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The Great Depression was not just an economic downturn—it was a global cataclysm that reshaped the very foundations of modern society. From the stock market crash of October 1929 to...
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The Great Depression was not just an economic downturn—it was a global cataclysm that reshaped the very foundations of modern society. From the stock market crash of October 1929 to the dust bowl storms that ravaged the American Great Plains, this show explores the decade-long crisis that plunged millions into poverty and transformed politics worldwide. Lucas and Luna guide listeners through the breadlines of New York, the shantytowns of 'Hoovervilles,' and the drought-stricken fields of Oklahoma. They examine the policy failures of Herbert Hoover, the radical experiments of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, and the rise of extremist ideologies in Europe, where the Depression fueled Hitler's ascent. The show also delves into the human stories: migrant families on Route 66, labor strikes in Detroit, and the forgotten farmers who abandoned their land. By tracing the Depression's impact on art, culture, and global alliances, the series reveals how economic collapse can upend political systems and why its lessons remain urgent today. Did the New Deal save capitalism, or merely postpone its reckoning? Join the conversation.
#GreatDepression #NewDeal #DustBowl #StockMarketCrash #HerbertHoover #FDR #Hooverville #Breadline #SmootHawley #BlackTuesday #Okies #GrapesOfWrath #SocialSecurity #FDIC #1930s #History #WorldHistory #FexingoHistory
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#GreatDepression #NewDeal #DustBowl #StockMarketCrash #HerbertHoover #FDR #Hooverville #Breadline #SmootHawley #BlackTuesday #Okies #GrapesOfWrath #SocialSecurity #FDIC #1930s #History #WorldHistory #FexingoHistory
The Great Depression: The Economic Collapse That Changed Politics — Fexingo History
The Great Depression: The Economic Collapse That Changed Politics — Fexingo History
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13 MAY 2026 · In 1932, as the Great Depression tightened its grip on rural America, a desperate and often violent movement emerged to stop the wave of farm foreclosures. This episode tells the story of the Farmers' Holiday Association, led by Milo Reno, a fiery populist from Iowa. Learn how farmers blocked roads, dumped milk, and threatened auctioneers to demand a 'farmers' holiday' from selling their produce below cost. The movement spread across the Midwest, with 'penny auctions' where neighbors bid pennies for foreclosed farms and returned them to their owners. We explore the forgotten leaders like Milo Reno, the violent protests in Nebraska and Wisconsin, and the surprising echoes of Shays' Rebellion. The episode also covers the government's response, including the Frazier-Lemke Farm Bankruptcy Act and the Resettlement Administration. A raw, grassroots revolt that reshaped New Deal agricultural policy.
#GreatDepression #FarmForeclosure #FarmersHolidayAssociation #MiloReno #PennyAuction #FrazierLemkeAct #ResettlementAdministration #Iowa #Nebraska #Wisconsin #MilkDumping #AgrarianRevolt #NewDeal #1930sHistory #RuralAmerica #DepressionEra #USHistory #FexingoHistory #DustBowl #StockMarketCrash Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-great-depression-the-economic-collapse-that-changed-politics-fexingo-history--6985372/support.
12 MAY 2026 · This episode explores how the Great Depression reshaped American politics by forging the New Deal coalition — a diverse alliance of urban workers, Southern whites, African Americans, farmers, and intellectuals that dominated U.S. politics for decades. We focus on the 1936 presidential election, where Franklin D. Roosevelt won 46 of 48 states against Alf Landon. Key figures like labor leader John L. Lewis, who poured $500,000 from the CIO into FDR's campaign; African American organizer Mary McLeod Bethune, who mobilized Black voters; and the shifting allegiances of Southern Democrats, who initially supported the New Deal but grew wary of federal power. We also touch on the role of political machines like Chicago's Kelly-Nash organization and the rise of the American Labor Party in New York. The episode examines how FDR's 'Forgotten Man' speech at the 1932 Democratic Convention crystallized a new political identity that united disparate groups against the 'economic royalists.' This realignment set the stage for the modern Democratic Party and the welfare state.
