Ch. 15 The New Deal U.S. History

1. Ch. 15 The New Deal U.S. History

2. Electing FDR - 1932 • Democrats nominated New York governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt as their presidential candidate. Had a “can-do” attitude & a willingness to try anything to ease the G.D. • FDR won 1932 election overwhelmingly.

3. Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) was FDR’s wife • Niece of Theodore Roosevelt • She pushed FDR to maintain his political career after he contracted Polio • She was a major figure of female wing of the Democratic party in 1920s and early 30s. • In essence, she became the "conscience of the New Deal“ • Published a syndicated newspaper column, “My Day” • Lobbied extensively for her husband • Championed causes for women, children, the poor, and African Americans • Publicly, she was the most active first lady in American History

4. FDR’s 1932 campaign

6. The “New Deal” • FDR’s program, designed to ease the G.D., became known as the “New Deal”. Goals included Relief for the needy, economic Recovery, and financial Reform. • While waiting to take over presidency in 1933, FDR assembled his “brain trust” – advisors consisting of college professors, lawyers, journalists to help him formulate policies for his administration. • The Hundred Days / First New Deal • More than 15 pieces of New Deal legislation passed between March – June 1933. • New Deal programs would be nicknamed “alphabet soup government”.

7. Help for Banks • Emergency Banking Relief Act– 1933 • FDR wanted to save nation’s banks. Declared “bank holidays” to close all banks and prevent further withdrawals. • Authorized govnt to inspect nation’s banks. Only sound banks could re-open. Revived public confidence in banks.

8. Help for Banks • Glass-Steagall Act - 1933 • Established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).Insured individual bank accounts up to $100,000 & required banks to be cautious w/ customers’ money.

9. Fireside Chats • FDR gave many “fireside chats” over radio to American public. Talked about issues of public concern & explained New Deal measures in clear, simple language. Reassured Americans, asked them to return $$ to banks.

10. Reforming the Stock Market • Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) - 1934 • Govnt agency that regulates the stock market. Goals were to prevent people with inside information about companies from “rigging” the stock market for their own profit. • Companies must provide truthful information on all stock offerings.

11. Farmers dumping milk Help for Farmers • Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) – 1933 • FDR sought to provide relief to farmers. To raise crop prices, govnt sought to lower production. • Paid farmers to leave land unseeded, destroy crops, slaughter 6 million pigs. • Critics upset at destruction of food when many were going hungry. • Policy eventually helped raise crop prices & put more $$ in farmer’s pockets.

12. AAA agency office

13. Creating Jobs • Tennessee Valley Authority(TVA) – (1933) • Tennessee River Valley one of the poorest, most depressed areas in the nation. • TVA constructed 20 new dams along the river valley, provided flood control, created thousands of jobs, electrified the region.

14. Tennessee Valley Authority(Dams & Electric Power Regions)

15. Creating Jobs • Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) –(1933) • CCC put young men 18-25 to work on conservation projects. • Built roads, planted trees, developed parks, helped w/ flood control, etc. • Paid $30 per month – most sent home to family. • Work camps supplied food, uniforms, and housing.

16. Cabins in Bastrop State Park CCC in Texas Dance pavilion at Garner State Park

17. National Recovery Administration (NRA) – 1933 • Goal was to promote recovery by stopping wage cuts, falling prices, and layoffs. • Set prices on many products to ensure fair competition, set standard for working hours. • Participating businesses displayed poster with “blue eagle” to show their commitment.

18. Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) – 1933 • Allocated $500 million dollars in direct relief to needy. Money given to states to provide food, medicine, clothing for poor.

19. New Deal Criticism • FDR vs. the Supreme Court • 1935 – Supreme Court struck down NRA as unconstitutional. Federal govnt did not have power to regulate industry codes. • 1936 – Sup. Crt. struck down AAA. Agriculture should be regulated by states, not federal govnt. • 1937 – FDR feared Sup. Crt might destroy his New Deal. Introduced “court reform” bill to allow him to appoint six additional justices. • Denounced by Congress & press as violation of separation of powers. Bill did not pass.

20. FDR’s plan to target the “nine old men” of the Supreme Court Court-packing plan led to dissention among Democrats

21. New Deal Criticism • Father Coughlin • Catholic priest, broadcast radio sermons, felt New Deal did not do enough to help poor. • Dr. Francis Townsend • Physician, believed FDR was not doing enough for poor & elderly. Wanted pension plan that would provide monthly benefits to old. • Huey Long • Louisiana Senator, hoped to win presidency. Proposed “Share our Wealth” program. Promised every citizen $5,000 homestead, $2,500 income, free college. (murdered in 1935)

22. New Deal Critics Huey Long at an LSU rally Fiery radio priest Father Coughlin

23. The Second New Deal • FDR Reelected (1936) • FDR won second term as president & began a “Second New Deal”. • Still needed to lower unemployment & provide more aid to farmers and workers. • Many African-Americans began to vote Democrat (instead of Republican) for the first time.

24. Help for Farmers • Farm Security Administration (FSA) –1937 • Loaned more than $1 billion to help migrant farm workers. Established camps, helped tenant farmers buy land. • FSA hired photographers like Dorthea Lange to create a pictorial record of rural America. Photographs of poor Americans helped to gain support for New Deal programs.

25. Creating More Jobs • Works Progress Administration (WPA) – 1935 • Designed to create as many jobs as quickly as possible. • Gave jobs to over 8 million people. Employed a wide variety of Americans – construction workers, women, artists, college-educated professionals, etc. • Professionals wrote city guides, collected historical slave narratives, painted murals on buildings, performed in theater troupes around country.

26. Some WPA work programs….

27. Robertson Stadium at UH (1942-2012) Joint venture between HISD and WPA

28. WPA

29. Artists of the WPA

30. WPA: Federal Writers Project

31. WPA: Federal Theater Project

32. Help for All Americans • Social Security Act– 1935 • One of the most important achievements of the New Deal. Provided substantial benefits to millions of Americans. • Gave $ to retirees 65 or older, disabled people, children w/ a deceased parent(s), etc.

33. Conclusion… • N.D. programs funded by deficit spending – spending more money than the government received in taxes (revenue). • N.D. did not end depression, but helped ease suffering. • New Deal laws greatly expanded federal government’s role in the economy.