How Succesful Was The First New Deal? Flashcards
Who is the only president in American history to have been elected four times?
Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)
FDR’s four terms in office were unprecedented in U.S. history.
In what year was Franklin D. Roosevelt first elected?
1932
FDR’s election marked the beginning of his influence on U.S. politics.
Until what year did Franklin D. Roosevelt dominate U.S. politics?
April 1945
FDR passed away shortly before the end of the Second World War.
What significant challenge did Franklin D. Roosevelt face in his personal life?
He was disabled due to polio
FDR contracted polio in 1921, which affected his mobility.
What was the economic condition of the USA when Franklin D. Roosevelt came to power?
The worst economic crisis in its history
This crisis is commonly referred to as the Great Depression.
What was the state of the USA when Franklin D. Roosevelt died?
On the verge of an Allied victory in the Second World War
FDR’s leadership contributed to the USA’s role in the war.
What notable achievement is Franklin D. Roosevelt known for in terms of his presidency?
He is the only disabled person to have served as president
FDR’s condition did not prevent him from leading the nation effectively.
Fill in the blank: Franklin D. Roosevelt was struck down with _______ in 1921.
polio
Polio severely impacted his physical abilities but not his political career.
What was the economic status of the USA at the end of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency?
By far the most prosperous nation on Earth
His policies helped to recover the economy during and after the Great Depression.
Who was FDR before becoming the Democratic Party candidate for presidency?
FDR had been the Governor of New York State prior to 1932.
What did FDR promise in his acceptance speech in Chicago?
He promised a ‘new deal’ for the American people.
What two things did FDR believe American men required?
Work and security for themselves, their wives, and children.
Who held the main responsibility for relieving economic distress before FDR?
State governments held the main responsibility.
How many votes did FDR win in the November election compared to Hoover?
FDR won 22.8 million votes compared to Hoover’s 15.8 million.
Which groups supported FDR in the election?
Trade unions, workers in manufacturing, Catholics, Jews, and whites of the Old South.
Why did whites in the Old South dislike the Republicans?
They disliked the Republicans because they had won the US Civil War and imposed political racial equality.
Why were Jews and Catholics attracted to FDR?
They were attracted by FDR’s social and economic policies and disliked the Republican Party’s WASP dominance.
What change occurred in black Americans’ political support after 1932?
They began to switch their support from the Republican Party to the Democrats, especially in northern states.
What is the ‘lame duck’ period?
The period from November to March when the outgoing president has very little authority.
What did Hoover offer to FDR during the ‘lame duck’ period?
Hoover offered to work with FDR to relieve the misery of the Depression.
What was FDR’s stance on Hoover’s offer?
FDR refused Hoover’s offer to avoid giving him credit for economic recovery.
What did FDR claim in his inaugural speech on 4 March 1933?
He claimed that the only fear is fear itself, which paralyzes needed efforts.
What were the main goals of the New Deal?
Relief for the poor and unemployed, recovery of the economy, and reform of the economic system.
What was the ‘Hundred Days’?
A period of frantic activity where Congress passed legislation forming the basis of the First New Deal.
Was the First New Deal a master plan for radical change?
No, it was not a master plan; FDR intended to experiment with different methods.
What was the state of unemployment in March 1933?
One in four Americans was out of work.
This was during the Great Depression.
What were soup kitchens and bread lines?
They were run by voluntary organizations in every major city to provide food for the needy.
What were Hoovervilles?
Makeshift shantytowns that housed the homeless on the outskirts of towns and cities.
What was one of Roosevelt’s top priorities to tackle the economic depression?
Emergency relief.
What did Roosevelt believe could bring immediate employment?
Publicly funded work schemes.
Why were public works important during the economic depression?
They provided immediate employment while private businesses regained confidence and funds for recovery.
What period does ‘The USA, c1920-55: boom, bust and recovery’ cover?
It covers the economic fluctuations in the USA from approximately 1920 to 1955.
What are the Alphabet Agencies?
They were government agencies created during the New Deal, known by their initials.
When was the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) created?
March 1933.
What is the purpose of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)?
To control flooding, improve infrastructure, and create hydro-electric power in the Tennessee River Valley.
What was the percentage of Tennessee Valley farms with electricity in 1933?
Only two percent.
What was the percentage of Tennessee Valley farms with electricity by 1945?
By 1945, this had risen to 75 percent.
