Great Depression and WW2 (1929 -1940)

Louisiana was deeply affected by the Great Depression when cotton, sugar, oil, and timber values plummeted in addition to the crippling of the port in New Orleans with the precipitous decline in foreign trade.

The events that followed are displayed below.

Early 1929

America was not as afflicted by the economic downturn in the early 1920s as Europe and the rest of the world. However, restrictive trade policies, unregulated speculation, dropping real wages, and the crises of overproduction in industry and agriculture combined to weaken the American economy's soundness by the end of the decade. Farm income declined by two-thirds. (Great Depression in Louisiana, 2022)

1930

The oil and natural gas industry, though more resilient than manufacturing, nonetheless endured a slowdown in production that necessitated cutbacks and layoffs.(Great Depression in Louisiana, 2022)

1930–1931

Drought had uprooted tens of thousands of field laborers and their families (as well as many more from surrounding states), the majority of whom had yet to establish a permanent position in Louisiana society. New Orleans had some of the harshest effects of the Depression, with at least 10,000 unemployed workers recorded by the census.(Great Depression in Louisiana, 2022)

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1931-1932

To deal with the pressures of public assistance, the city (New Orleans) organized a Welfare Committee in early 1931 and generated more than $500,000 from private sources. When this money ran out in 1932, municipal leaders proposed a $750,000 bond issue, but this was also insufficient to deal with the large number of unemployed people and their families.(Great Depression in Louisiana, 2022)

New capitol is completed in Baton Rouge in 1932

1933

Following President Franklin D. Roosevelt's (FDR) election victory over Herbert Hoover the previous fall, the New Deal arrived in Louisiana in the spring of 1933. Long attempted to minimize the New Deal's influence because he was concerned about the federal government intruding in Louisiana politics. As FDR routed more and more finances and patronage through the political opposition, the "anti-Longs," his efforts grew. During the mid-1930s, several states saw a significant influx of federal funds.(Great Depression in Louisiana, 2022)

1934

On May 23, law enforcement officers and posse members gun down outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow at the Jamestown-Sailes Highway, roughly eight miles from Gibsland. (Ferguson, n.d.)

1935–36

Agricultural Reform:Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) During the "second New Deal," FDR focused his efforts more sharply on relief. (New Deal in Louisiana, 2022)

1937

Agricultural income in the state climbed gradually throughout the 1930s, from $170 million in 1929 to $59 million in 1932, as large planters and farmers diversified their crops, industrialized their operations, and lessened their reliance on manual labor. (New Deal in Louisiana, 2022)

1939

By mid-1939, the PWA had spent more than $79 million on various projects, including the expansion of the Barksdale military base outside Shreveport, the construction of Charity Hospital and the Huey P. Long Bridge in New Orleans, and the construction of classrooms, offices, shops, and other facilities at Louisiana's major colleges and universities. The PWA constructed and renovated about 400 structures throughout the state, including municipal buildings, community centers, courthouses, and airports.(New Deal in Louisiana, 2022)

Political scandals force resignation of Governor Richard W. Leche.(Ferguson, n.d.)

Between 1937 and 1940

Long's successors, including Governor Richard Leche and New Orleans Mayor Bob Maestri, proposed to withdraw their late leader's contentious Share Our Wealth policy in exchange for full support for FDR and the New Deal. In exchange, FDR pledged federal funds for public works projects in Louisiana, a deal dubbed the "second Louisiana Purchase" by many.(New Deal in Louisiana, 2022)

1940

Sam Jones and reform forces hand the long machine its first political defeat in over a decade.

(Ferguson, n.d.)

The United States Army chose Central Louisiana for a series of training exercises known as "Louisiana Maneuvers." During the war, Louisiana was home to over 30 military sites. ( Alta , John Franks Foundation)

And that's all Folks!

References

Great Depression in Louisiana. (2022, October 27). 64 Parishes. https://64parishes.org/entry/great-depression-in-louisiana

Ferguson, J. (n.d.). Louisiana History Timeline: Louisiana Important Dates and Events. Copyright 2004-2022 Joseph L Ferguson (eRD) - All Rights Reserved. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://www.ereferencedesk.com/resources/state-history-timeline/louisiana.html

New Deal in Louisiana. (2022, February 24). 64 Parishes. https://64parishes.org/entry/new-deal-in-louisiana

The Alta and John Franks Foundation. The Pelican State Goes to War: Louisiana in World War II. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/sites/default/files/2017-12/Pelican%20State%20Curriculum%20FINAL.pdf