Explain the impact the Smooth Hawley Tariff had on the Great Depression.(2 points)

Question

Responses

Unemployment dropped to an unprecedented 25 percent decreasing overall production.
Unemployment dropped to an unprecedented 25 percent decreasing overall production.

Hoover campaigned on the tariff's success and swept to victory in the 1932 election.
Hoover campaigned on the tariff's success and swept to victory in the 1932 election.

Countries responded by raising tariffs on American goods, further hurting the American economy.
Countries responded by raising tariffs on American goods, further hurting the American economy.

The United States agreed to lower its tariffs, but only its agricultural exports.

Answer 1

The Smooth Hawley Tariff, enacted in 1930, significantly impacted the Great Depression primarily by inducing retaliatory measures from other countries. As a result of the tariff, which raised duties on hundreds of imported goods to historically high levels, foreign nations began to retaliate by increasing their tariffs on American products. This response led to a decline in international trade and exacerbated the economic downturn, further hurting the American economy.

The other responses listed, such as the claim about unemployment and Hoover's election success, are not accurate in the context of the tariff's impact. Specifically, unemployment did not drop but rather soared during the Great Depression, reaching unprecedented levels, and Hoover did not win a significant victory in the 1932 election; he lost to Franklin D. Roosevelt, who campaigned against the policies of the Hoover administration, including the tariff.

So the most accurate impact of the Smooth Hawley Tariff on the Great Depression is best reflected by the statement: "Countries responded by raising tariffs on American goods, further hurting the American economy."

Answer 2

The stock market crash of 1929(2 points)
Responses

Trigged a chain of events that led to the economic crisis.
Trigged a chain of events that led to the economic crisis.

caused the Great Depression
caused the Great Depression

cause stock prices to increase dramatically.
cause stock prices to increase dramatically.

had no effect on the onset of the Great Depression

Answer 3

The most accurate response regarding the stock market crash of 1929 is that it "triggered a chain of events that led to the economic crisis."

While the crash indeed contributed significantly to the onset of the Great Depression and is often seen as a catalyst for the broader economic collapse, it was not the sole cause of the Great Depression. Many underlying factors, such as overproduction, weak banking systems, and a decline in consumer spending, also played crucial roles. Therefore, while it did help precipitate the economic crisis, saying it "caused the Great Depression" oversimplifies the complexity of the situation.

The incorrect responses are: "cause stock prices to increase dramatically," which is factually false, and "had no effect on the onset of the Great Depression," which overlooks its significant influence on the events that followed.

Answer 4

The Dust Bowl (2 points)
Responses

was caused solely by a bad drought.
was caused solely by a bad drought.

was largely a result of farming practices on the Great Plains.
was largely a result of farming practices on the Great Plains.

caused to dust of the plains to blow as far as Florida.
caused to dust of the plains to blow as far as Florida.

only lasted about a year.

Answer 5

The most accurate response regarding the Dust Bowl is that it "was largely a result of farming practices on the Great Plains."

While the Dust Bowl was indeed exacerbated by severe drought conditions in the 1930s, it was not caused solely by drought. Poor agricultural practices, including over-farming and the removal of native grasses that held the soil in place, contributed significantly to the severe erosion and dust storms.

The other statements are inaccurate:

• The statement that the Dust Bowl "caused the dust of the plains to blow as far as Florida" is exaggerated; while the dust storms did travel long distances, they did not reach as far as Florida.
• The claim that it "only lasted about a year" is incorrect, as the Dust Bowl conditions persisted for nearly a decade, from around 1930 to 1939.
• Lastly, the assertion that it "was caused solely by a bad drought" oversimplifies the situation and ignores the role of human activity in exacerbating the environmental disaster.