Roosevelt And The New Deal Flashcards
What did FDR promise to do if he was elected
Use federal government money to directly help the unemployed
How many states voted for FDR
42/48
What were the 3 Rs for Roosevelt
Recovery
Relief
Reform
What was recovery for Roosevelt
An increased income for farmers, higher rate of industrial production and an end to the banking crisis
What was recovery for Roosevelt
An increased income for farmers, higher rate of industrial production and an end to the banking crisis
What was relief for Roosevelt
Meeting immediate needs to relieve hunger and poverty
What was reform for Roosevelt
A social security system that looked after US citizens
Improvements in the running of banks and businesses to ensure long term stability
How did Roosevelt provide more jobs
Government projects construction
What was the first thing Roosevelt did to try and tackle the bank crisis
Closed all banks, then only allowed financially stable ones to reopen. He then encouraged people to redeposit savings
Name some alphabet agencies
AAA
NRA
FERA
CCC
What did the AAA do
It wanted to end overproduction so paid farmers to leave their land empty
What did the CCC do
Paid farmers to keep extra goods in their warehouse, rather than selling it
What did the FCA (farm credit administration) do
Helped 20% of farmers to pay their mortgages
What did the NRA do
It was set up to try and help industry recover. It set quotas on produce amounts, controlled prices, set wages, limited working hours and ended child labour. It was voluntary
What incentives were businesses offered if they joined the NRA
They could display the symbol of the NRA, the blue eagle. The symbol became popular amongst the public, who preferred businesses that had it
What did the National Industrial Recovery Act allow workers to do
Join unions, so they could fight for better pay, working hours and conditions.
How much did union membership rise from 1932 to 1939
1932 - 3.1m
1939 - 3.9m
What was the Federal Emergency Relief Act
$500m was provided for states to spend on relief. This was a grant, not a loan like what hoover had given the states
What was the Home Owner’s Refinancing Act
Mortgage payments were extended to 20 years rather than 5, so it was easier for people to pay, so less people lost their homes, helping 1m people to keep their homes
What did the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) do
Took unemployed men and gave them tough outdoor jobs for $30 per month, but most of this had to be sent home to families
What was the limitation of the CCC and how many people became part of it
It only employed men who were 17-23, so only 500k
What was the PWA
Public works association - $3.3b was spent to create big construction projects to provide jobs such as the Grand River Dam
What were the limitations of the PWA
Big projects take a long time to start and the people needed instant relief
What was the CWA and how many people did it help
A temporary agency to fix the problem of the PWA, by providing jobs like refurbishing schools and roads on a budget of $400m. Helped 4.2 million people survive the winter
What was the TVA and what did it aim to do
The Tennessee valley authority aimed to:
1. Provide work for southerners
2. Generate and extend coverage of electricity to remote farms
3. Control flooding and improve the productivity of land
It built 20 hydroelectric dams and educated farmers into new farming methods and how to look after the land better
What 6 things did Roosevelt do in his New Deal
- Increase federal power
- Restore faith in banks
- Raise agricultural prices
- Set up industrial codes
- Provide work relief programmes
- Help home and farm owners keep their property
What was the second new deal and why was it introduced
After 2 years of the new deal, national income was still low, unemployment still high and strikes common and new congress members wanted reform. This means that FDR introduced the second new deal, which aimed to:
1. Provide more work relief for the unemployed
2. Support workers in industry and improve their rights
3. Help the rural poor get their own land
4. Provide for the old during their retirement
What was the WPA
Works Progress Administration - employed 8 million on a budget of $11b. It helped any race, any profession, any age and any gender.
How did Roosevelt improve housing and work conditions
Built more suburban towns, replaced shanty towns with actual homes.
Raised minimum wage,
What was the FSA
Farm Security Administration - offered $1b of loans to help farmers leave overworked land and to help sharecroppers and tenant farmers to buy their own land
What did the second Agricultural Adjustment Act do
Created COMPULSORY limits on production of farms
When was the second new deal introduced
1935
What was the social security act
Introduced pensions and unemployment insurance
What was the banking act of 1935
Created a board of governors of the Federal Reserve System chosen by FDR
Gave various financial powers to the board, taking them from the more powerful banks.
This meant that in 1936, 0 national banks closed
Why did electricity companies not run lines to remote farmers
It was not profitable
Why was it bad that remote farms did not have access to electricity
They could not use new technology that was changing life e.g. vacuum cleaners, electric cookers and fridges
Which alphabet agency led the electrification program from 1935
The Rural Electrification Administration (REA)
What percent of farms had electricity in 1930 and 1941
1930 - 10%
1941 - 35%
Why was the process of rural electrification slowed
Utility companies put down spite lines, which were lines near proposed locations for government lines to be laid, so they would struggle to get permission for their line from the REA
What was the sick chicken case
Schechter Poultry Corp. signed up to the NRA codes but then broke the rules of wages and conditions. They claimed that the government had no power over trade in a state and the supreme court agreed. This effectively closed down the NRA.
