New Deal

New Deal

Franklin Roosevelt’s Presidency

Election of 1932

Election of 1932 saw many changes: Democrats took control of Congress – Republicans lose a great deal

of popular support Presidential election – saw the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt

Americans wanted a change – they were in need, and wanted a change from this hands off ideology of Herbert Hoover

Roosevelt’s plan – he put forward ideas focused on: Relief for the poor New Public works programs – government funded building programs

Roosevelt won election in landslide

Roosevelt’s Philosophy

Roosevelt had a great personality for rallying the country. He was handicapped with polio, but he did not let it slow

him down – he worked through his struggles This was symbolic for the struggling nation

Used fireside chats – way for Roosevelt to address the nation in a comfortable way to try to ease fear and uneasiness

He believed in the government’s role to help its people

Eleanor Roosevelt – President’s wife who worked hard to support her husband and help support the nation Wrote newspaper articles Started an anti-lynching campaign – stopped it

Roosevelt’s Work to Stop the Depression

Step 1 – Stop the banking crisis Temporarily closed all banks – bank holiday Passed Emergency Banking Act – checked security of

bank Reopened banks with government assurances – gave

confidence to people and banks Glass-Steagall Act – created the Federal Deposit

Insurance Corporation to guarantee loans.

Roosevelt’s Work to Stop the Depression

Step 2 – The Hundred Days – enacting the New Deal Hundred Days – the first days of his presidency

where FDR had to stop the down turn of the economy by changing the view of the people

New Deal – policy to change the country – 3 goals Relief for the suffering Recovery of the economy Reforms to prevent another serious crisis of the

economy

Reforms of the First Hundred Days

Major programs key in the New Deal Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) – gave subsidies to farmers for relief National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) – businesses in the same

industry need to cooperate with each other and provided $3.3 billion in public works aid

Public Works Administration (PWA) – managed all Public Works programs Federal Securities Act – forced companies to share financial information

with the public to restore confidence in economy Security Exchange Commission (SEC) – watchdog for stock market Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) – developed resources of the

Tennessee River Valley – built dams and other things

Other Works After First 100 Days

Civil Works Administration (CWA) – provided winter employment for 4 million people – built highways sewers, airports, and more.

Indian Reorganization Act (1934) – limited sale of Indian lands and provided them assistance

New Deal Issues

Government seen as invading businesses and personal life – government is too big

Others believed it had done enough – overhaul capitalism

Conservatives felt that the New Deal was too much of a break with traditional American ideals. Huey Long Charles Coughlin Francis Townsend

Courts had issues with many programs – stopped some

Recovery Continues

Second Hundred Days – A Second New Deal Extended much of the government programs already

in place Wanted people to get back to work – ended many

handouts Emergency Relief Appropriations Act

Social Security Act – created Social Security Program which provided guaranteed pensions for those over 65. Funding for this program was an issue – made only some

workers pay

Organized Labor Revived

Wagner Act – outlawed many anti-labor practices Created National Labor Relations Board – allowed

voting in workplaces for union representation

CIO is created – created union for many unskilled workers Those not protected by AFL

Union power shown in sit down strike of GM Automotive

Roosevelt Re-Elected

Won in 1936 – no real struggle Republicans attacked New Deal as being a big government

idea and expanding power of government into personal life

Events following re-election: Court-packing issue – tried to get justices on Supreme Court

who would defend New Deal initiatives Created a fight in Congress

Created Farm Tenancy Act – aid to tenant farmers (poorest) Social Security Plan passed by Supreme Court (1937) Second dip in economy – forces Roosevelt to deficit spend

to save recovery – saved in 1938

Life During Depression

Women started to serve more roles in government

African Americans were appointed by Roosevelt to positions of power Creation of Black Cabinet – Mary McLeod Bethune was leader

Artists showed the hardships of Depression Dorothea Lange – took pictures of the people in Depression John Steinbeck – author of Grapes of Wrath – about Dust Bowl Woody Guthrie – wrote music about Depression James Agee/Walker Evans – worked to show lives of sharecroppers

Entertainment of the Depression

Works by great writers of the time turned into movies Grapes of Wrath

Movies also dealt with other issues of the Depression

Comedy and Dance movies were very popular – feel good movies

Radio was also big during this time Roosevelt’s fireside chats and other public rants Had music, sports, religious themes

Baseball, College Football, and Boxing were major sports New music was popularized – Swing – big band jazz

Impact of New Deal

Look at the 3 Goals Relief – put money in pockets of poor Recovery – started to turn but failed when crisis of 1937 and 1938

hit Reforms – were successful and long lasting

Was responsible for the construction of many highways, bridges, dams, and public buildings

Created a link between the people and the government But created bigger government to control all the new programs People saw their government as something that helped them now

Limits of New Deal

Programs were never meant to be a way to end all the hardships but a way to pull the country out of hardship Programs were kept around too long

Pay was limited to government workers – wanted them to find other employment not stay on government dime

There was varied aid to people based on state

Programs permitted discrimination against African-Americans

End of New Deal

Ended by 1938 – downturn of economy was final blow

Roosevelt lost support because: Other government officials wanted balanced budget

and tax cuts Saw reorganization plan for Executive Branch as a way

to give the president too much power

Fair Labor Standards Act – law that established minimum wage and required time and half wage for overtime

Election of 1938

Roosevelt wanted to defeat all of his New Deal opponents, but this failed and the Senate became filled with those who opposed his plans

New focus after election: Europe saw rise of radical dictators because of

depression, and they were on the brink of war. America began to open more industry to create

weapons of war World War II was rapidly approaching