America in 1934

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America in 1934

In the Midwest, farmers were losing their land to mortgage foreclosures. American tourist deaths were attributed to a terrorist attack. A president known for his effective use of the media governed the United States. The U.S. cooperated in a change of government in the Philippines. Parents and churches criticized motion pictures for eroding American morals. And Appalachian State, after setting a new enrollment record, received favorable publicity in a national magazine. Sound familiar? Think again; you're 55 years off. The year was 1934 in the U.S.A.

The Federal Emergency Relief Administration, part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, provided relief funds to just under seventeen million Americans to offset "the hardships and suffering caused by unemployment" in the Great Depression. Leading the state relief parade was North Dakota, 34% of whose population received federal funds. In New York just under two million were on the dole (Lyman 71-72). By manipulating gold and silver prices, President Roosevelt hoped to cut Depression inflation. The Gold Reserve Act established a maximum limit of 60% for the gold value of the U.S. dollar. It allowed the President to set the price of gold at $35 per ounce. The Silver Purchase Act directed the Secretary of the Treasury to buy silver until the metal reached 25% of U.S. money reserves or until its price reached $1.29 per ounce (Leuchtenburg 13).

On 9 February President Roosevelt ended all government air mail contracts with airlines and ordered the Army to fly the mails. Roosevelt took this measure to deprive commercial airlines of scandalously high financial arrangements, but his plans failed because of the Army Air Corps' inability to handle the job. After the ...

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...t Record at A.S.T.C." Watauga Democrat 4 Oct. 1934: 1.

"Normal Child." Time 27 Aug. 1934: 50.

"North Carolina Builds Shrine to First Colony." New York Times 1 July 1934: 18.

Old Gold. Advertisement. (Raleigh) News and Observer 13 June 1934: 14.

"Poor White's Art." Time 10 Sept. 1934: 33.

Phillips, Cabell. The New York Times Chronicle of American Life: From the Crash to the Blitz 1929-1939. New York: Mac Millan, 1969.

"Receive Honorary Degrees." (Raleigh) News and Observer 13 June 1934: 1.

Reichler, Joseph L., ed. The Baseball Encyclopedia. 4th ed. New York: Mac Millan, 1979.

Shale, Richard, comp. Academy Awards. New York: Ungar, 1978.

"Ruth's Record of 700 Home Runs Likely to Stand for All Time in Major Leagues." New York Times 14 July 1934: 8.

"Sophisticates Abroad." Time 16 April 1934: 77.

Stern Brothers. Advertisement. New York Times 1 July 1934: 10.

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