The New Deal

A d r i a n a , G e a n , J a c k , S h i n i e

THE NEW DEAL  

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TABLE OF CONTENTS THE NEW DEAL ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT ....................................................... 3 THE HUNDRED DAYS........................................................................ 3 CRITICS ............................................................................................ 4

THE SECOND NEW DEAL ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 ELEANOR ROOSEVELT ...................................................................... 5 DOROTHEA LANGE............................................................................ 5 THE SECOND HUNDRED DAYS .......................................................... 6

THE NEW DEAL AFFECTS MANY GROUPS ...... . . . . . . . . . . 7

CULTURE IN THE 1930S ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

THE IMPACT OF THE NEW DEAL ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

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THE NEW DEAL The Great Depression has pulled down American economy and people’s lives dramatically. The country was ready for a change towards the positive and a new President would take the lead. FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT In the 1932 presidential election, the Republicans re-nominated President Hoover as candidate while the Democrats sent Franklin Delano Roosevelt into the race. Roosevelt was a distant cousin of the former President Theodore Roosevelt and the two-term governor of New York. He was a reform-minded leader, as well as confident, friendly and therefore attracted many voters. Roosevelt won the election by nearly a two-third majority in votes. He picked his team of advisors carefully, which included professors, lawyers, and journalists. This group of advisers came to be known as the “Brain Trust.” THE HUNDRED DAYS

President Roosevelt proposed a set of policies for his new administration, which became know as the “New Deal.” This “New Deal” had three general goals: relief for the needy, economic recovery, and financial reform. Roosevelt’s administration launched a period of intense activity that lasted from March 9 to June 16, 1933 known as the hundred days. In this time, Congress passed 15 major pieces of New Deal administration and it deeply involved the federal government’s role in the nation’s economy. Just one day after Roosevelt became president, he declared

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March 5 a bank holiday. Banks were closed to ensure that money could not be withdrawn. Roosevelt proposed the Emergency Banking Relief Act that allowed the Treasury Department to inspect every single bank and declare them to be sound enough to be reopened again. This strengthened people’s confidence in banks. There were many other steps the president took to recover the nation’s banking system such as the Glass Steagall Act that reorganized banking systems, the Federal Securities Act that required Corporations to provide all information on stocks to prevent misinterpretations, and the Securities and Exchange Commissions passed by Congress to regulate the stock market. Along with the banking regulations, there was need to help the people. To support farmers, the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) was passed to help farmers with their finances. Work Projects such as the Civilian Conservation Crops (CCC), the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), and the National Recovery Administration (NRA) were found to help improve farmers’ lives. CRITICS There have been many people who were fond of President Roosevelt and his new regulations to recover American economy and society but there were also people who opposed his way of leading and viewed the New Deal with skeptical eyes. Among those was the American Liberty League that believed the New Deal violated individuals and their property. Others were Charles Coughlin, Dr. Francis Townsend, and Huey Long who actually claimed to have gained a huge base of supporters but then was assassinated.

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THE SECOND NEW DEAL During the Hundred Days the economy has improved drastically, although still not as much as expected. That is why President Roosevelt launched another wave of activities; also know as the “Second New Deal.”

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT Not only the President was full of enthusiasm and devoted himself to reformation but also was his wife. She was a social reformer who was concerned about people’s suffering in the country and helped her husband make important decisions.

DOROTHEA LANGE Dorothea Lange was a photographer who became famous during the Great Depression for her documentaries of American life. She recaptured moments of this hard time and did a good job on giving people ideas of this period’s historical context. Her most famous photograph is probably “Migrant Mother” that shows a mother living in a worn down tent with her many children.

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THE SECOND HUNDRED DAYS During this other period of intense activity, many projects were called to life to help the people. For example, Roosevelt and Congress set up the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to help youths, professionals, and other workers get jobs as many and as quickly as possible. $11 billion were spent to create jobs for more than 8 million people. The program National Youth Administration (NYA) was created to provide education, counseling, and recreation for young people. Many other programs were established following the ones above and they played a significant role in assisting different groups, such as women, African Americans, and Native Americans.

