The New Deal The New Deal by Peter

The New Deal

“The New Deal” by Peter Beinhart l As you read the article, in Box #4 of your Bell Work Sheet cite the article in response to the following prompts. Highlight or underline these quotes on the article itself. !!! – Surprise: What do you learn from this article that you did not know before? ? – Question: What is one question that you have regarding a portion of the article? Thumbs Up: What is one idea in the article that you strongly agree with? Thumbs Down: What is one idea in the article that you strongly disagree with? Finally, Answer the following question: Do you believe that Barack Obama will have the same amount of success as President Franklin D. Roosevelt did, who was elected four times as president? Why or Why not? (At least 1 sentence)

Franklin D. Roosevelt l Democratic President of the USA from 1933 to 1945; a distant cousin of Theodore, Roosevelt is the only man to be elected president 4 times and led the country through the Great Depression and World War II.

Eleanor Roosevelt l Eleanor Roosevelt – Wife of FDR and niece of Theodore Roosevelt; Eleanor was deeply involved in political affairs, acting as FDR’s “eyes and ears” and representing the President often times in public.

New Deal l Franklin D. Roosevelt’s promise to combat the Great Depression in 1932; Roosevelt’s New Deal included 15 bills passed by Congress to achieve three goals: provide relief, aid recovery, and enact reform.

Fireside Chats l Informal radio speeches given by President Roosevelt to the American people in which Roosevelt explained his New Deal Programs, calming Americans and winning their support.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation l Government organization created during the New Deal which insured bank deposits up to $5, 000, hoping to build American confidence in the banking system.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) l Government agency created in 1933 which built a series of dams on the Tennessee River to control floods and generate electric power. The TVA also replanted forests, built fertilizer plants, and created jobs.

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) l New Deal Organization which provided jobs for more than 2 million American young men, completing public works such as replanting forests, building trails, digging irrigation ditches, and fighting fires.

National Recovery Administration l Called “The most important legislation ever enacted by Congress” by FDR, the NRA brought business and labor leaders together to create codes that established minimum wages for workers and minimum prices for goods to ensure fair competition in business.

Public Works Administration l New Deal organization which built bridges, dams, power plants, and government buildings to improve the nation’s infrastructure and create millions of new jobs.

Charles Coughlin / Huey Long l Charles Coughlin – Roman-Catholic Priest and critic of FDR; Coughlin accused FDR of not doing enough to fight the depression. Coughlin argued for the nationalization of all industry and blamed Jews and Communists for America’s problems. l Huey Long – Louisiana Senator and popular critic of the New Deal; Long argued for his “Share Out Wealth” program, proposing high taxes on the wealthy and large corporations, and the redistribution of their income to poor Americans.

Second New Deal / Works Progress Administration l Second New Deal – (1935) Set of laws & programs sponsored by FDR to address problems of the elderly & unemployed, creating new public-works projects, enacting measures to protect worker’s rights and establishing a welfare program for all American citizens. l Works Progress Administration – Enacted in the Spring of 1935, Congress approved $5 Billion used to build highways, dredge rivers and harbors, promote soil and water conservation, & fund art programs nationwide.

John Maynard Keynes / Pump Printing l John Maynard Keynes – British economist who argued that deficit spending (government spending more money that it has) was needed to end the depression. l Pump Printing – Keynes theory that putting people to work on public projects put money in the hands of consumers who would buy more goods, stimulating the economy.

Social Security Act l Second New Deal legislation which created a pension system for the elderly, established insurance for workers who lost their jobs & victims of work-related accidents, and provided aid for poverty-stricken mothers & children, the blind, and the disabled.

Wagner Act / Fair Labor Standards Act l Wagner Act – Second New Deal legislation which recognized the right of employees to join labor unions and gave workers the right to collective bargaining, meaning that employers had to negotiate with unions. l Fair Labor Standards Act (1938) – Established a minimum wage (25 cents/hour), a maximum workweek (44 hours), and outlawed child labor.

Congress of Industrial Organizations l Organized by John L. Lewis, the president of the United Mine Workers, the CIO recruited workers who were lower paid and more ethnically diverse than the workers represented by the American Federation of Labor (AFL).

Congress of Industrial Organizations

Sit-down Strike / Court Packing l Sit-down Strike – Protest in which workers refuse to leave the workplace until a settlement is reached between themselves and management; In 1936 members of the United Automobile Workers Union (UAW) carried on a 44 -day strike, forcing GM to negotiate. l Court Packing – In 1937, following several Supreme Court rulings against New Deal programs, Roosevelt suggested that 6 new judges be added to the court. Critics accused Roosevelt of attempting to overrule the courts. However, before the new judges were added the Supreme Court began ruling in FDR’s favor, and the idea of adding 6 judges was dropped.

Black Cabinet / Mary Mc. Leod Bethume l Black Cabinet – A group of African American leaders who FDR invited to advise him regarding the needs of the African American community during the Great Depression. l Mary Mc. Leod Bethume – School teacher, founder of Bethune Cookman College, member of the Black Cabinet, and champion of racial equality; Bethume became the first black woman to lead a federal agency as director of Negro Affairs Youth Administration during FDR’s presidency.

Indian New Deal / New Deal Coalition l Indian New Deal – Program developed by John Collier, Roosevelt’s Commissioner of Indian Affairs, which gave Indians economic assistance and greater control over their own affairs in the 1930’s, overturning the Dawes Act by restoring tribal control over Native American land. l New Deal Coalition – Supporters of FDR, including southern whites, northern blue-collar workers, poor Midwestern farmers, and African Americans. These groups formed the backbone of the Democratic Party.

Welfare State l A government that assumes responsibility for providing for the welfare of children and the poor, elderly, sick, disabled, and unemployed; FDR’s 1 st and 2 nd New Deal Programs made the USA a welfare state.

The Wizard of Oz l (1939) One of the most memorable depression-era films; Oz provided an escape for Americans from the difficulties of every day life in the Great Depression, promising audiences that dreams “really do come true. ”

Frank Capra l Movie director whose films, such as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington starring James Stewart, celebrated American idealism and the triumph of the common man over the forces of adversity.

War of the Worlds l (October 30, 1938) Radio drama directed by Orson Welles which was so realistic that many people believed Martians were actually invading. Panic gripped the country until announcers insisted that it was all make-believe.

Federal Art Project / Murals / Dorothea Lange l Federal Art Project – Special branch of the Work Progress Administration (WPA) established by administrator Harry Hopkins to provide artists with work. Artists often painted huge murals (paintings drawn directly on walls), celebrating the accomplishments of workers who helped build the nation. l Dorothea Lange – Photographer hired by the Farm Security Administration (FSA) to create powerful images of impoverished farmers & migrant workers.

Dorothea Lange Photographs

John Steinbeck / Lillian Hellman l John Steinbeck – Author of the most famous novel of 1930 s America, The Grapes of Wrath, which follows the fictional Joad family’s escape from the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma to the “Promised Land” of California, where they encounter exploitation, disease, hunger, and political corruption. l Lillian Hellman – Important Depression-Era American playwright who wrote plays featuring strong roles for women and socially conscious subject matter.