FDR and the New Deal America Gets Back to Work

Who was FDR? Franklin Delano Roosevelt Hyde Park, NY: Jan 30 1882 Started his political career as a state senator Married to his 5th cousin, Eleanor whose uncle was Theodore Roosevelt Stricken with Polio in 1921, paralyzed waist down His handicap gave him a greater compassion for people

Election of 1932: Hoover vs. Roosevelt The 1932 presidential election showed that Americans were clearly ready for a change Republicans re-nominated Hoover despite his low approval rating The Democrats nominated Franklin Delano Roosevelt

FDR has a Tremendous Victory

“All we have to fear is fear itself” FDR’s First Inaugural Address March 3, 1933

The New Deal Policies aimed at relieving the Great Depression The Three R’s: Relief, Recover & Reform Large intervention by federal government into economics, social welfare, banking & infrastructure

The Brains Trust Group of academic advisors that assisted FDR with policy Helped construct policies for the main goals; Relief, Recover & Reform 

Banking Relief March 6, 1933 – Bank holiday Emergency Banking Act Glass-Steagall Banking Act Federal Securities Act

Hundred Days March 9 to June 16 1933 Over 15 legislations were passed Expanded the role of the federal government in the economy Experimental programs aimed to get America back to work FDR a Voice of Hope

Fire Side Chats First March 12, 1933 Informal and relaxed Americans felt FDR was talking directly to them

American Aid Legislation/Alpahbet Agencies

Critics Emerge Liberals: New Deal did not go far enough Conservatives: Intervention was too much and interfered with America’s free market economy American Liberty League: Thought FDR was establishing a dictatorship

Supreme Court Reactions Court struck down NIRA and AAA FDR was troubled by rulings Proposed court reform before congress , came to be known as the “court-packing bill” Eventually ended up appointing 7 justices to the Supreme Court over his next 4 years.

Election of 1936 Alfred Landon: Republican FDR: Carried every state but Maine and Vermont First time that the majority of African Americans voted democratic and that labor unions gave united support to a single candidate

Second New Deal Although the economy had improved during FDR’s first term (1932-1936), the gains were not as great as expected Unemployment remained high and production still lagged Encouraged by Eleanor Relief for American workers

Helping American Workers FDR reinvigorated the AAA which provided aid for migrants, sharecroppers, and poor farmers FDR authorized more than $1 billion to help tenant farmers become landowners The WPA set out to create as many jobs as possible as quickly as possible Between 1935-1943, the WPA spent $11 billion to give jobs to 8 million workers National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)/ Wagner Act which protected workers, ensured collective bargaining and preserved the rights to unionize Fair Labor Standards Act: set maximum working hours at 44 per week and minimum wage at .25 per hour Social Security Act: Old age insurance for retirees Employment compensation system Aid to families with dependent children and the disabled

Today: Nevada $8.25 Highest: Seattle Washington $15.00 Lowest: $7.25 many states including, PA, TN, TX, VA, NH, ID, UT

Women in the New Deal Frances Perkins became America’s first female cabinet member (Secretary of Labor) Mary McLeod Bethune headed the Office of Minority Affairs and helped organize a “Black Cabinet” of influential African Americans to advise FDR on racial issues Eleanor was influential in her role as advisor to the president and was a civil rights activists and a humanitarian

African Americans and the New Deal A. Philip Randolph became head of the nation’s first all-black union – the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters FDR appointed over 100 African Americans to positions within the government William H. Hastie and Robert C. Weaver appointed to Department of Interior African Americans supported FDR but FDR fails to support civil rights

Native Americans and the New Deal John Collier became Commission of Indian Affairs Strong advocate of Native American rights The Reorganization Act of 1934 gave Natives Americans more ownership of reservations Government could no longer take unclaimed reservation land and sell it to non Native Americans Policy was moving away from assimilation towards autonomy