1. The New Deal

2. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s plan/program to alleviate the problems of the Great Depression focusing on relief for the needy, economic recovery and financial reform

3. FDR: The Man ► Distant cousin of Pres. T.R. ► More than any other president— popularly known by his initials ► Only child of a wealthy NY family

4. ► Paralyzed by polio in 1921

5. FDR: Greatest Strengths ► Warm personality ► Speaking style ► Leadership

6. Eleanor Roosevelt ► Most active first lady in American history ► Wrote newspaper columns, gave speeches, traveled the country ► Served as the president’s social conscience & influenced him to support minorities and the less fortunate

8. New Deal Philosophy ► In his campaign for president (1932), FDR offered vague promises but no concrete programs ► FDR did not have a detailed plan for ending the depression ► Committed to action & willing to experiment with political solutions to economic problems

9. New Deal ► During the early years of FDR’s presidency, it became clear that his New Deal programs were to serve the three R’s...

10. New Deal: ► Relief for people out of work ► Recovery for business & the economy ► Reform of American economic institutions

11. Recovery ► FDR’s first two years in office were largely focused on achieving one of the three R’s: recovery ► Financial recovery programs included: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the Public Works Administration (PWA)...

12. Brain Trust ► In giving shape to his New Deal, FDR relied on a group of advisers who had assisted him while he was governor of NY ► Roosevelt turned to a group of university professors, known as the Brain Trust

14. Advisers ► The people FDR appointed to administrative positions were the most diverse in US history ► Record number of African Americans, Catholics, Jews & women

15. Perkins: Woman of Vision ► His Secretary of Labor was Frances Perkins ► First female cabinet secretary

16. The First Hundred Days ► With the nation desperate & close to the brink of panic, the Democratic Congress looked to the president for leadership ► Immediately after being sworn into office (1933) Roosevelt called Congress into a 100 day long special session

17. The First 100 Days ► During this brief period, Congress passed into law every request of FDR ► Enacted more major legislation than any single Congress in history ► So numerous were the new laws & agencies—they were referred to by their initials (WPA, AAA, CCC...)

22. Bank Holiday ► In early 1933, banks were failing at a frightening rate, as depositors flocked to withdraw funds ► To restore confidence in banks, FDR ordered the banks closed for a bank holiday (March 6, 1933)

24. Bank Holiday ► FDR went on the radio to explain that banks would be reopened after allowing enough time for the govt to reorganize them on a sound basis

25. Fireside Chats