American History by Decade: The 1930s Quiz

Answer: Will Hays

The Production Code, usually referred to as the Hays Code, prohibited American movies from showing licentious nudity, profanity, and ridicule of the clergy, and discouraged showing drug use or men and women in bed together. Hollywood followed the Production Code until 1968 when it was replaced with the current film rating system (rating films as G, PG, R, etc.).

Answer: He spent some of the ransom money at a gas station

Businesses in the area were given a pamphlet with a list of the serial numbers of the ransom bills, and one gas station owner in New York found a match leading to Hauptmann's arrest. Hauptmann always maintained his innocence, and several subsequent investigations have suggested that some of the evidence against him was fabricated.

Answer: Happy Days are Here Again

Hoover was widely detested in 1932 due to the Great Depression and the unpopularity of Prohibition. The Republicans had controlled the White House for the 12 years previous to the election, but the Democrats would hold the presidency for the next 20 years.

Answer: 21st Amendment

The Democrats ran on the issue of repealing the 18th amendment (which had allowed alcohol prohibition) during the election of 1932. Alcohol consumption actually increased in the U.S. during the 12 years of Prohibition. Prohibition was the driving factor that led to the rise of organized crime in America.

Answer: The Civil Works Administration (CWA)

The CWA was charged with giving construction jobs to the unemployed. Other alphabet agencies started during the Roosevelt administration include the AAA, the CCC, the FAA, the FCC, the FDIC, the FHA, the NLRB, the SEC, the SSA, and the TVA (FWIW, IMHO IDK if we need so many bureaucrats, LOL!)

Answer: The Kingfish

The Kingfish was a character on the Amos 'n' Andy radio show. Long was assassinated by the son-in-law of a Louisiana judge who had opposed Long's legal overreaches. Long favored a radical redistribution of wealth and spent lavishly on infrastructure projects in Louisiana. The play "It Can't Happen Here" and the novel "All the King's Men" are both loosely based on Long's career.

Answer: The Colorado River

The Colorado River serves as partial border between Nevada, California, and Arizona. The Hoover Dam created Lake Mead with is the largest reservoir in the United States. The Dam provides irrigation water and hydroelectric power throughout the southwest.

Answer: The Super Chief

The Super Chief followed the old Santa Fe trail for much of its route. It was known for its luxury (air conditioned cars, private bedrooms, and gourmet food) and continued to operate until 1974. Humphrey Bogart, Harry Truman, Jerry Lewis, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, and Dwight Eisenhower were all frequent passengers on the Super Chief.

Answer: Alf Landon

Pollster George H. Gallup was to become famous as a result of the Presidential Election of 1936 when he conducted a poll of 50,000 people which predicted the election results more accurately than the famed Literary Digest poll (using over two million people) which had accurately predicted the previous five presidential elections.

Answer: The Golden Gate Bridge

The Bridge spans the mile wide Golden Gate strait between San Francisco and Marin County. The Golden Gate Bridge was the longest and tallest suspension bridge in the world at the time of its construction. It was originally thought to be too costly to build the bridge, but architect Joseph Strauss came up with a design that cut estimated costs by 80%.