



[1] If you ever need to look this up:

Legislation for homes= Home Owners Refinancing Corporation (1933-06), Home Owners Loan Act (1934-04)

Legislation for farms = Farm Credit Act (1933-06), Farm Mortgage Refinancing Act (1934-01)

[2] If you ever need to look this up, actual legislation is called the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA). It creates the NRA and the PWA.

[3] If you ever need to look this up, the formal treaty on this not until 1939.

[4] This agency can get confusing, but it does the same type of thing throughout:

§         From 1933-1934 (winter season), it lasts under a ˝ year. 180,000 projects; $933M, with $740M on salaries or wages.

§         In 1934, it comes back as a program.

§         In 1935, it becomes the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

[5] Earlier access to 3.2% beer and wine happened in March 1933 (Beer-Wine Revenue Act).

[6] If you ever need to look this up, this situation is not resolved until 1939.

[7] Lasts until 1936.

[8] There is an earlier law on securities in May 1933. It required disclosure of information on any new stock offering made to the public. This was a Federal Trade Commission task that was later transferred to the SEC when it was created.

[9] If you ever need to look this up, the Resettlement Administration will in 1937 be under the Farm Security Administration.