US-A+Chapter+25

= C H A P T E R 2 5 =  ===Compare and contrast the first and second New Deals and evaluate the success and failures of the relief, recovery, and reform measures associated with each. === The Great Depression occurred from 1929 to World War II. This was when America had many economic problems. In response, Franklin D. Roosevelt started the new deal in order to solve these problems and help Americans to get back on their feet.

The first New Deal occurred in 1933. Its purpose was to help people get jobs and deal with their more immediate problems. Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law many programs aimed at getting money into people’s pockets. However, FDR soon thought that these reforms were not far-reaching enough, and therefore started the Second New Deal.

The programs of the New Deal can be divided into three types: • relief (give immediate assistance to people who need jobs and money) • recovery (build the economy up to its original level…get back to normal) • reform (make rules to make sure that the Great Depression never happens again)

The first New Deal focused on relief and recovery. The second New Deal focused much more on reform.

- Emergency Banking Act (1933): allowed the federal government to regulate banking practices in order to make sure that they could stay open. (reform) - Glass-Steagall Banking Reform Act (1933): created the FDIC (Federal Deposite Insurance Corporation). The FDIC is a government insurance program that insures people up to $5,000 if the bank they have their money in fails. This agency was created so that people could start trusting the banks with their money again. (recovery/reform) - CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps; 1933): a government agency that hired young men to work on environment conservation projects, such as planting trees and working on flood control. This provided many men with jobs that they needed but could not find. (relief) - FERA (Federal Emergency Relief - Administration): a government agency that was set up to give money to state governments. This money was supposed to be used to help people. (relief) - CWA (Civil Works Administration): Set up by FERA in order to provide people with temporary jobs. (relief) - AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Act): paid (“subsidized”) farmers to not produce too many crops. The government did this because farmers were producing too many crops, and this caused the prices of the crops to fall. The price fell so low that farmers could not make any money. By encouraging farmers to destroy their crops if they made too much, the price rose again and farmers were able to make more money. This was controversial because, although the program worked to raise prices back to normal, because the crops were destroyed many people who could not get food were angry. (relief) - TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority): a government-run power company aimed at providing people jobs and electricity in the Tennessee Valley, which was one of the poorest regions of the country. This was controversial because many people thought this was a form of socialism. (relief) - NIRA (National Industrial Recovery Act): The government’s first attempt to revive the economy wholesale. The NIRA created the NRA (National Recovery Administration) which regulated industries to make sure they were not being unfair, and the PWA (Public Works Administration) which gave people jobs building infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc.) (recovery)

Second New Deal (1935-1938): This phase was different from the First New Deal because the programs were much more radical and far-reaching. This is because FDR thought that the government was not doing enough to help the economy.

- WPA (Works Progress Administration): similar to the PWA, the WPA was designed to give people jobs by building infrastructure. The WPA was added so that even more jobs could be provided to the unemployed. (relief) - Social Security Act: created a Social Security program where people would give a part of their paycheck to the government. The government, in turn, would give this money to people who could not work (for example, retired people). This act was very controversial because many unskilled black and women laborers were not included in this program. (reform) - United States Housing Authority: created in order to provide cheap housing to people. (relief/recovery) - Indian Reorganization Act: passed so that Indian tribes would be recognized under the federal government and alleviate Native American suffering. (reform) - Wagner Act: allowed laborers to form labor unions so that they can fight for fair treatment in the workplace (beforehand there were many attempts to make labor unions illegal) (reform)

First New Deal did not help as much as it should have. (failure = did not do enough). For instance, the CCC and the PWA did not provide enough jobs for people. This was why Roosevelt created the WPA in the Second New Deal. (other examples…look at AAA and TVA)

The Second New Deal should have helped the economy more, but Roosevelt ended it early (1937) because many people were complaining that he was doing too much deficit spending (spending more money than you have…basically, people were complaining that Roosevelt was spending too much money, and that he was using money that didn’t exist). Because of these complaints, Roosevelt cut back on spending in 1937. This caused another stock market crash, and the economy went back into recession again. Roosevelt stopped the Second New Deal too early; he ended it before the economy was well enough to not need the Second New Deal. By: Brenda Han

