Roosevelt’s New Deal

1. Roosevelt’s New Deal Section 2 Chapter 24

2. Focus Questions How did President Roosevelt and Congress try to help Americans during the Hundred Days? How did the New Deal help Americans suffering from the Depression? Why did some people criticize the New Deal?

3. The Election of 1932 Franklin Roosevelt won a landslide victory in the 1932 election Before Roosevelt took office he brought in his Brain Trust (college professors, labor leaders, lawyers, and social workers) to find a way to end the depression Roosevelt told the people on inauguration day that “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”

4. The Election of 1932 • Roosevelt called a special session of Congress together and this became known as the hundred days and Congress passed many programs to battle the depression • These programs became known as the New Deal • The Federal government paid for many of these programs by raising taxes and spending more money than they took in

5. New Deal Programs The New Deal’s first goal was to restore the nation’s confidence in the banks Roosevelt called a “bank holiday” on March 6, 1933 and banks closed temporarily Three days later Congress passed the Emergency Banking Act– Federal government planned to inspect each bank’s finances and then reopen only healthy banks

6. New Deal Programs • The New Deal’s first goal was to restore the nation’s confidence in the banks • Roosevelt called a “bank holiday” on March 6, 1933 and banks closed temporarily • Three days later Congress passed the Emergency Banking Act– Federal government planned to inspect each bank’s finances and then reopen only healthy banks

7. New Deal Programs • Roosevelt also began giving his fireside chats– radio addresses to the American people • The day after Roosevelt's first chat banks started reopening and by the end of the month $1 billion dollars had been deposited in banks

8. New Deal Programs • Congress also created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation that protected people’s money deposited in banks (up to $5,000) • By 1933, one-fourth of all Americans wage earners were jobless • In May 1933, Congress created the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA)– gave money to states to give to their needed

9. New Deal Programs • Harry L. Hopkins was put in charge of the Civil Works Administration that built airports, roads, and sewers • The Civilian Conservation Corps hired 18-25 year old men to live in army camps and fight fires, improve national, parks and plant trees • The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) built dams along the Tennessee Rive and improved flood control and provided Hydroelectric power

10. New Deal Programs • During the Hundred Days Congress passed the Agricultural Adjustment Act that paid farmers to cut production of certain crops (Supreme Court will find this unconstitutional) • Congress also passed the Farm Credit Administration (FCA) and it refinanced more than 20 percent of all farm mortgages

11. New Deal Programs • Roosevelt then turned to economic recovery and proposed the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) to suspend antitrust laws and stop unfair competition • The NIRA formed the National Recovery Administration (NRA)– to help companies in the same business create codes of fair competition to prevent business failures

12. New Deal Critics • There were two main groups of critics of the New Deal • One group felt the New Deal did not go far enough in helping society • The other group felt the New Deal would bankrupt the country • Father Charles Coughlin and Huey Long both wanted distribution of wealth

13. New Deal Critics • Long proposed the Share-Our-Wealth plan– every family would get $2,500 a year funded by higher taxes of the wealthy • Long never ran for president as he was assassinated in 1935

14. The Second New Deal IN 1935Roosevelt created the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to put Americans to work– millions of workers built hospitals, parks, roads, and schools The National Youth Administration (NYA) was a program that gave part time work to high school and college students jobs so they could stay in school

15. The Second New Deal • In 1935, Congress created the Social Security Act to help older people, those with disabilities, children and job seekers • The Social Security program had three main parts • Set up a pension system for retired workers over 65 • Gave unemployed short-term cash benefits while they looked for work • Offered payments to women with dependent children as well as people with disabilities

16. New Deal Labor Programs Frances Perkins became the first women in cabinet when she became Roosevelt’s secretary of labor In May of 1935 the Supreme Court declared the NIRA unconstitutional Congress passed the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)– that protected unions and gave them the opportunity to collectively bargain From this Act the National Labor Relations Board was created to enforce their rules

17. New Deal Labor Programs • A new pro-labor society benefited Democrats the most • The Congress of Industrial Organizations was founded in 1938 to organize both skilled and unskilled workers

18. New Deal Labor Programs • The attempt to improve working conditions led to a number of large strikes • The sit-down strike is when the workers sit down and refuse to work • Sitting down would keep owners from replacing them with new employees

19. The Election of 1936 Democrats worried that businesses backed Republicans and labor unrest, the Supreme Court, and the depression could hurt Roosevelt Roosevelt won 523 electoral votes to Landon’s 8

20. The Election of 1936 • Some felt that Roosevelt had gone to far but after his election in February of 1937 he asked Congress to pass the Judicial Procedures Reform Act– allowed the president to appoint a new justice for everyone that was over 70 years of age • Even his own party objected to the “court packing” issued and it failed but after this, the court never ruled against his legislation again

21. Evaluating the New Deal The New Deal changed almost every aspect of American life and greatly expanded the role of the federal government He also expanded the role of the president Some critics feel that the New Deal promoted deficit spending

22. Evaluating the New Deal • Supporters of the New Deal feel that it saved the United States from economic and political collapse • Expansion of governmental powers was a necessity during a time of crisis • Some also reel that the New Deal Programs helped keep future depression from happening

23. Focus Questions How did President Roosevelt and Congress try to help Americans during the Hundred Days? How did the New Deal help Americans suffering from the Depression? Why did some people criticize the New Deal?