FDR and the New Deal: Restoring a Nation's Hope

1. FDR and the New Deal

2. Restoring a nations hope • When FDR was elected he promised “bold, persistent experimentation” • People didn’t know what he meant but they knew he would do something • Relief, recovery, and reform programs set up by the FDR administration • First hundred days Roosevelt pushed programs through congress • Provide relief • Create jobs • Stimulate the economy

3. Emergency Banking Act • Banks were closed for 4 days to be inspected to see if they were “healthy” • Most banks were healthy • Brought confidence to the people and they began to put money back in the banks • FDIC- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation • Insured bank deposits

4. Federal Securities Act- required companies to provide info about their finances if they offered stock for sale • Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) • Regulated the stock market • Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) • Sent funds to agencies to create jobs

5. Public Works program • Government funded projects to build public facilities • Civil Works Administration- built or improved roads, parks, airports etc • 4 million employees • Civilian Conservation Corps • 2.5 million young unmarried men • Maintaining forests, beaches, and parks • Made $30 a month, lived in camps rent free • Received food, medical care, and job training

6. National Recovery Administration (NRA) • Regulated wages, controlled working conditions, production and prices, set a minimum wage • Organized labor had collective bargaining

7. Assisting homeowners and farmers • The Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC) • Refinanced mortgages to make it easier to pay • Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) • Tried to raise farm prices with government assistance • Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) • Provided cheap electric power with Hydroelectric power facility

8. Groundbreaking appointments • Roosevelt appointed many new people to office including women and African Americans • His wife Eleanor worked side by side with him reporting conditions and working on social reforms • Many were impressed with the New Deal but it did not bring about significant change

9. Second New Deal • Included more social welfare benefits, stricter controls over business, stronger support for unions and higher taxes for the rich • FDR expanded on many of the agencies to give more relief

10. New Labor legislation • Wagner Act • Legalized collective bargaining and closed shops • Which allowed workplaces to only allowed to union workers • Outlawed spying on union activities and blacklisting • National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)- set up to enforce provisions • NLRB v Jones and Laughlin (1939) • The Supreme Court upheld the Wagner Act

11. Social Security • 1935- Congress passed the Social Security Act • Old age pensions • Unemployment insurance • Aid for dependent children, the blind, and disabled

12. Limitations of the New Deal • Minimum wage at $0.25/ hour- less than what some people were already making • Less helpful to women and minorities than white men

13. Limitations for women • New deal permitted lower wages for women • Relief and job programs were geared toward men • Jobs went to men or “head of families” unless they couldn’t work

14. Limitations for African Americans • New Deal public works projects reinforced segregation • not offered professional positions • Kept out of skilled labor jobs • Received lower wages than whites • New deal did nothing to stop discriminatory practices • Whites would only hire whites • African American’s boycotted • “don’t shop where you can’t work” • Senate got rid of a bill that made lynching a federal crime

15. Positives for African Americans • FDR appointed African Americans to policy making posts • FDR seemed genuinely concerned about the fate of African Americans • Led to strong support for FDR from African Americans

16. Political Critics • Does too much • The rich were taxed- based on income and price of house • Claimed in penalized successful, hardworking people • American Liberty League- Led by Alfred E Smith • Said New Deal limited individual freedom in an “un-American” manner • Often called it “bolshevism”

17. Political Critics • Does not do enough • Upton Sinclair believed US was in a “permanent crisis” • Entire economic system needed to be reformed • Ran for governor of California • Lost- was painted as a socialist and associated with communism

18. Demagogues- manipulate people with half-truths, deceptive promised and scare tactics • Father Coughlin • Called himself the “radio priest” and had a huge following in Detroit • Advocated the nationalization (government ownership of banks and redistribution of wealth) of government • Supported FDR and the New Deal but later denounced him on the radio and National Union for Social Justice • Called FDR “Franklin ‘Double-crossing’ Roosevelt” and great betrayer and liar • Began to issue anti-Jewish statements and praised Hitler and Mussolini • People became alarmed and he was ordered to stop his radio show

19. Huey Long • Lawyer and grew up in southern poverty • Never used racial attacks to build power • Worked to help underprivileged by improving education, medical care, and public services • Wanted to redistribute wealth by Share-Our-Wealth • Personal income could not exceed 1 million • Inheritance could not exceed 5 million • The money taken would go to make sure all families had a minimum $5,000 household estate and minimum annual income of $2,500 • Also wanted shorter working hours, more veteran benefits, payments for education, and pensions for the elderly

20. Modern Day Critics • Some people believe the New Deal actually hindered economic progress • Was too powerful of a federal government • Hurt the idea of a free market economy • Used heavy taxes • Use of deficit spending - spending more money than what the government receives in revenues

21. Court-Packing Fiasco • FDR wanted to appoint 6 new Supreme Court Judges • There was strong opposition to this because people thought he just wanted to appoint judges who would side with him