The New Deal FDR’s Plan to pull America out of the Great Depression

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Herbert Hoover “The only trouble with capitalism is Capitalist!” 4 Prior to the Depression, Hoover was perhaps the most qualified person to ever serve as president. 4 Nickname: “The Master of Emergencies” 4 Historians say that whoever was president in 1929, would’ve been voted out…And whoever ran for president in 1932 would’ve won. 4 “In Hoover We Trusted, Now We’re Busted” 4 FDR was in right place at the right time.

The Rise of FDR 4 FDR lived a privileged life, in contrast to most average Americans in the United States. –FDR grew up in a Hyde Park estate in central New York. –Wealthy parents; Traveled improve his Life/Education. –According to college classmates, he was a snob, eating at private clubs, living the “high life”. 4 Christian values: Simplicity, honesty, hard work, and compassion for the poor. –His mother taught him the wealthy/privileged had an obligation to serve the public. –Practiced private law, New York state senator, Ran as VP candidate in 1924, New York Governor, Asst. Sec’y Navy.

The Presidential Election of American public overwhelmingly elected FDR in “Happy Days are Here Again & a “New Deal” Happy Days are here again, The skies above are clear again Let us sing a song of cheer again, Happy Days are here again! All together shout it now, there’s no one who can doubt it now So let’s tell the world about it now, Happy Days are here again! Your cares and troubles are gone, ther’ll be no more from now on Oh happy days are here again, the skies above are clear again Let us sing the song of cheer again, Happy Days are here again!

March After winning the election in November of 1932, a reporter asked the new President-Elect… –“Mr. President, what do you have in mind for this ‘so called’ New Deal?” –‘Dear, I have no idea…But we’ll figure something out.’ 4 First day in office focused on mobilizing Fed. Gov. to rescue the nation from the Great Depression. –Promised to execute the New Deal “promptly, fearlessly, & generously to all people.” –Govt policies based on the needs of “the forgotten, the unrecognized but the indispensable units of economic power … and the forgotten man at the bottom of the econ. Pyramid,” not govt officials. 4 First, he declared a bank holiday the day after he took office and wanted to prevent Americans from panicking and withdrawing their money.

The Only Thing We Have To Fear… Restoring Hope in America A. In March of 1933, FDR was a National Hero—he was the “answer” people were looking for. 1. People were excited to see what was in store for America 2. Will Rogers, a famous comedian of the day… “The whole country is behind him, just so he does something. If he burned down the Capital, we would all cheer and say, ‘Well, at least he could get a fire started anyway.’ ” 3. In his inauguration in March, he declared: “Executive and Legislative branches may have to depart from their normal balance of authority to get America started again.” 4. All together, there were 3 New Deals

*Financial Reform National Banking Holiday 4 Called a special session of Cong and created Emergency Banking Relief Act & the Economy Act –Designed to prevent banks from closing –Deposited $1 billion in 3 months –By Summer of 1933, 3/4 of banks reopened; FDIC—Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 4 Insured deposit accounts up to $5,000 4 Today = $250,000…Increased confidence in banking

Fireside Chats 13 “fireside chats” to gain America’s trust. Personable, informal talks delivered thru the radio. Explained the simple idea behind each reform. Listen To Fireside Chat on banking crisis

SEC—Securities and Exchange Commission 4 Only allows certain amount of stock to be bought/sold 4 If the markets fall below “x”, the market will close 4 Banks are only allowed “x” $$ to be withdrawn per day HOLC—Home Owners Loan Corporation 4 Increased life of loans on mortgages in America 4 Also, allows for cheaper house payments FCA—Farm Credit Administration 4 Allowed farmers to extent the credit of their farm loans 4 Lowered interest on farm mortgage payments 4 Created subsidies –Burn crops, Pour out thousands of gallons of milk, butcher millions of livestock

FERA—Federal Emergency Relief Administration 4 Direct aid to poor Americans / jobless people / homeless 4 For every $1 state spent, Fed Govt would spend $3 4 Most people did not like this… THEY WANTED JOBS!! –CWA—Civil Works Administration Raking leaves / Picking up litter / Planting flowers –CCC—Civilian Conservation Corps Summer ,000 young men, 17 to 24 employed Glorified “Boy Scouts” who worked in Nat’l Parks & Forests Planting trees, repairing park facilities, building wilderness trails, stocking fish in lakes and rivers. $30 per month, provided shelter, food, clothing and educational materials. By 1939, 2.5 mil men put to work, (10% African-Am) Job Recovery

Men working on a CCC project

–NRA – National Industrial Recovery Act $3 billion in Federal Spending Roads, tunnels, housing projects –Created tens-of-thousands of jobs. –TVA—Tennessee Valley Authority Flood relief in Tennessee Hydro-Electric Plants and Dams –*WPA—Works Progress Administration Built homes, schools, buildings, roads, parks Nickname: “Work Pays Americans” *Most successful of all work projects

Song, song of the south Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth Gone, gone with the wind There ain't nobody looking back again Cotton on the roadside, cotton in the ditch We all picked the cotton but we never got rich Daddy was a veteran, a southern democrat They oughta get a rich man to vote like that Song, song of the south Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth Gone, gone with the wind There ain't nobody looking back again