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THE NEW DEAL AFFECTS MANY GROUPS Notable changes during the time of the New Deal included women climbing up and occupying important government positions, a growth of activism by African Americans, and promoting African Americans to government jobs. The New Deal gained much support. Mexican Americans supported the New Deal even though they had fewer benefits than other groups. Native Americans, who had been in a feud with whites for centuries, also received strong government support from the New Deal. Just as before, organizations that created labor opportunities flourished and helped people’s lives getting back on track. Such programs were the Wagner Act, the American Federation of Labor (AFL), and the Congress of Industrial Organization (CIO).

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CULTURE IN THE 1930S

As American life, society and economy changed, the culture went through many changes as well. Movie theaters became popular, and more than 15,000 of them were established. The use of radios became widely popular and therefore communication improved and news was spread faster. A good example would be the “War of the Worlds” hysteria that caused a huge panic among Americans. A radio drama about Martians invading the Earth was broadcasted at that time and made people believe it was true. Not only radios rose to popularity but movies became a hit as well. Movies like “Gone With the Wind” showed visions that were far from the hard reality but became very popular

because they offered escape from reality. Comedians contributed to the spread of laughter and positive attitude across the country via radio broadcast. As everything gradually improved, people found pleasant things to do such as the arts or music. Most writers endured the suffering of the depression just like others but still managed to create novels and stories that depicted American lives during this hard time for later generations to read. One of the most famous novels of this time was “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck.

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John Steinbeck The Grapes of Wrath

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THE IMPACT OF THE NEW DEAL President Roosevelt wanted to launch the Third New Deal but Congress opposed the idea because it would mean more deficit spending and since the economy showed many signs of recovering, people were sure the depression would be over soon. But the result of the end of the New Deal was dropping of industrial production and the number of unemployed rose from 7.7 million to 10.4 in just a year. Another reason for the end of the New Deal was the concern over events in Europe, where Hitler’s rise to power displayed a threat. During this time, the government still thought it was necessary to keep track of the banking system and therefore established agencies like the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that helped oversee and regulate banking and investment activities. Although the New Deal has saved many Americans from suffering, hunger and poverty, there were major setbacks. The government got itself into huge debt because of provision for jobs, food, and money for its people. In 1934, the deficit was $2.9 billion but rose to an incredible $54.5 billion during World War II because of the massive amount of guns, tanks, ships, airplanes, and all the other equipment required for war that the government spent money on. A lasting effect of the New Deal remained in the protection of workers’ rights. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) still exists today and helps settle labor disputes between unions and employers. To ensure the welfare of its people, the government has passed the Social Security Act that makes sure, whenever people lose their jobs, they can receive unemployment compensation. Also, the government aids the disabled and families with dependent children. It was founded in 1935 and has changed millions of American lives since then. Congress continued to support farmers and then passed acts and established organizations to protect the environment such as the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Soil Conservation Service, the Taylor Grazing Act, and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Overall, the New Deal has brought many changes to America. It gave people hope and the support that they needed. But it also raised other people’s opinion of

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criticism and the deficit spending that was necessary to make the programs of the New Deal possible. And it didn’t stop there but even increased as World War II started and America got involved.

“Construction of a Dam” - Artwork by William Gropper.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Lange, Dorothea. Migrant Mother and Children. February 1936. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. About.com: Art History. May 23, 2010. Photographer unknown. 1936. Courtesy of the National Archives. The Great Depression and the New Deal. Web. May 23, 2010. Goldensky, Elias. Portrait of US President Franklin Roosevelt. December 27, 1933. United States Library of Congress. World War II Database. Web. Artist unknown. National Industrial Recovery Act Poster. Modern America. Web. May 23, 2010. Artist unknown. "Dorothea Lange". Photograph. Web. Ptak Science Books. Web. May 23, 2010. Lange, Dorothea. Migrant agricultural worker's family. Seven hungry children and their mother, aged 32. The father is a native Californian. March 1936. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. Prints and Photographs Reading Room. Web. May 23, 2010. Artist unknown. "Gone with the Wind". The Young and Hungry. Web. May 23, 2010. Artist unknown. Cover of The Grapes of Wrath. 1939. Wikipedia. Web. May 23, 2010. Gropper, William. Construction of the Dam. 1938. Smithsonian American Art Museum. American Art. Web. May 23, 2010. Artitst unknown. The Indian Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934. 1934. Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Community. Web. May 23, 2010. Danzer, Gerald A. et al. The Americans. The United States of America. McDougal Littell, a division of Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007. Print.