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History Quiz - USA: 1932-1941 - The Presidential Election Of 1932 And The First New Deal (Questions)

The history of the USA between 1840 and 1975 is one of the subjects covered in GCSE History. The 1930s is one of the periods looked at in this topic and this is the first of two quizzes on the subject. It focusses on Franklyn D. Roosevelt and his first New Deal.

In November 1932 the electorate of the USA faced a clear choice: first, Roosevelt and his Democrats who offered a "New Deal", and second, the Republicans who offered more of the same - in other words to avoid getting the state involved in any attempts to fix the US economy.

Test your knowledge of Roosevelt and his first New Deal for the USA in this quiz.

1. What had been Roosevelt's previous job before becoming President?
[ ] Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
[ ] Head of a private business corporation
[ ] Governor of New York State
[ ] Mayor of New York City
2. Who ran against FDR in 1932 for the Republicans?
[ ] Calvin Coolidge
[ ] Robert Taft
[ ] Herbert Hoover
[ ] Charles Curtis
3. Roosevelt simplified his aims in the First New Deal into the three R's. What did they stand for?
[ ] Recompense, Renewal and Rebirth
[ ] Relief, Recovery and Reform
[ ] Renaissance, Redemption and Revival
[ ] Remedy, Resource and Reformation
4. Roosevelt carried out major reforms in the early period of the First New Deal. What name was given to this heady time?
[ ] The 100 Days
[ ] The Six Weeks War on Poverty
[ ] The Year to Remember
[ ] The Time for Change
5. How did FDR like to communicate to the American people what he was trying to achieve?
[ ] By radio
[ ] By TV
[ ] Through articles in popular newspapers
[ ] By large public meetings on regular tours of the country
6. Some of America's brightest graduates worked for FDR, providing policy advice. What was this group called?
[ ] The Three Wise Men
[ ] The Policy Wonks
[ ] The Treasury Advisory Committee
[ ] The Brain Trust
7. FDR earned early popularity by repealing a measure passed over twenty years before. What name is given to this law?
[ ] Deconstruction
[ ] Prohibition
[ ] Austerity
[ ] The Liquor Law
8. FDR's first statement to the American people concerned the banking crisis. He was especially worried by "bank runs". What are these?
[ ] Banks refusing to let their customers take money out of their accounts
[ ] Banks becoming bankrupt as more and more customers removed their money, causing a frenzy to develop
[ ] Banks refusing to pay interest on any kind of account
[ ] Banks paying customers' deposits into inaccessible foreign accounts
9. Which song did FDR choose as his campaign anthem in 1932?
[ ] "Somewhere over the Rainbow"
[ ] "Oh! What a beautiful morning!"
[ ] "Happy Days are here again!"
[ ] "You'll never walk alone"
10. In the so-called Alphabet Agencies FDR planned to spend federal money on new infrastructure. One - the TVA - was restricted to one state. Which state was this?
[ ] Texas
[ ] Tennessee
[ ] Vermont
[ ] Alabama
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History Quiz - USA: 1932-1941 - The Presidential Election Of 1932 And The First New Deal (Answers)
1. What had been Roosevelt's previous job before becoming President?
[ ] Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
[ ] Head of a private business corporation
[x] Governor of New York State
[ ] Mayor of New York City
FDR came from a wealthy and privileged background in New England. He had, however, developed a strong social conscience, and he was determined to try a new approach to America's problems
2. Who ran against FDR in 1932 for the Republicans?
[ ] Calvin Coolidge
[ ] Robert Taft
[x] Herbert Hoover
[ ] Charles Curtis
Hoover was the incumbent president, but some Republicans felt that he was discredited by the failures of the previous four years
3. Roosevelt simplified his aims in the First New Deal into the three R's. What did they stand for?
[ ] Recompense, Renewal and Rebirth
[x] Relief, Recovery and Reform
[ ] Renaissance, Redemption and Revival
[ ] Remedy, Resource and Reformation
Three alliterative words were repeated regularly by Democrat spokesmen
4. Roosevelt carried out major reforms in the early period of the First New Deal. What name was given to this heady time?
[x] The 100 Days
[ ] The Six Weeks War on Poverty
[ ] The Year to Remember
[ ] The Time for Change
FDR had promised rapid action: now he had to deliver it
5. How did FDR like to communicate to the American people what he was trying to achieve?
[x] By radio
[ ] By TV
[ ] Through articles in popular newspapers
[ ] By large public meetings on regular tours of the country
FDR was a good communicator, but his advisers wondered which would be the best method
6. Some of America's brightest graduates worked for FDR, providing policy advice. What was this group called?
[ ] The Three Wise Men
[ ] The Policy Wonks
[ ] The Treasury Advisory Committee
[x] The Brain Trust
There were other advisers, but this group was youthful and radical in its recommendations
7. FDR earned early popularity by repealing a measure passed over twenty years before. What name is given to this law?
[ ] Deconstruction
[x] Prohibition
[ ] Austerity
[ ] The Liquor Law
This measure had been extremely unpopular, and had not worked. Indeed it had achieved the exact opposite of its supporters' intentions
8. FDR's first statement to the American people concerned the banking crisis. He was especially worried by "bank runs". What are these?
[ ] Banks refusing to let their customers take money out of their accounts
[x] Banks becoming bankrupt as more and more customers removed their money, causing a frenzy to develop
[ ] Banks refusing to pay interest on any kind of account
[ ] Banks paying customers' deposits into inaccessible foreign accounts
If FDR could solve the banking problem, confidence might return to the rest of the economy
9. Which song did FDR choose as his campaign anthem in 1932?
[ ] "Somewhere over the Rainbow"
[ ] "Oh! What a beautiful morning!"
[x] "Happy Days are here again!"
[ ] "You'll never walk alone"
FDR's optimism was catching
10. In the so-called Alphabet Agencies FDR planned to spend federal money on new infrastructure. One - the TVA - was restricted to one state. Which state was this?
[ ] Texas
[x] Tennessee
[ ] Vermont
[ ] Alabama
The federal intention was to boost electricity production and to relieve farmers' poverty