Transcript Ch. 15 – The New Deal

Ch. 15
The New Deal
U.S. History

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.

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
FDR’s 1932
campaign

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”.
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.
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.

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
$$ to banks.
Reforming the Stock Market

Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) - 1934
– Govnt agency that regulates the stock market.
Goals were to prevent people with inside
information about companies from “rigging” the
stock market for their own profit.
– Companies must provide truthful information on
all stock offerings.
Help for Farmers

Agricultural Adjustment
Act (AAA) – 1933
– FDR sought to provide relief to
farmers. To raise crop
prices, govnt sought to
lower production.
– Paid farmers to leave land
unseeded, destroy crops,
slaughter 6 million pigs.
– Critics upset at destruction of
food when many were going
hungry.
– Policy eventually helped raise
crop prices & put more $$ in
farmer’s pockets.
Farmers dumping milk
AAA agency office
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.
Tennessee Valley Authority
(Dams & Electric Power Regions)
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.
CCC in Texas
Dance pavilion at Garner
State Park
Cabins in Bastrop State
Park

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.

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.
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.
FDR’s plan to target the
“nine old men” of the
Supreme Court
Court-packing plan led to
dissention among
Democrats
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)
New Deal Critics
Huey Long at an LSU
rally
Fiery radio priest
Father Coughlin
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.
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.
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, collegeeducated professionals, etc.
– Professionals wrote city
guides, collected historical
slave narratives, painted
murals on buildings,
performed in theater troupes
around country.
Some WPA work programs….
Robertson Stadium at UH (1942-2012)
Joint venture between HISD
and WPA
WPA
Artists of the WPA
WPA: Federal Writers Project
WPA: Federal Theater Project
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.

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.