New Deal (1933-1939) Flashcards
How many African Americans received literacy aid from the New Deal?
1/4 million
How much money was put towards building schools?
$45 million
How many jobs were provided for African Americans?
1 million jobs
How many public housing units were built for African Americans?
Nearly 50,000.
Why did minimum wage regulations cause African Americans to lose their jobs?
They made it illegal for employers to hire people who weren’t worth the minimum because they lacked skills. As a result, around 500,000 blacks, particularly in the South, were estimated to have lost their jobs.
What was the average unemployment rate and why?
17% as New Deal policies made it harder for employers to hire people, and FDR tripled federal taxes between 1933 and 1940.
What did the 1933 Agricultural Adjustment Act do and how did it impact African Americans?
It aimed to help farmers by cutting farm production and forcing up prices for food. Less production meant less work for thousands of sharecroppers. Blacks were among the 100 million consumers forced to pay higher food prices.
How did the 1935 Wagner Act impact blacks by making labour union monopolies legal?
By encouraging unionisation, it raised the number of insiders (those with jobs) who had the incentive and ability to exclude outsiders (those without jobs). Once high wages have been negotiated, employers are less likely to hire outsiders and so the insiders could protect their own interests.
Why did the 1935 Wagner Act not include a provision prohibiting racial discrimination?
It had originally been drafted with a provision prohibiting racial discrimination, but the US’ largest trade union (American Federation of Labour) lobbied against it, and it was dropped - the unions were allowed to exclude African American.
How many sharecroppers were evicted because they couldn’t pay rent?
200,000 were evicted.
Why didn’t the Social Security Act help African Americans?
It didn’t apply to the bulk of the work done by African Americans.
How did the National Youth Administration help African Americans?
Provided employment training.
How did African American Robert Weaver’s position as Special Advisor on the Economic Status of the Negro in 1934 help improve provisions for African Americans?
His support led to grants of $45 million to build schools, hospitals and homes for African Americans.
How did FDR and his wife support African Americans?
Spoke out against lynching.
Eleanor Roosevelt supporter African American organisations and openly disapproved of segregation.
How was the National Recovery Administrations’ work limited?
The NRA attempted to establish fair rates of pay and better conditions. It’s regulations were evaded by many employers in the South.