#GreatDepression #NewDeal #FDR #1936Election #AlfLandon #JohnLLewis #MaryMcLeodBethune #ForgottenMan #DemocraticParty #PoliticalRealignment #AmericanLaborParty #SouthernDemocrats #CIO #LaborHistory #USPolitics #FexingoHistory #Election1936 #CoalitionPolitics #DustBowl #StockMarketCrash Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-great-depression-the-economic-collapse-that-changed-politics-fexingo-history--6985372/support.
Transcribed
12 MAY 2026 · While the Great Depression devastated millions of American lives, the film industry initially seemed immune — but by 1933, movie attendance had plummeted, studios teetered on bankruptcy, and one desperate move saved it all: the double feature. This episode follows the birth of the double bill at the Paramount Theatre in New York, the rise of B-movies and genre pictures like gangster films and musicals, and the strategic innovations that kept the silver screen alive. We look at how the Hays Office morality code tightened its grip, the role of Depression-era stars like Mae West and Shirley Temple, and how theaters offered a nickel's worth of escape from breadlines and dust bowls. We also touch on the controversial practice of 'bank nights' and dish giveaways that lured in cash-strapped audiences, and the surprising survival of independent theaters in the South. Finally, we explore how 1930s cinema shaped American identity and created a blueprint for resilience that the industry still follows.
#GreatDepression #Hollywood #DoubleFeature #MaeWest #ShirleyTemple #HaysCode #Bmovies #GangsterFilms #MotionPictureHistory #DepressionEra #ParamountTheatre #NickelMovie #BankNight #ClassicFilm #1930sCinema #FexingoHistory #History #AmericanHistory #NewDeal #DustBowl Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-great-depression-the-economic-collapse-that-changed-politics-fexingo-history--6985372/support.
Transcribed
11 MAY 2026 · In the spring of 1932, thousands of World War I veterans and their families converged on Washington, D.C., demanding immediate payment of a bonus not due until 1945. This episode follows the Bonus Army's journey, their encampment in Anacostia Flats, and the violent eviction ordered by President Hoover. We explore the leadership of Walter W. Waters, the role of the D.C. police and General Douglas MacArthur, and the long-term political fallout that helped seal Hoover's defeat. The episode also touches on the ephemeral 'Bonus Bill' that passed the House but failed in the Senate, and the symbolic impact of the veterans' treatment on the 1932 election. A pivotal moment in the Great Depression that reshaped American politics.
#BonusArmy #GreatDepression #HerbertHoover #DouglasMacArthur #WalterWWaters #AnacostiaFlats #BonusExpeditionaryForce #WorldWarIVeterans #1932 #WashingtonDC #Hoovervilles #PatmanBill #BonusMarchers #VeteransRights #NewDeal #History #FexingoHistory #USHistory #DustBowl #StockMarketCrash Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-great-depression-the-economic-collapse-that-changed-politics-fexingo-history--6985372/support.
Transcribed
11 MAY 2026 · In the depths of the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration put millions of Americans to work building bridges, roads, schools, and parks. But the WPA did far more than pave highways—it employed artists, writers, and musicians to document the nation's soul, from the Federal Writers' Project guidebooks to the iconic posters of the Federal Art Project. This episode of Fexingo History explores the WPA's creation in 1935, its controversial legacy, and how it reshaped the country's physical and cultural landscape. We look at the Civilian Conservation Corps, the National Youth Administration, and the clash with conservative critics who called it a boondoggle. With FDR's push for 'work relief' over direct handouts, the WPA became a defining experiment in government intervention. Join Lucas and Luna as they unpack the story of the WPA—and the workers who built a nation in crisis, including the artists who gave us murals still standing today.
#WPA #GreatDepression #NewDeal #WorkRelief #FDR #FederalArtProject #FederalWritersProject #HarryHopkins #CivilianConservationCorps #NationalYouthAdministration #Infrastructure #AmericanArt #CulturalLegacy #1930s #PublicWorks #History #FexingoHistory #DepressionEra #DustBowl #StockMarketCrash Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-great-depression-the-economic-collapse-that-changed-politics-fexingo-history--6985372/support.
