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AP®HistoryCollege BoardUS HistoryExam QuestionsPeriod 7: 1890-1945The Great Depression

The Great Depression (College Board AP® US History): Exam Questions

4 mins4 questions
11 mark

"As I look back on the tragic years since 1929, it seems to me that we as a Nation, not unlike some individuals, have been able to pass through a bitter experience to emerge with a newfound insight and maturity. We have had the courage to face our problems and find a way out. The heedless optimism of the boom years is past. We now stand ready to build the future with sanity and wisdom."

Frances Perkins (Roosevelt’s Secretary of Labor), “Social Insurance for U.S.,” NBC radio broadcast, February 25, 1935

Which of the following economic conditions contributed most directly to the onset of the Great Depression?

  • Widespread bank failures due to insufficient regulation

  • The collapse of agricultural exports due to World War I

  • Rising levels of federal debt from excessive government spending in the 1920s

  • Overproduction of goods and a reliance on speculative investments

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21 mark

"As I look back on the tragic years since 1929, it seems to me that we as a Nation, not unlike some individuals, have been able to pass through a bitter experience to emerge with a newfound insight and maturity. We have had the courage to face our problems and find a way out. The heedless optimism of the boom years is past. We now stand ready to build the future with sanity and wisdom."

Frances Perkins (Roosevelt’s Secretary of Labor), “Social Insurance for U.S.,” NBC radio broadcast, February 25, 1935

According to Frances Perkins, what psychological shift occurred in American society as a result of the Great Depression?

  • A sense of defeatism that made economic recovery impossible.

  • A loss of trust in democratic institutions and principles.

  • A growth in maturity and realism about economic challenges.

  • A rejection of international cooperation in economic matters.

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31 mark

"As I look back on the tragic years since 1929, it seems to me that we as a Nation, not unlike some individuals, have been able to pass through a bitter experience to emerge with a newfound insight and maturity. We have had the courage to face our problems and find a way out. The heedless optimism of the boom years is past. We now stand ready to build the future with sanity and wisdom."

Frances Perkins (Roosevelt’s Secretary of Labor), “Social Insurance for U.S.,” NBC radio broadcast, February 25, 1935

Frances Perkins's reflection suggest that legacy of the Great Depression for future generations is that it

  •  Fostered a rejection of free-market principles in favor of planned economies

  • Recognized the need for thoughtful and measured economic policies

  • Led to widespread disillusionment with government intervention

  • Emphasized the importance of isolationism in addressing economic crises

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41 mark

"As I look back on the tragic years since 1929, it seems to me that we as a Nation, not unlike some individuals, have been able to pass through a bitter experience to emerge with a newfound insight and maturity. We have had the courage to face our problems and find a way out. The heedless optimism of the boom years is past. We now stand ready to build the future with sanity and wisdom."

Frances Perkins (Roosevelt’s Secretary of Labor), “Social Insurance for U.S.,” NBC radio broadcast, February 25, 1935

 What is a potential limitation of Frances Perkins’s 1935 reflection on the Great Depression?

  • Her perspective is influenced by her role as a key member of the Roosevelt administration

  • She fails to acknowledge the severity of the economic challenges faced by Americans during the Great Depression

  • The account does not provide a firsthand perspective on the initial onset of the Great Depression

  • She portrays the economic recovery as complete, even though the Great Depression was still ongoing

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