Utah in the Modern Age

Chapters 11-13, 15

National Parks Fun Facts

In the 1920’s land and water issues were very important in Utah.

Government wanted to protect natural land Built dams and created national parks &

monuments First in the nation: Yellowstone

National Park

More National Park Facts

Utah’s 1st national monument: Natural Bridges National Monument, built in 1908

Utah’s 1st national park: Zion National Park, built in 1918

Utah now has 13 parks & monuments

Newest is the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument opened in 1996

World War I

Cause: Assassination of Austrian Arch-Duke Franz Ferdinand by a Bosnian

Austria declares war on Serbia Alliances ( ally) bring

other countries into the conflict

World War I Utahn’s were aware of the

activity of German U-boats Firing torpedoes into American

merchant ships. Germany is an ENEMY now! Woodrow Wilson declared war in

1917

Utahn’s support the war. Utah residents planted victory

gardens and supported food conservation▪ “wheatless Mondays” and “meatless

Tuesdays” Bought liberty bonds—a loan to

the government.Trench Warfare

The Roaring 20’s

After WWI, life began to get a lot better.

More jobs and money to buy new inventions.

Remembered as women’s short skirts and short hair, fancy clothes and a dance called the Charleston.

Jazz comes to Utah. Utah’s first radio station, KZN, now

KSL began.

1930’s: The Great Depression

Financial panic on Wall Street—New York City.

1929 stock market crash on October 29th, known as Black Tuesday.

Largest selling day of stock. Too many people selling and not enough people buying, prices dropped quickly.

Mad rush to get money out of banks. Banks go broke.

Everyone was affected. No jobs, no money, and not enough food.

The Great Depression

Depression: A period during which business, employment, and stock market values remain at a low level of activity.

Bankrupt: A state of being unable to satisfy financial obligations.

The Depression lasted until 1941 Utah and the nation faced

economic hard times Cause may have been

overproduction of goods and bank failures

Too many people had borrowed money

Utah during the Great Depression

Utah was hit hard by the Great Depression.

High unemployment rate Unemployment rate: The

percentage of the workforce that is not working at any given date.

Uintah and Duchesne counties had 75% unemployment

In 1932 one in every three people in Utah was out of work. 1933 – average yearly income

per Utahn was only $275

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”

People had to make the most of what they had.

Learned to appreciate work and how to be self-sufficient.

Many out-of-work men went on the road to find jobs. Went door to door for food and jobs.

Women also searched for jobs. They were treated very unequally—paid less for the same job.

Drought in 1934 made farming difficult

BUT, Utah recovered faster than rest of the country

How does it end…

Pres. Roosevelt creates WPA: Work Project Administration. Hoover Dam, other jobs for

musicians, artists, etc. World War II

Men needed for the army. Women needed for other jobs.

Depression Prices vs. today

Another World War

People in Utah were dealing with the depression while countries in Europe and Asia were fighting for power and control of land.

Germany, under the dictatorship of Adolf Hitler wanted to become a world power. Invaded many countries - Poland,

France, and Russia Bombed Great Britain Persecuted Jews, put them in

concentration camps & killed them

WWII in Asia

War happening in Asia too

Japan wanted to expand its empire - invaded Manchuria & China

U.S. objected to the takeover of free people Stopped trading oil w/

Japan

Why did the U.S. Join the War?

Germany and Japan were both trying to take over other countries. America didn’t agree with this

but also didn’t want to get involved.

Isolationism

Pearl Harbor in Hawaii was bombed Dec. 7, 1941 and many Americans were killed.

U.S. declared war on Japan. A few days later, Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S.

1940’s: World War II

War brought the country out of the depression. Provided jobs for many Got the economy going again

One year after U.S. joined the war, Utah reached full employment Defense plants & training

centers in Utah

Utahn’s went to war, died in battle Thousands of lives disrupted

Japanese Americans

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor there was discrimination against Japanese Americans

HOMEWORK: Read the Topaz Relocation Camp page in your packet and answer the questions.

Navajo Code Talkers Japan and the U.S. used codes to keep

secrets. What language do you think they used?

Many Navajos from Utah and Arizona volunteered for the Marine Corps and discovered the advantages of the Navajo language. Different from any Asian or European

language.

Group of Navajos were sent to the Pacific to act as code talkers. They used birds, fish, and other animals to serve as different military terms. The Japanese were so confused.

Total of 350 Navajo Code Talkers