Transcribed
10 MAY 2026 · In 1930s Hollywood, as the Great Depression tightened its grip, a surprising number of film stars—including Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, and John Barrymore—fled to Europe to escape income taxes, studio contracts, and public scrutiny. But this 'Hollywood Exodus' wasn't just about luxury: it reshaped the film industry, prompted the creation of the Screen Actors Guild, and even led to a bizarre tax haven in Nevada. This episode dives into the forgotten story of how the Depression drove America's biggest stars overseas, the government's crackdown, and the lasting impact on cinema.
#GreatDepression #HollywoodExodus #MarleneDietrich #GretaGarbo #JohnBarrymore #ScreenActorsGuild #NevadaTaxHaven #1930sCinema #TaxAvoidance #HollywoodHistory #FilmIndustry #DepressionEra #FexingoHistory #History #AmericanHistory #EntertainmentHistory #Expatriates #CelebrityCulture #NewDeal #DustBowl Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-great-depression-the-economic-collapse-that-changed-politics-fexingo-history--6985372/support.
Transcribed
10 MAY 2026 · In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the story of the Black Cabinet, an unofficial group of African American advisors who shaped New Deal policies during the Great Depression. Led by Mary McLeod Bethune, the cabinet included figures like William H. Hastie, Robert C. Weaver, and Eugene Kinckle Jones. Operating from the National Youth Administration, they fought to ensure that federal relief programs reached Black communities. The episode covers their internal conflicts, their negotiations with FDR, and the symbolic importance of Bethune's meetings with Eleanor Roosevelt at the White House. It also examines the limits of the Black Cabinet's influence, as many New Deal programs still excluded Black workers. A focused look at how racial politics intersected with economic crisis.
#GreatDepression #BlackCabinet #MaryMcLeodBethune #NewDeal #FDR #EleanorRoosevelt #WilliamHHastie #RobertCWeaver #NationalYouthAdministration #FederalCouncilofNegroAffairs #HaroldIckes #AubreyWilliams #BlackHistory #1930s #USHistory #RacialEquity #History #FexingoHistory #DustBowl #StockMarketCrash Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-great-depression-the-economic-collapse-that-changed-politics-fexingo-history--6985372/support.
Transcribed
9 MAY 2026 · In 1937, the steel industry became the proving ground for the new Congress of Industrial Organizations. This episode dives into the brutal 'Little Steel' strike, pitting the CIO's Steel Workers Organizing Committee against Republic Steel, Bethlehem Steel, and others. We explore the Memorial Day Massacre in Chicago, where police fired on unarmed strikers, killing ten. Learn about the role of SWOC leader Philip Murray, the company's use of spies and strikebreakers, and how the struggle ultimately led to the unionization of big steel. The episode also touches on the National Labor Relations Board's response and the legacy of the conflict for American labor.
#GreatDepression #LaborHistory #CIO #SteelStrike1937 #MemorialDayMassacre #PhilipMurray #RepublicSteel #SWOC #LittleSteel #IndustrialUnionism #1930s #AmericanHistory #NewDeal #LaborUnrest #ChicagoHistory #SteelWorkers #FexingoHistory #History #DustBowl #StockMarketCrash Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-great-depression-the-economic-collapse-that-changed-politics-fexingo-history--6985372/support.
Transcribed
9 MAY 2026 · In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore a largely forgotten labor uprising: the 1931-32 coal miners' strikes in Harlan County, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. They dive into the brutal conditions that led miners to rebel against the coal companies, the violent suppression by mine guards and local law enforcement, the role of the Communist-led National Miners Union (NMU), and the famous 'Harlan County War.' Lucas recounts the story of Jock Yablonski, a young miner who would later become a reform leader, and the impact of the strike on the New Deal's labor policies. The episode also covers the use of 'yellow-dog contracts,' the Battle of Evarts, and the legendary folk songs of Aunt Molly Jackson. A gripping tale of resistance and tragedy that reshaped American labor.
