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CHAPTER TELESCOPING THE TIMES The 15 CHAPTER OVERVIEW President Roosevelt launches a program aiming to end the Depression. The Depression and his New Deal have profound effects. Summary

1 A New Deal Fights Roosevelt launched the Second New Deal to pro- the Depression vide additional relief to farmers and workers. MAIN IDEA After becoming president, Franklin Delano Helping him maintain popularity was his wife, Roosevelt used government programs to combat the Eleanor. The president easily won re-election in Depression. 1936. n the 1932 election, Franklin Delano The Supreme Court had struck down the first IRoosevelt—or FDR—won a landslide victory, New Deal act to help farmers. In the Second New and Democrats took control of the House and Deal, Roosevelt won passage of new laws aimed at Senate. His policies were called the New Deal. The conserving soil, providing loans, and offering mort- first step was to reform banking: many were clos- gage relief. A new agency, the Works Progress ing, causing panic. The new president tried to end Administration (WPA), was started to fund projects the crisis by temporarily closing banks and passing that would create jobs. Between 1935 and 1943, it a number of new laws. He reassured the nation in a gave jobs to more than 8 million people. They built radio “fireside chat” that explained his policies. public buildings, made clothes and constructed or Roosevelt acted to help farmers and other repaired 651,000 miles of roads and streets. workers. The Agricultural Adjustment Act raised The Second New Deal tried to help workers by food prices. Other agencies hired jobless workers setting a national minimum wage, limiting the work for conservation or building projects. An agency week, and requiring employers to pay overtime. was created to help the needy. The National The Wagner Act recognized workers’ right to orga- Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) promoted industri- nize unions. al growth. The Tennessee Valley Authority brought The Second New Deal also set up the social flood control and electricity to a poor region. security system. It made payments to retirees, dis- The president’s actions were attacked by liberals abled workers, the unemployed, and families with as not enough and by conservatives as too radical. dependent children. When the Supreme Court overturned the NIRA Finally, the Second New Deal included the and another New Deal law, Roosevelt proposed a Rural Electrification Administration. It provided plan to add his own justices to the Court. It failed. more electrical power in rural areas. Eventually the Court backed the New Deal, but the court scheme cost him support. 3 The New Deal Affects Three critics of Roosevelt rose to prominence. Many Groups Father Charles Coughlin blasted the president on MAIN IDEA The New Deal policies and actions affected his popular radio show. Dr. Francis Townsend pro- various social and ethnic groups. posed a national pension for the elderly. Huey omen benefited from the New Deal. Long, a politician from Louisiana, proclaimed a Agencies did not discriminate in hiring, giv- plan called “.” W ing many women new opportunities. Roosevelt named the first female cabinet secretary—Frances 2 The Second New Perkins—and appointed many women judges. McDougal Littell Inc. All rights reserved. Deal Takes Hold Women still struggled against discrimination, how- © MAIN IDEA The Second New Deal included new pro- ever. Agencies and businesses did not hire women grams to extend federal aid and stimulate the nation's in proportion to their numbers in the population, economy. and women continued to be paid less than men. he economy improved, but not enough. T Buoyed by Democratic gains in Congress,

The New Deal 29 30 Name D ate posters,murals,andother publicworksofart. WPA, theFederalArtsProject, paidartiststocre- ter andvaluesofthepeople.Onebranch or upliftingmessagesaboutthestrengthofcharac- sober, offeringseriouscritiquesof Americansociety his “firesidechats”onseveraloccasions. shows. PresidentRooseveltaddressedthenationin by theirradioeacheveningtohearfavorite our andsophistication.Familiestypicallygathered musicals. Hollywoodbecameidentifiedwithglam- movies offereddrama,comedies,andentertaining population wenttoamovieonceweek.The households ownedradios,and65percentofthe violent. often hadtostrike.Sometimesthestrikesturned Industrial Organizations(CIO).To wingains,labor Labor (AFL)toformanewgroup,theCongressof unions, splitfromtheAmericanFederationof W 3 tomorethan10million.TheUnitedMine the 1930s,unionmembershipsoaredfromlessthan laws madeiteasierforworkerstoorganize.During Labor wasakeypartofthiscoalition.NewDeal voters, AfricanAmericans,andunionizedworkers. new politicalcoalitionofSouthernwhites,urban American landclaims. Indian ReorganizationAct,strengtheningNative Commissioner ofIndianAffairshelpedpassthe Deal. MexicanAmericansdid,too.Roosevelt’s most AfricanAmericansbackedhimandtheNew Despite thislackofvigoroussupportforcivilrights, feared losingthesupportofwhiteSoutherners. pressed forfullcivilrightsAfricanAmericans;he advise thepresident.Roosevelt,however, never and organizedanunofficial“BlackCabinet”to helped blacksgainaccesstotheagency’s programs Affairs oftheNationalYouth Association.She woman, becameheadoftheDivisionNegro blossomed duringtheNewDeal. MAIN IDEA 4 orkers andUnitedAutoWorkers, withsomeother The artandliteratureofthe1930swasmore Culture ofthe1930s Roosevelt andtheDemocraticpartyforgeda Mary McLeodBethune,anAfrican-American Unit industries flourished.About90percentofall uring theDepression,radioandfilm 4 Motion pictures,radio,art,andliterature , Chapter 15 B His novel famous authoroftheperiodwasJohnSteinbeck. work fundedbytheFederalWriters’ Project.A communities acrossthecountry. Somewritershad The FederalTheaterProjectbroughtdramato only inthe1930sbutalsodecadesthatfollowed. MAIN IDEA 5. Evaluatetheimpactof NewDeal. 4. WhattrendsshapedAmericancultureduringthe 3. HowdidtheNewDealaffectvariousgroups? 2. DescribepoliciesoftheSecondNewDeal. 1. DescribeactionstakeninthefirstNewDeal. Review Authority. rity andthecreationofTennessee Valley longest-lasting NewDealprogramsaresocialsecu- environmental protectionefforts.Perhapsthe Americans arestillbenefitingfromRoosevelt’s begun undertheNewDealarestillinaction,and for decades.Manybankingandfinancereforms a programofpricesupportsthatremainedineffect workers tounionizeandaidedfarmersbycreating Depression’s harshestyears.Itboostedtherightsof ing ofmanypeople,strugglinginthemidst the federalgovernment.Italsorelievedsuffer- and reformingit. between preservingtheexistingeconomicsystem Supporters saythatRooseveltmanagedabalance enough inrestructuringtheeconomyandwealth. life. LiberalssaythattheNewDealdidn’t gofar ment grewtoolargeandextendedintoeveryday vatives saythatunderRooseveltthefederalgovern- Roosevelt didnotrestoretheNewDeal. did, andtheeconomyfellbackagain.However, Roosevelt tocutbackonNewDealprograms.He than earlierinthedecade.Manypoliticianspushed was over. Unemployment,stillhigh,wasmuchless ing causedbytheDustBowl. 5 Depression? The ImpactoftheNewDeal The NewDealdidresultinexpandedpowerfor Opinion ontheNewDealstilldiffers.Conser- convince manyAmericansthattheDepression y 1937,theeconomyhadrecoveredenoughto The NewDealaffectedAmericansocietynot The GrapesofWrath The NewDeal showed thesuffer- continued

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