 The 1932 Presidential Election was a landslide.  Franklin Delano Roosevelt handily defeated the incumbent Herbert Hoover  In the 4 months between FDR’s election and his inauguration, he began developing a set of new policies aimed at attacking the Great Depression with a group of professors, lawyers, and journalists known as the “Brain Trust”

 March 9-June  Period of intense legislative activity in which 15 major pieces of New Deal legislation were passed by Congress  Significantly expanded the role of the Federal Government in the economy

 First goal was to reform banking and finance  Followed up these reforms by providing relief to struggling farmers and unemployed workers

 Conservatives felt that the New Deal gave the Federal Government too much power.  Liberals thought it didn’t go far enough to help the poor

 By 1935, FDR was looking for ways to build on the programs of the First New Deal.  The economy had improved but not as much as he would have liked  Unemployment was still high and production still lagged  Set another set of legislation in motion aimed at providing relief through work

 83 acres of land was donated to the Forest Preserve District of Cook County by Edith Rockefeller McCormick in 1919 for the creation of a zoo.  Work began in 1926 but halted due to the stock market crash  Project was abandoned until FDR instituted the New Deal

 Constructed by the PWA (Public Works Administration)  Opened in 1934  All advertisements/posters/promotional material were created by the WPA (Works Progress Administration), one of the largest and most successful New Deal Programs Construction of parks, roads, public buildings Also employed artists to create murals, posters, etc. and writers/journalists to record and archive historical events

 The conservative Supreme Court began striking down New Deal programs by 1935  Seeing this as a problem, FDR proposed a court-reform bill that would allow him to appoint 6 new justices (all of whom would be in favor of the New Deal)  Hotly contested in Congress where it was seen as a violation of the separation of powers

 Judicial reform proved to be unnecessary  An elderly justice retired, allowing FDR to appoint another liberal to the court  His problem was solved

 The idea of a Third New Deal was introduced by FDR, but he was not a fan of deficit spending  By 1937 the economy had improved enough that people thought the end of the Depression was near  FDR scaled back New Deal legislation considerably due to pressure from Congress

 By 1939 the New Deal was effectively over  Unemployment rose from 7.7 million to 10.4 million  FDR focused on Europe, particularly the rise of Hitler

 Did not end the Great Depression, but it did greatly reduce the suffering of thousands (still very controversial)  Provided regulation of banking and investment activities  Protection of workers’ rights  Social Security  Conservation efforts National Parks TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)