 What were the effects of the Dust Bowl?
Dust Bowl was one of the worst draughts in the United States history. In the mid 1930s a server drought struck the Great Plains. This disaster continued for 8 years (1931-1939). The water level of lakes dropped by five feet or more. The wind picked up the dry soil that had nothing to hold it down. In some places, the dust drifted like snow, darkening the sky for days, covering even well sealed homes with a thick layer of dust on everything. One hundred million acres of the Southern Plains were turning into a wasteland. Large sections of five states were affected such as Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico. To prevent similar disasters from occurring in the future, the Department of agriculture planted 217 millions trees with Civilian Conservation Corps. However farmers packed their few belongings into cars or trucks and headed west on Route 66. These migrants thought California and other parts of the West Coast as a Promised Land, where they could find work to harvesting crops. Nonetheless these big migrants crowd created competition in West Coast. By: Won-Jin Chang

 Analyze the involvement of minorities and women in the New Deal and its impact upon them.
Although the New Deals had originally been established in order to help people of all genders and races, some programs failed to do so by discriminating against certain groups of people. There were many programs that did allow African Americans to be eligible for positions, but despite this many states continued to segregate the opportunities given to whites and blacks. The depression only increased the pre-existing racial tensions that existed throughout the United States. This was done through things like setting the wages lower for African Americans compared to whites which led many black leaders to refer to the NRA as the "Negro Run Around" or the "Negroes Ruined Again". While the African Americans did have associations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), President Roosevelt feared a political backlash from the Democrats in the South. With the start of the Great Depression, it was difficult to make major advancements with the civil right legislations but regardless of this more than 100 African Americans were able to acquire jobs and hold power in a variety of careers such as being educators, newspaper editors, social workers and legal scholars. There was even a core group of American American government officials that were involved in the Federal Council for Negro Affairs, and they became known as the Black Cabinet. A majority of these successes and appointments were due to Eleanor Roosevelt who was known for being a champion for civil rights. Many African Americans felt like she strangely understoof their struggles. This was clearly shown when she resigned her longtime membership from the Daughters of the Revolution (DAR) association after they refused to let Marian Anderson, a world-famous African American singer, perform at Washington Hall. She then organized a free concert for Marian Anderson to perform where over 75,000 came to watch her sing. Another minority that was impacted by the New Deals were the American Indians. They had to suffer poor conditions, with most of them having inadequate housing, and poor health care. The malnutrition of many American Indians on top of everything else created a demoralizing situation for this minority. This led to the creation of the American Indian Defense Association which organized the fight preserve religious freedom and the American Indian's right to tribal property. By: Jennifer Park

=== Explain renewed efforts to protect the environment during the Great Depression and evaluate their success in places such as the Dust Bowl and the Tennessee Valley. === During great depression a lot people had to live poorly because many people lost jobs, and they suffered from diseases, and flood. To overcome this situation president Roosevelt decided to create Tennessee Valley Authority. George Norris was the government who influenced the most about this project to Roosevelt. Roosevelt thought, Tennessee Valley project had a lot of potentials. This project provided great amount of electricity, and recreational facilities for region and TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) could be able to prevent from flood. Also TVA provided new social life to a lot of citizens because it strived malaria, illiteracy, and soil erosion and it improved people to live their life in higher circumstances. TVA did not only improved Tennessee. It improved part of Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, and small part of Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia. A lot of farmers in the United States were the victims of Dust Bowl. This disaster was recorded as one of the worst drought in the United States. However this disaster killed many plants and caused clouds of dust darkened the skies at noon, crept into houses through little cracks, and veiled hundreds miles out to ocean. Therefore Roosevelt started to prevent similar disasters from something like Dust Bowl. Department of Agriculture made programs in soil erosion control and planted 217 million of trees with Civilian Conservation Corps. That was really great plan and worked out really well. By 1939, the amounts of dried farmland have decreased dramaticly. But one of the sad part was a lot of victims from Dust Bowl have left to West Coast. By: Won-Jin Chang