Well somebody told us Wall Street fell But we were so poor that we couldn't tell Cotton was short and the weeds were tall But Mr. Roosevelt's a gonna save us all Well momma got sick and daddy got down The county got the farm & they moved to town Pappa got a job with the TVA He bought a washing machine and then a Chevrolet

Song, song of the south Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth Gone, gone with the wind There ain't nobody looking back again

4 AAA—Agricultural Adjustment Act –$ to farmers to reduce crop yields –Later ruled unconstitutional by USSC 4 AAA encouraged farmers to plow under and burn millions of acres of crops to diminish supply & raise prices. –Farmers were given $1.5 billion in subsidies –Very Controversial – Reports that 6 mil hogs destroyed, surpluses of wheat & cotton burned. Farm Relief

Cartoon 4 What do you see here? 4 What does the sick, elderly man represent? 4 The Woman? 4 The Doctor? 4 How is the Doctor trying to help the man? 4 Why are there so many many bottles on the table? 4 What do they symbolize? 4 What message do you think the cartoonist intended to convey? 4 We see a pol cartoon showing FDR as a doctor administering a multitude of medicines from his New Deal remedies bag to an ailing Uncle Sam. A matronly woman - Congress - watches hopefully. The cartoon suggests that the U.S. government, under the direction of FDR, was willing to try everything to make the depressed economy healthy.

What Brought Down FDR 4 No More Newness –By 1939, the “newness” of FDR was beginning to fade. –Congress had begun to re-assert their role in making, and several of FDR’s work programs had be declared unconstitutional. 4 His Supreme Court Plan or “Court Packing” –For every justice over 50, he would add one additional justice of his own. –As the old justices died off, or retired, he then would get to add even more justices. 4 Too Far –This was the limit for some, and historians ultimately say is perhaps the biggest flaw of his presidency. –FDR narrowly won re-election in 1940 due to the looming onset of what would become known as World War II.

Critics of the New Deal 4 New Deal Critics –People in 1935 thought that FDR was not doing enough for the country Frances E. Townsend –$200 / mo by govt –Spend it each month to stimulate the economy Father Charles Coughlin –Nationalize the banking system –Would allow the govt to control the banks = no depression - National Union for Social Justice

Every Man A King Huey P. Long 4 “Share-Our-Wealth Plan” 4 “Robin Hood” idea that took money from the rich, and gave to the poor –$250 / month –$5000 to buy home –Free college education –Pension for the retirement ages / Securing the future 4 Running as 3rd party candidate for election in 1936 –Assassinated in 1935 / Probably would’ve won

Other Critics of the New Deal 4 The American Liberty League –Formed by billionaires and Big Businesses –Attacked FDR for taking their tax cuts they had enjoyed under Hoover and the Republicans –Complained about “sovietizing” the New York Stock Exchange, railroads, radios, elect power, INDUSTRIAL LABOR. 4 General Motors and General Foods –Questioned his “socialist” leanings. –They were concerned about skyrocketing federal deficit.

4.2F: Legacy of the New Deal 4 Based on the graphs, describe the economy in the late 1920s. 4 How do the data from the late 1920s compare to those of 1933 when FDR took office? 4 What effect did the New Deal have on GNP, unemployment, business failures by the late 1930s? 4 What happened to the federal debt between 1933 & 1938, the year before WWII began in Europe? 4 Based on these figures, was FDR’s New Deal successful? 4 How did U.S. entry into WWII in 1941 affect the economy? 4 Which impacted the economy more, the New Deal or WWII? 4 Why?

4.2F: Legacy of the New Deal 4 Second Hundred Days 4 Despite criticism, FDR and Cong continued to enact experimental New Deal policies and programs. 4 FDR/Cong pumped $1 bil into economy. 4 Supreme Court Battle 4 Supreme Court ruled many acts unconstitutional. 4 NIRA especially was ruled unconstitutional 4 ‘37 FDR asked Cong to allow him to appoint 6 new justices (old-age and slow) 4 Packing the court only offended all segments of society.

Legacy of the New Deal 4 New Deal came to an end in ‘38. 1) FDR leadership reshaped the role of the presidency. –Strength, dignity, independence like no other position in the world. –Centralization of power in the Oval Office (federal power) 4 2) Fed gov and its role in American’s lives grew larger –Had more direct contact with the people - Welfare State. 4 3) FDR and Eleanor –ushered in women into more prominent national roles. 4 4) Social Security (SSA), SEC (Stock Mkt) and FDIC (Banks) –old-aged care by the gov, regulation of stock market, deficit spending, insured banking deposits.

4.2F: Legacy of the New Deal 4 Did it work? Yes and No. –Yes: It restored hope, and “kickstarted” the economy via govt spending –No: The real soultion to the end of the GD was WW II 4 Unemployment –It did drop, business failures declined, farmers benefited from subsidies, public’s confidence in banks was increased. 4 Government Aide –Millions benefited from aide by the programs. –However, success was limited. 4 WWII –Often credited with moving the U.S. economy from surviving to thriving. 4 Overall Report Card Grade –B – –FDR and the New Deal can be applauded for bold activism and creative experimentation in the search for solutions.