New Deal Alphabet Policies Flashcards
what does AAA stand for ?
Agricultural Adjustment Administration
why was the AAA not very helpful for black Americans ?
the majority of the aid was given to white landowners - as many black farmers were sharecroppers or tenant farmers
why did the US Supreme Court find the AAA unconstitutional ?
because it had too much state interference
when did the US Supreme Court find the AAA unconstitutional ?
1936
In response to the AAA being found unconstitutional, what did FDR do ?
- he set up the Farm Security Administration
- tried to give black farmers a voice on agency committees - but this was blocked by southern democrats
what does FSA stand for ?
the Farm Security Administration
what does TVA stand for
the Tennessee Valley Authority
what was the purpose of the TVA ?
to contract dams to control flooding and generate electricity
what was a positive for African Americans of the TVA ?
The construction work gave them work opportunities
what were the limitations to opportunities offered to black Americans in the TVA ?
- the facilities and accommodation was separated
- they were restricted to un-skilled work and so stuck at the lowest paying jobs
- given limited access to housing
- excluded form the model farm programmes
who was J. Max Bond ?
the TVA’s black Supervisor of Negro Training
what did J. Max Bond do ?
leaked information of black workers’ treatment to the NAACP, who published an exposé - from then on the TVA was more conscious and careful with their racial policies.
what does CCC stand for ?
Civil Conservation Corps
what was the aim of the CCC ?
To give work experience to the youth to develop new skills whilst building parks, accommodation and roads
by 1942, how many youth workers went through the CCC programme ?
3 million
how many places were supposed to be reserved for African Americans in the CCC programmes ?
10%
how many places were reserved for black people in the Mississippi CCC programme ?
1.7% - this was only improved once they were threatened that their funding would be cut
in Clarke County, Georgia, how many black residents were chosen to attend CCC camps ?
none. even though black Americans comprised 60% of the population
were the CCC camps integrated ?
initially they were, but then the federal government received complaints of ‘mixing’
what does NRA stand for ?
the National Recovery Administration
what was the aim of the NRA and why ?
- to improve working conditions for all Americans through reducing working hours and establishing minimum wages
- in order to assist the recovery of business and manufacturing
if a business adopted the NRA codes, what were they able to do ?
they could display a government seal of approval - a blue eagle symbol
what were some limitations to the NRA codes ?
- agricultural and domestic professions were excluded from them
- of the industries that did employ black people that did adopt the codes, they often had their job classification redefined in order to avoid the set wage levels
what percentage of African Americans work in agricultural and domestic services ?
75%
give two example of what black Americans would jokily claim the NRA stood for ?
- Negro-Run-Around
2. Negroes Roasted Again
when was the NRA set-up ?
June 1933
what does the PWA stand for ?
the Public Works Administration
who headed the PWA ?
Harold Ickes
what act set-up the PWA ?
the National Industry Act
how much funding was given to the PWA?
$3.3 billion in federal funding
vaguely, how many people did the PWA employ ?
hundreds of thousands
what employers of the PWA do ?
construct roads, schools and hospitals
How much did the PWA spend on the construction and improvement of schools, homes and hospitals ?
$65 million
what did the Housing Division of the PWA do ?
used quotas to ensure construction jobs for black workers
by 1940, what percentage of PWA-constructed houses were owned by black Americans ?
30%
was there equal pay for all workers in the PWA ?
Yes, Ickes ensured it
what does WPA stand for ?
the Works Progress Administration
how many African Americans did the WPA employ each year ?
350,000
how long did the WPA last for ?
4 years
Why did white employers start to protest the WPA ?
Because the WPA pay was so high, black Americans no longer wanted to pick cotton at the normal rate.
What did the WPA education programme do?
- employed over 5000 black teachers
- daughter 250,000 black Americans how to read and write
who founded the National Council of Negro Women and when ?
Mary McLeod Bethune founded it in 1935
what was the aim of the National Council of Negro Women aim to do ?
aimed to voice black concerns to New Dealers
when landowners had the opportunity to make money by removing land from production, what did they do?
they evicted sharecroppers and tenants.
in 1933, how many of the African American farmers were sharecroppers or tenant farmers ?
87% of the 800,000
between 1933 and 1940, how many black black sharecroppers were evicted ?
200,000
what did the white landowners typically do with the funding from the AAA that they kept to themselves ?
they would use it to buy machinery that replaced the black workers
when additional labour was needed for harvesting and planting, what did the white land owners do ?
persuaded local relief officials to remove black Americans from the welfare rolls so that desperation would force them ti accept very low wages
why did Roosevelt do very little about the AAA?
wanted the support of the southern democrats for his New Deal
what did a 1936 NAACP report complain about ?
that 6 million black agricultural workers received no federal aid
what does NYA stand for ?
National Youth Administration
what position did Mary Bethune hold in the NYA ?
Director of Negro Affairs
how many young black Americans did the NYA give aid and teach skills to?
500,000
how was the NYA’s money distributed ?
it distributed without regard to race - although it did accept segregation
when was the Social Security Act passed ?
1935
who is Charles Houston ?
a NAACP lawyer
how did Charles Houston describe the Social Security Act ?
“like a sieve with holes just big enough for the majority of Negroes to fall through”
what does FEPC stand for?
the Fair Employment Practices Commission
when was the FEPC set up ?
Roosevelt set it up in 1941
why did Roosevelt set up the FEPC?
to promote racial equality in defence industries
how many black people did the FEPC eventually employ ?
2 million
Why did Walter White and Philip Randolph pressure FDR to set up the FEPC ?
because of the poor treatment and segregation of African Americans in the American armed forces and workplace (producing military equipment) in the second world war
