1. FDR and the New Deal
America Gets Back to Work

2. 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

3. 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

4. FDR has a Tremendous Victory

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

6. 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

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

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

9. 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

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

11. American Aid Legislation/Alpahbet Agencies

12. 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

13. 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.

14. 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

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

17. 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 , 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

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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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