Chapter 23

1. Chapter 23 Launching the New Deal

2. FDR takes over • In 1932, the nation elected Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), president of the US by an overwhelming majority. • He became the first president to effectively use the radio to his advantage; called fireside chats, his messages helped instill confidence in people and even got them to redeposit their money into banks. • He was also willing to experiment with gov’t actions to deal with the nation’s crisis. • FDR believed the gov’t needed to provide direct relief (federal help to those hurting from the financial crisis).

3. FDR takes over • He also was willing to engage in deficit spending (gov’t spending of borrowed money) to help get the economy going. • To do this, FDR introduced new legislation and a number of programs known as the New Deal. • The period from FDR’s inauguration in March 1933 through the following June became known as the first hundred days. • During this time, FDR pushed many programs through Congress in an effort to provide economic relief and recovery.

6. The Roosevelts Franklin Delano Roosevelt had a winning personality and believed that it was the government’s job to take direct action to help its people. Eleanor Roosevelt was a powerful political force in her own right, and she helped to change to role of the First Lady. Franklin and Eleanor’s marriage played a central role in Franklin Roosevelt’s political success.

7. Franklin Roosevelt Appealing blend of cheerfulness, optimism, and confidence An effective communicator (ex. fireside chats) A reform-minded Democrat Believed the government could solve economic and social problems Eleanor Roosevelt “Eyes and ears” of her husband Directed efforts to solve several major social issues (ex. lynching of African Americans) Wrote her own newspaper column Had the trust and affection of many Americans A Political Partnership

9. The First New Deal • The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was one of the most important First New Deal programs. • Established in 1933, the TVA built hydroelectric dams to create jobs and bring cheap electricity to parts of the South had previously been w/o power. • One of the regions most affected by the TVA was the southern Appalachians; with the TVA’s help this region prospered as never before.

11. Critics of the New Deal • While many US citizens applauded FDR’s New Deal as a sign of hope, his reforms also created controversy. • Many criticized FDR for giving gov’t too much control over business and the economy. • Some people believed him to be a socialist. • Others believed that he was not radical enough at using gov’t power to end the Great Depression. • One of his harshest critics was a Senator from Louisiana, Huey P. Long. • Long supported redistribution of wealth (taking $ away from the rich and giving it to the poor) and guaranteed income of $2000 per year for every US family. • He also proposed legislation that would limit the income of any citizen to $1 million per year, with the gov’t taking the rest in taxes. • Long’s ideas were called the Share Our Wealth Society.

12. Huey Pierce Long, Jr. (August 30, 1893 – September 10, 1935), nicknamed The Kingfish, served as the 40th Governor of Louisiana from 1928–1932 and as a U.S. Senator from 1932 to 1935. A Democrat, he was noted for his radical populist policies. Though a backer of Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1932 presidential election, Long split with Roosevelt in June 1933 and allegedly planned to mount his own presidential bid for 1936. Long created the Share Our Wealth program in 1934 with the motto "Every Man a King", proposing new wealth redistribution measures in the form of a net asset tax on corporations and individuals to curb the poverty and hopelessness endemic nationwide during the Great Depression.

13. The Second New Deal • After showing much restraint through 1934, FDR chose to launch a bold new set of programs that came to be called the Second New Deal. • The National Labor Relations Act, also known as the Wagner Act, was passed in 1935. • It created a board to monitor unfair business practices, especially those against unions. It protected the rights of workers to join unions, engage in collective bargaining, and go on strike. • The Wagner Act made FDR extremely popular among laborers and union leaders.

14. The Second New Deal • Another program, the Social Security Act, was passed in 1935. • It established a retirement income for all workers once they reached the age of 65. It also provided benefits to certain unemployed workers. • This is the only New Deal program still around today.

15. President Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act, at approximately 3:30 pm EST on August 14, 1935.Standing with Roosevelt are Rep. Robert Doughton (D-NC); unknown person in shadow; Sen. Robert Wagner (D-NY); Rep. John Dingell (D-MI); unknown man in bowtie; the Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkins; Sen. Pat Harrison (D-MS); and Rep. David Lewis (D-MD). President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signs the act as Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins (right) looks on.

16. Ida May Fuller, the first recipient

17. The Court-Packing Scheme • Another source of resistance to FDR’s programs was the US Supreme Court. • The Court frustrated FDR by striking down a number of his New Deal ideas. • In February 1937, just months after winning re-election, FDR proposed his “court-packing scheme.” • Since the Constitution did not specify the # of SC judges, FDR proposed enlarging the Court from 9 to 15 judges. • This would allow him to “pack” the Court with justices favorable to his New Deal programs. • In the end, FDR was forced to withdraw this idea.

18. Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes. Hughes believed the primary objection of the Supreme Court to the New Deal was its poorly drafted legislation. The Hughes Court, 1932–1937. Front row: Justices Brandeis and Van Devanter, Chief Justice Hughes, and Justices McReynolds and Sutherland. Back row: Justices Roberts, Butler, Stone, and Cardozo.

19. Effects of the New Deal • Although FDR’s New Deal was a revolutionary approach to gov’t, it actually failed to end the Great Depression. • On the eve of World War II, much of the nation was still unemployed and the economy was still hurting. • It did, however, provide some relief, recovery, and reform.

20. The Impact of the New Deal • The New Deal promised relief, recovery, and reform. • Relief programs put billions of dollars into the pockets of poor Americans. • The New Deal was less successful in delivering economic recovery. • New Deal reforms were successful and long-lasting. • The New Deal changed the link between the American people and their government. • Roosevelt believed that government could help businesses and individuals achieve a greater level of economic security. • The New Deal required a much bigger government. • Americans now began to look regularly to government for help.

21. The Impact of the New Deal • Relief • Millions of Americans enjoyed some form of help. • Direct relief or jobs that provided a steady paycheck • Programs such as Social Security and unemployment insurance became a fixture of government. • Recovery • Not as successful at economic recovery • Unemployment remained high. • Some critics argued that Roosevelt needed the support of big business. • Other critics said that the New Deal didn’t spend enough money. • Reform • More successful and long-lasting • FDIC restored public confidence in the nation’s banks. • SEC restored public confidence in stock markets. • New Deal left thousands of roadways, bridges, dams, public buildings, and works of art.

22. Limits of the New Deal Relief programs gave aid to millions of people, but they were not meant to be a permanent solution to joblessness. Also, they did not provide jobs to everyone who needed one. The level of government assistance varied by state. For example, a family needing assistance in Massachusetts might receive $60 per month, while a family in Arkansas might get $8. New Deal programs permitted discrimination against African Americans, Hispanic Americans, women, and others.

23. The End of the New Deal • Setbacks such as the court-packing fight and the 1937 economic downturn gave power to anti-New Deal senators. • Opposition in Congress made passing New Deal legislation more difficult. Only one piece passed in 1938: the Fair Labor Standards Act (which set up a minimum wage). Weakening Support • Roosevelt tried to influence voters in the South during the congressional elections of 1938; however his candidates lost. • The Republicans made gains in the both houses. • Roosevelt lacked the congressional support he needed to pass New Deal laws. 1938 Elections • The New Deal ended in 1938. • Americans turned their attention to the start of WWII. After the New Deal

25. FDR and International Concerns • As FDR and Congress dealt with the Great Depression at home, the US kept a watchful eye on events overseas as well. • In Europe, militaristic dictators rose to power in Germany and Italy. In the Pacific, Japan seized parts of China. • Despite these concerns, however, the US remained isolationist. • Responding to its isolationist views, Congress passed the Neutrality Act in 1935. • This act prohibited the sale of weapons to warring nations and was meant to keep the US from forming alliances that might drag the nation into a war.

26. Art of the Great Depression • Painters and sculptors fashioned works depicting the struggles of the working class. • Authors and playwrights focused on the plight of the rural and urban poor. • Writer John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath • Songwriter Woody Guthrie celebrated the lives of ordinary people. • Writer James Agee’s Let Us Now Praise Famous Men • Photographers • Dorothea Lange recorded images of jobless people and the rural poor. • Walker Evans depicted the lives of sharecroppers in the Lower South.

27. To reach California the Joads travel U.S. Highway 66.

28. Dorothea Lange Dorothea Lange was a celebrated chronicler of the Great Depression. She recorded images of jobless people in her hometown of San Francisco. Lange worked for the Farm Security Administration. She was hired to document the plight of the poor and, through her images, gain public support for New Deal programs. Lange’s photographs of the rural poor helped raise awareness about the poorest of the poor – sharecroppers and tenant farmers.In 1937 the federal government finally began to provide help to sharecroppers and tenant farmers.

30. Popular Entertainment of the Great Depression • Movies • Millions of Americans went to the movies each week. • Most films were upbeat and allowed viewers to “escape” the depression. • Grand musicals and comedies were popular. • Animation and color photography delighted audiences. • Radio • Provided politics, religion, music, sports, and other forms of entertainment • Introduced new music styles such as jazz and swing • Action shows such as The Lone Ranger and comedies such as Fibber McGee and Molly were popular. • Sports • Interest in sports remained strong in the 1930s. • Baseball was popular. • Babe Ruth • Joe DiMaggio • Boxing was hugely popular. • Joe Lewis