What was the primary goal of the National Recovery Administration (NRA)?
To issue codes of practice for industries to ensure fair competition, wages, and working hours.
What significant labor provision did the NRA include?
It banned child labor below the age of 16 years.
What did Section 7(a) of the NRA allow?
It allowed unions to collectively bargain for wages.
What was the role of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA)?
To provide work and organized relief for the unemployed.
What was the purpose of the Public Works Administration (PWA)?
To create jobs through public works projects.
Who led the National Recovery Administration?
General Hugh Johnson.
What was the main focus of the Civilian Conservation Corps?
To provide jobs for young men in environmental conservation projects.
When was the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) created?
May 1933.
What was the main focus of the Works Progress Administration (WPA)?
To provide jobs through various public works projects.
What was the significance of the Tennessee Valley Authority Act of 1933?
It established the TVA to improve navigation, control floods, and promote agricultural and industrial development.
What was the purpose of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)?
The CCC aimed to provide employment for young men through manual labor on conservation projects.
It was created in March 1933 and involved 250,000 young men working for a minimum of six months.
How many young men participated in the CCC?
A total of three million young men took part in the CCC program.
The CCC lasted until 1942.
What did the CCC accomplish?
The CCC built 125,000 miles of road, 46,854 bridges, and planted three billion trees.
Facilities in National Parks and State Parks were constructed by the CCC.
What was the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA)?
FERA was the New Deal’s first attempt to aid the unemployed directly, overseen by Harry Hopkins.
It provided work and built over 5,000 public buildings with a budget of $500 million.
What was the role of the Civil Works Administration (CWA)?
The CWA was created to address the severe hardship faced by the unemployed during the winter of 1933-34.
It hired over 4.2 million workers and built over 400 airports and 255,000 miles of road.
What was the goal of the Public Works Administration (PWA)?
The PWA aimed to stimulate long-term economic growth through infrastructure projects.
It had a budget of $3.3 billion and was responsible for building 13,000 schools and 50,000 miles of road.
Who was in charge of the PWA?
The PWA was placed under Harold Ickes, head of the Department of the Interior.
Unlike FERA and CWA, the PWA focused on long-term job creation.
What was the key priority for FDR after his inauguration?
To restore faith in the banking system.
What significant action did FDR take two days after his inauguration?
He ordered a national bank holiday from 6 to 9 March.
What was the purpose of the Emergency Banking Act passed in March 1933?
To investigate banks threatened with collapse and allow only approved banks to reopen.
What did the Glass-Steagall Act accomplish?
It separated commercial from investment banking and created the FDIC.
What does FDIC stand for?
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
What is an acre?
The standard use of area measurement in the USA, equivalent to about two-fifths of a hectare.
What is sharecropping?
A form of farming where a farmer rents farmland and pays the landowner with a share of the crop.
What was the Dust Bowl?
An area affected by drought and poor farming methods, leading to soil erosion in the 1930s.
What did many farmers do during the Dust Bowl?
They traveled down Route 66 to southern California to find work.
What is commercial banking?
Banking services for the general public and businesses, including holding money on deposit.
What is investment banking?
Banks that loan large sums of money for creating businesses and construction projects.
What two Acts restored confidence in the banking system in 1930?
The Federal Securities Act and the Gold Reserve Act.
These Acts helped stabilize the banking system and laid the groundwork for economic recovery.
What was the purpose of the Federal Securities Act of May 1933?
To regulate the buying and selling of shares and prevent speculation.
All new share purchases had to be registered with the Federal Trade Commission.
What did the Securities and Exchange Commission do?
Regulated all share transactions and stock exchanges across the US.
Joseph Kennedy was appointed to oversee this commission.
What was the goal of the Gold Reserve Act of January 1934?
To devalue the US dollar against gold to make exports cheaper.
What was the aim of the Silver Purchase Act of June 1934?
To increase the money supply by raising the amount of silver in US coinage.
Why did neither the Gold Reserve Act nor the Silver Purchase Act revive US trade?
FDR believed the causes of the economic crisis were domestic, contrary to his predecessor Hoover’s view that they were international.
What was a key development during the First New Deal?
The London Economic Conference of July 1933.
What did other nations want from the London Economic Conference?
To stabilize the value of currencies to stimulate international trade.
How did FDR’s approach at the London Economic Conference differ from other nations?
FDR wanted to focus on domestic issues rather than international cooperation.
