Letter from Sam A. Danner to Governor Ibra C. Blackwood, 25 February 1931
Document Description:
This letter was written by Sam. A Danner, a pastor from Orangeburg to Governor Ibra C. Blackwood on February 25, 1931 to explain to the Governor why Mr. Danner is involved in the fight for tax relief. He says that many people in his area and congregation do not have enough money to pay their taxes. He explains how the people need money for food, their crops, their car licenses, and more. There has been a deferment to pay taxes until May 1, but he questions what good that will do. Mr. Danner himself will not be able to keep his land and pay taxes on it. He writes that he would “rather be a co-op in Russia than a Kulak in South Carolina.” He feels that if the Governor helps in this matter, Blackwood will be “the common peoples idol.” He ends urging the Governor to adopt the Manifesto endorsed by the Tax-Payer’s League.
Citation:
Danner, Sam A. to Governor Ibra C. Blackwood, 25 February 1931. Governor Blackwood Papers, Alphabetical Correspondence 1931-1933. S539020 Box 1: 1931 A-F. South Carolina Department of History and Archives, Columbia, South Carolina.
Correlating SC Social Studies Academic Standards:
Standard 3-5: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the major developments in South Carolina in the late nineteenth century and the twentieth century.
Indicator 3-5.5 Explain the effects of the Great Depression and the New Deal on daily life in South Carolina, including the widespread poverty and unemployment and the role of the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Standard 5-4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the economic boom-and-bust in America in the 1920s and 1930s, its resultant political instability, and the subsequent worldwide response
Indicator 5-4.2 Summarize the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression, including economic weakness, unemployment, failed banks and businesses, and migration from rural areas.
Standard 8-6: The student will demonstrate an understanding of South Carolina’s development during the early twentieth century.
Indicator 8-6.5 Explain the effects of the Great Depression and the lasting impact of New Deal programs on South Carolina, including the Rural Electrification Act, the Civilian Conservation Corps, Works Progress Administration and Public Works Administration building projects, the Social Security Act, and the Santee Cooper electricity project.
Standard USHC-7: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the economic boom-and-bust in America in the 1920s and 1930s, its resultant political instability, and the subsequent worldwide response.
Indicator USHC-7.4 Explain the causes and effects of the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression, including the disparity in incomes, limited government regulation, stock market speculation, and the collapse of the farm economy; wealth distribution, investment, and taxes; government policies and the Federal Reserve System; and the effects of the Depression on human beings and the environment.