American History Chapter 16: The New Deal

I. Forging a New Deal

Objectives

• Explore Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s roles in restoring the nation’s hope.

• Learn about the major New Deal programs that were created in the first hundred days, and find out about some of FDR’s key players in these programs.

• Discover what caused the New Deal to falter.• Review the key goals and accomplishments of

the Second New Deal• Interpret the significance of the outcome of

the 1936 election.

Bell Ringer

• Imagine that all members of your household were out of work, had no hope of finding a job, and received no government benefits.

• What would you want your government to do?• What are some current government programs

that are designed to help families that are out of work?

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A) Restoring the Nation’s Hope

• Second Bonus Army – Eleanor calmed them down

• FDR spoke in “fireside chats” to the people – restored hope

1) New Deal: referred to the relief, recovery, and reform programs of FDR’s administration

B) The First Hundred Days

2) Hundred days: Period at the start of FDR’s presidency in 1933, when many New Deal programs were passed by Congress

• Bank holiday – closed down all banks – could only re-open if deemed “healthy” by the government – 2/3 were – confidence

• Savings increased – loans increased – money into the economy

• FDIC – insure bank deposits• Federal Securities Act – business must publish info

about finances• SEC – Securities and Exchange Commission –

regulate stock market• Devalued the US dollar – made things cheaper –

stimulate trade – raise farm prices

a) Providing Relief and Creating Jobs

• FERA established – Federal Emergency Relief Administration – help poor

3) Public works programs: government funded projects to build public facilities – create jobs

4) Civilian Conservation Corps: maintained forests, beaches, and parks (2.5mil)

• CWA – Civil Works Administration – roads, parks, and airports (4mil)

b) Regulating the Economy

• NIRA – National Industrial Recovery Act

• NRA – National Recovery Administration created codes to spell out fair business practices

• Helped labor

• PWA – Public Works Administration – Grand Coulee Dam, Triborough Bridge, and Key West Highway

c) Assisting Homeowners and Farmers• HOLC – Home Owners Loan Corporation –

refinanced loans at lower interest

5) Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA): paid subsidies to farmers that cut production

6) Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA): provided cheap power, flood control, and recreational opportunities in a underdeveloped

C) Key Players in the New Deal

• FDR had a “brain trust” of people that helped him

• Frances Perkins – first women cabinet member – Labor

• Mary McLeod Bethune – black women – National Youth Administration (jobs for people 16 – 25) - highest black position during New Deal

• Eleanor Roosevelt – traveled for her husband – some thought did too much – most admired her for her political skills, humanity, and idealism

D) The New Deal Falters

• Programs did not help wide scale

• Hoover – worried about increase of government power – socialism

• Supreme Court declared NIRA unconstitutional – it could make laws

• Also declared the AAA tax unconstitutional

E) A Second New Deal

7) Second New Deal: (Second Hundred Days): more social welfare benefits, stricter controls over business, more support for unions, higher taxes on rich

• WPA (Works Progress Administration) – work for 8 mil people

• Resettlement Administration and later the Farm Security Administration loaned 1 bil to farmers.

• REA – Rural Electrification Administration – brought electricity to farmers

8) Wagner Act: legalized collective bargaining and closed shops

9) Closed shops: workplaces open only to union members

10) Social security systems: OASDI – financial security to people who cannot support themselves

F) The 1936 Election

• FDR destroyed Republican Alfred Landon 523 – 8 in the electoral college

• Showed that the people really really really supported FDR.

Review

• How did Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt work to restore the nation’s hope?

• What major New Deal programs were created in the first hundred days, and who were some of FDR’s key players in these programs?

• What caused the New Deal to falter?• What were the key goals and

accomplishments of the Second New Deal?• What did the outcome of the 1936 election

indicate?