170 likes | 360 Views
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
E N D
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