1. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
The New Deal

2. President Hoover and the Depression
President Hoover was criticized for not doing more to end the depression.
Unemployment reached 25%
Banking system collapsed
Offered relief checks and job programs but they were too little, too late
By the election of 1932, Americans wanted hope and strong leadership

3. FDR Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was elected in 1932
He was a Democrat
He promised a “New Deal” for the U.S.

4. FDR beats Hoover

5. Unemployment in the U.S.

6. The New Deal
A series of laws that were designed to fight the depression:
Relief: gov’t relief checks & jobs to get people back to work
Recovery: tried to end the depression by stimulating industry and farming
Reform: long-term solutions to America’s economic problems

7. The Hundred Days
In his 1st 100 days in office, FDR & Congress passed 15 major laws
His first action was to address the bank crisis – to try and get people to have faith in banks again
He declared a 4-day bank holiday after which banks were allowed to re-open only after gaining permission from the government
Banks recovered and Americans slowly regained confidence in banks

8. Bank holiday

9. Fireside Chats
FDR used the radio to sell his New Deal programs to the American people
These “Fireside Chats” used simple, clear language to explain his New Deal programs and gain public support for these goals.
Fireside Chat – YouTube

10. New Deal: Relief
The greatest success of the New Deal was its ability to offer relief to unemployed citizens:
The gov’t provided relief checks to 15% of Americans
Created jobs
Created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a work program to help young men aged 18-25, build roads, soil erosion projects, and parks
Employed 3 million young men

11. Americans receiving relief checks

12. ccc

13. New Deal: Reforms
Long-Term reforms to address weaknesses in the American economy
Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) was created to regulate the stock market & prevent another stock market crash
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was created to help restore public confidence in banks; the gov’t insures money in bank accounts up to $250,000
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) created hydroelectric power plants in the South, dams in 7 states to provide cheap power and to create jobs.

14. The TVA

15. TVA

16. New Deal: Recovery
Tried to stimulate the economy and end the depression
Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) tried to help farmers by paying them not to produce
This lowered supply and the gov’t hoped to increase crop prices
The New Deal began in 1933, but by 1935 the depression had not yet come to an end

17. aaa

18. FDR’s Critics
The failure of the New Deal to end the depression led to frustration and criticism of FDR’s programs
The most vocal critic was Louisiana Senator Huey Long
Long’s “Share the Wealth” plan suggested taxing all personal income over $1 million to give each family $2,500 per year
The Supreme Court declared 2 recovery programs unconstitutional
FDR feared that the Supreme Court would weaken the New Deal
His solution was to increase the number of justices from 9-15 (called court-packing)
Congress rejected his radical plan

19. The Second New Deal 1935-1938 In 1935 FDR launched the Second New Deal
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was the biggest New Deal program
Created 10 million jobs in various professions and cost the government $10 billion
Social Security was America’s first welfare program
Old-age pensions to be funded by employers & workers
Welfare payments for the blind, handicapped, & needy children
Wagner Act protected workers right to strike & collectively bargain
Outlawed unfair practices used by companies to discourage union membership

21. Alphabet soup

22. Court packing

23. New Role for the U.S. Gov’t
For the 1st time the gov’t used deficit spending (going into debt) to stimulate the economy
For the 1st time the gov’t took responsibility for the people and created welfare programs
New Deal successfully offered relief to ease peoples’ suffering, but it did not end the depression

24. End of the New Deal
The U.S. was launched into WWII after Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese on December 7, 1941

25. FDR – other changes
campaigned in favor of a strong United Nations, so his victory symbolized support for the nation's future participation in the international community
Elected 4 times!
Washington set the convention of a two-term limit for presidents and this amendment made it law
22nd Amendment- no president may serve more than 2 terms

26. Eleanor Roosevelt
FDR’s wife Eleanor went directly into American towns to experience, first hand, how Americans were living.
She would go back and report to her husband.
She was one of his most important advisors.
She was a symbol of social progress and women’s activism