#GreatDepression #HarlanCounty #CoalMiners #LaborHistory #JockYablonski #NationalMinersUnion #BattleOfEvarts #YellowDogContracts #AuntMollyJackson #1932 #Kentucky #Pennsylvania #CoalStrike #NewDeal #FexingoHistory #AmericanHistory #LaborStrike #UnionHistory #DustBowl #StockMarketCrash Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-great-depression-the-economic-collapse-that-changed-politics-fexingo-history--6985372/support.
Transcribed
8 MAY 2026 · While most histories of the New Deal focus on industrial workers and Dust Bowl farmers, this episode of The Great Depression turns to the often-overlooked story of Native American communities. Lucas and Luna explore the Indian New Deal, the brainchild of reformer John Collier. As Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Collier pushed through the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, reversing decades of forced assimilation and land allotment under the Dawes Act. The episode delves into the Meriam Report of 1928, which exposed catastrophic poverty and cultural erasure on reservations. It also examines the creation of the Navajo Code Talkers program—born from a Depression-era jobs initiative—and the fierce opposition Collier faced from both white conservatives and some Native leaders like the Navajo Council. The conversation touches on the Indian Civilian Conservation Corps, the establishment of tribal governments under the IRA, and the lasting legacy of this ambitious but controversial experiment in indigenous self-determination. Listeners will come away with a fresh understanding of how the Great Depression reshaped not just American capitalism, but also the relationship between the federal government and the continent's first peoples.
#GreatDepression #NewDeal #IndianNewDeal #JohnCollier #IndianReorganizationAct #DawesAct #MeriamReport #NavajoCodeTalkers #NativeAmericanHistory #BureauOfIndianAffairs #IndianCivilianConservationCorps #TribalSovereignty #1930s #FDR #FederalIndianPolicy #SelfDetermination #History #FexingoHistory #DustBowl #StockMarketCrash Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-great-depression-the-economic-collapse-that-changed-politics-fexingo-history--6985372/support.
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The Great Depression was not just an economic downturn—it was a global cataclysm that reshaped the very foundations of modern society. From the stock market crash of October 1929 to...
show more
The Great Depression was not just an economic downturn—it was a global cataclysm that reshaped the very foundations of modern society. From the stock market crash of October 1929 to the dust bowl storms that ravaged the American Great Plains, this show explores the decade-long crisis that plunged millions into poverty and transformed politics worldwide. Lucas and Luna guide listeners through the breadlines of New York, the shantytowns of 'Hoovervilles,' and the drought-stricken fields of Oklahoma. They examine the policy failures of Herbert Hoover, the radical experiments of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, and the rise of extremist ideologies in Europe, where the Depression fueled Hitler's ascent. The show also delves into the human stories: migrant families on Route 66, labor strikes in Detroit, and the forgotten farmers who abandoned their land. By tracing the Depression's impact on art, culture, and global alliances, the series reveals how economic collapse can upend political systems and why its lessons remain urgent today. Did the New Deal save capitalism, or merely postpone its reckoning? Join the conversation.
#GreatDepression #NewDeal #DustBowl #StockMarketCrash #HerbertHoover #FDR #Hooverville #Breadline #SmootHawley #BlackTuesday #Okies #GrapesOfWrath #SocialSecurity #FDIC #1930s #History #WorldHistory #FexingoHistory
show less
#GreatDepression #NewDeal #DustBowl #StockMarketCrash #HerbertHoover #FDR #Hooverville #Breadline #SmootHawley #BlackTuesday #Okies #GrapesOfWrath #SocialSecurity #FDIC #1930s #History #WorldHistory #FexingoHistory
Information
| Author | Fexingo |
| Organization | Fexingo |
| Categories | History , Society & Culture , Education |
| Website | www.fexingo.com |
| podcasts@fexingo.com |
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