 Identify the leading opponents of New Deal policies and assess their arguments.
Critics thought increasing in federal spending reduced some unemployment and prevented the recession from worsening. In just few months, industrial production fell by 40 percent and unemployment rose by 4 million stock prices plunged 48 percent. Republican claimed that the new deal was pointless because the Recession of 1937 brought back 1934 levels of unemployment. Also Roosevelt ruined theme of capitalism. Business leaders were frustrated because conservative judges with attacks on the New Deal as a threat to individual liberty, while critics on the radical left and right contradicted those charges by rejecting the New Deal as too closely tied to the prevailing capitalist system to enact necessary reforms. Conservatives thought Recession of 1937 it was caused by attacks on business and by the huge strikes caused by the organizing activities and the American Federation of Labor (AFL). It was pointless to make all the labor unions and it worsened society and economy. The new projects limiting the production goods of farmers was not good for middle class and low class because crops' price went up dramatically. Also some people did not have job; therefore, they could not afford their own foods. By: Won-Jin Chang

 How effective was the New Deal in ending the Great Depression?
The New Deal failed to end the Great Depression. The reason why is controversial. Some people believed that deficit spending (spending more money than you have) cannot pull a country out of a depression. Others believed that the New Deal ended too soon (1937), and that if FDR had let it keep on going it would have stopped the Great Depression and let the economy go back to normal again.

The New Deal did help to some degree, such as by providing jobs (e.g. CCC and WPA) and immediate aid. The New Deal also started a lot of government programs such as Social Security and the FDIC which many Americans still depend on today. However, the biggest factor to the end of the Great Depression was WWII. This was because when the U.S. entered the war, the government needed planes, guns, uniforms, and other materials for the war effort. This caused a huge demand for jobs and the economy was able to recover because people could work and make money again.

World War II : building war machines/weapons Guns Planes Ships Tanks …people were able to get jobs By: Brenda Han



<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> How did New Deal agencies use photography to promote their goals?
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Photographs taken during the new deal portrayed the lives of everyday Americans. Many of the photographers who took these pictures were promoted by President Roosevelt in the hopes that they would support the federal government and the decisions that they made. In response to the President, many photographers took off around the country capturing the chaotic living conditions of citizens within the United States. Roosevelt was convinced that these photographs would help silence the opposing arguments that were going against the newly established federal relief programs and influence them into eventually supporting the new deal programs. Accordingly, the intense images capturing the fraction of a second of the lives of many desolate, unemployed workers, famished children, and fatigued women were spread across the United States, promoting the New Deal agencies to achieve their goals. By: Jennifer Park

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> What common themes emerged in the novels, films, and plays of the New Deal Era?
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Common themes emerged in all aspects of the media including novels, films and plays during the New Deal Era. They played a significant role in the everyday lives of Americans. The media, full of repetitive themes, found a home in the hearts of Americans all across the United States helping them gain extreme popularity within the nation. One major theme that was used was the idea of escaping from reality into a type of utopia. It was extremely popoular most likely because it was the time of day where Americans could forget the troubles and hardships that they were facing and drift off into another peaceful life. These optimistic films did just that for the people who watched them, made them optimistic about their own lives. It gave them a sort of enlightenment, establishing hope in the minds of many. This was done through films such as Gold-Digger and the Wizard of Oz. Another sought after theme was the criticizing of the government and the wealthy. The role of the federal government in the United States was heavily denounces in films such as Mr. Deed Goes to Town and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. The upper-class was also portrayed in a very negative way with plays like The Little Foxes, where the greediness of the wealthy class were brought to light. Despite the situation of the United States however, media conveying depression was surprisingly popular among the Americans. Although it didn't make the viewers most optimistic or give them someone to blame for all of their problems, it was the easiest to relate to because of the situation that they were undergoing. The struggle for Americans to overcome their poor living conditions was portrayed by writers in novels such as the Grapes of Wrath, which is about a poor family traveling from the Dust Bowl to California in the hopes of restarting their lives. Films also portrayed this popular theme like Gone with the Wing, which depicts two lovers struggling through the wars and the chaos of the economy.