The New Deal Affects Many Groups Chapter 23

The New Deal Affects Many Groups Chapter 23 Section 3

Women Gains – Women were appointed to important federal positions; slight increase in the number of women working outside the home in salesclerk and secretary positions Problems – Discrimination in the work place, factories; discriminatory wages; discriminatory hiring practices because most Americans felt women should stay at home; competition from men for teaching and librarian positions; maids, seamstresses, and housekeepers w/o a job because people can’t afford to pay them; most found themselves at home canning food, sewing, and cooking

Eleanor Roosevelt o Was the “eyes and ears” for Mr. Roosevelt o Energetic first lady who traveled the country to meet with people, and returned to report back to the president o Encouraged her husband to make things more fair for women, blacks, Mexican-Americans, and other minorities o Just as her husband, she talked to the nation on the radio o Had a daily newspaper column

African Americans Part of the Black Cabinet Dr. William H. Hastie Robert Weaver Gains – Increased political voice through greater access to the president; organizations created for tenant farmers Problems – Segregation; racial violence; discrimination in all areas of life; poll taxes; loss of jobs; 1932 more than ½ of all blacks in the South were unemployed; one of the first to lose a job in the factories of the North

Mexican-Americans o Before the Depression many worked in the SW as migrants and were very much welcomed into this role by the owners of the farms o When whites from other areas w/o a job came west Mexican-Americans were thrown out of a job and some were deported o The unfortunate thing was that some of the individuals who were deported by the government had been born in the U. S. and were citizens of this country

• Collier was a commissioner of Indian Affairs • He was a strong advocate of Native American rights • He helped create the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 The Indian New Deal – This restored some reservation lands to tribal ownership – Restricted tribal land sales – Put Indians to work building schools, hospitals, and irrigation systems – Encouraged Indian schools to teach Native American history & arts John Collier

The Dust Bowl http: //upload. wikimedia. org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Dust-storm-Texas-1935. png o 100 million acres were turned into a desert; in square miles that is about the size of California o Over plowing, overgrazing, and drought conditions for most of the 1930’s all played a part o “Black blizzards” made life miserable for people on the plains o Animals and people died as a result from inhaling too much dust or dirt into their lungs o Farms were ruined o Some families left, but most stayed and fought through

The Grapes of Wrath - 1939 What? – Novel Who? – John Steinbeck Theme - Difficulties of Oklahomans who leave the Dust Bowl for California

Okies Head West o In some areas of the Dust Bowl area as many as 1/3 of the population headed west o California was not welcoming o The Okies were competing with the migrant workers that were already there and poor whites from the area who needed jobs too http: //www. livinghistoryfarm. org/farminginthe 30 s/media/water 0601. jpg http: //capita. wustl. edu/namaerosol/Dust%20 Bowl%20 map_files/dbmapfinal. jpg

Arts and Media of the Depression

Gone With the Wind What? – Film (1939) or novel (1936) Theme? – Life among Southern plantation owners during the Civil War Purpose? – To take people’s minds off of reality!

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington What? – Film (1939) Theme – Honest, kindhearted people winning out over greedy special interests Purpose – To take mind off of reality and root for good versus evil!

The War of the Worlds What? – Radio drama (Halloween 1938) or books Who? – Orson Wells (or H. G. Wells) Theme – Martian invasion of earth

Arts and Literature during the Depression Diego Rivera 1886 - 1957 Inspired American artists to show dignity found in ordinary people at work.

American Artist – Edward Hopper

American Artist – Thomas Hart Benton

American Artist – Grant Wood