What effect did the forced closure of the NRA have and how did FDR react
Other alphabet agencies were threatened legally, e.g. the AAA was also challenged and lost, which meant that was closed too.
Roosevelt responded by saying that these rulings went against the views of those who voted for him. He tried to remove lots of judges from the Supreme Court, but the bill wasn’t passed because they thought it was dictator-like, however the supreme court got the message and challenges to the new deal stopped
Why did republicans oppose FDR (3)
- He was a democrat (the rivals of republicans)
- He made the federal government too powerful
- He spent too much money
Who won the 1936 election
FDR was re-elected
What happened to the power of FDR in 1938
The republicans became stronger and more popular so he was not able to pass more measures for the New Deal, effectively bringing it to a stop
What did businesses think of the new deal
They liked it until the crisis was resolved in 1933, then they did not like it because they did not want to be told what to do, unions or the large amount being spent
What did businesses think of the new deal
They liked it until the crisis was resolved in 1933, then they did not like it because they did not want to be told what to do, unions or the large amount being spent
Who was Huey long and why is he important
Governor of Louisiana and eventually a senator - criticised the new deal. Wanted to tax the rich and give to the poor, like he did in Louisiana. He was very popular with the people and his Share Our Wealth scheme had 8 million members
Who was Father Charles Coughlin and why is he important
A priest who had a radio show with 30m listeners, so when he turned against the new deal, this was bad for FDR. Coughlin said that the crash was the fault of financiers and bankers, but the new deal was also influenced by them, so was therefore ineffective. He also accused some people involved in being communist and that they were using FDR as a puppet.
When did the new deal end and why
1939 - America was largely recovered and WW2 became more important
When did the new deal end and why
1939 - America was largely recovered and WW2 became more important, however many alphabet agencies continued to operate in the background
What were the successes of the new deal (3)
- Yearly farm income rose $2 billion
- 6,000 banks reopened
- Almost 3 million people were employed
What were some failures of the new deal (4)
- Farm income did not reach the level of 1929 and tenant farmers were thrown off their land
- The NRA codes did not have much impact on industry as many businesses ignored them.
- Older industries still struggled and there was a deep recession from 1937-38
- 106 banks had to close, despite funding
What percentage of people were unemployed in 1929, 1933, 1937, 1938 and 1941
1929 - 3.2%
1933 - 24.9%
1937 - 14.3%
1938 - 19%
1941 - 10%
How did the new deal help relief (3)
- 8 million people were employed by the WPA
- 35% of the people received government relief
- The social security act provided unemployment insurance for the first time
How did the new deal help relief
- The projects relied heavily on government spending
- The work relief projects only provided work for 40% of those who needed it
- The government did not spend enough on relief.
- The poor needed social housing but the government built little
How did the new deal achieve reform (4)
- Social security - helped families, unemployed, elderly and disabled for the first time
- Industrial labour - conditions improved, minimum wages introduced, unions recognised and hours limited
- Living conditions of rural areas - electrification, improvement of farmland and help to pay mortgages.
- Financial regulation placed on the banking system and the stock market
How did the new deal fail to achieve reform (4)
- The social security act only helped some people, excluding groups such as agricultural workers and servants.
- The gap between the rich and the poor was not bridged at all
- Most social security was paid for out of wages, not federal funding
How did the new deal help women (3)
- They got more influence in politics because of FDR’s wife, Eleanor
- Given specific help in the WPA
- Provided with grants if they had dependent children
How did the new deal help women (3)
- They got more influence in politics because of FDR’s wife, Eleanor
- Given specific help in the WPA
- Provided with grants if they had dependent children
How did the new deal fail to help women (3)
- They were still paid around half of men’s salaries
- The number of women in jobs fell 2%
- Alphabet agencies provided way more help for men - CCC 2.5m jobs for men, 5,000 jobs for women
How did the new deal help black people (3)
- ‘Black cabinet’ gave them more political power
- 30% of black families received relief
- There were some early signs of segregation going, e.g. CCC camps were interracial
How did the new deal fail to help black people (4)
- The AAA forced black tenants off farmland
- The NRA caused many blacks to lose their jobs
- Relief payments were lower than to white people
- Most black workers had no access to social security
How did the new deal fail to help black people (4)
- The AAA forced black tenants off farmland
- The NRA caused many blacks to lose their jobs
- Relief payments were lower than to white people
- Most black workers had no access to social security
How did the new deal help native Americans (3)
- 7.4m acres of land was restored to them in 1934 in the Indian Reorganisation Act
- Native Americans were given a chance to vote and govern themselves
- The new law recognised the right of Native American women to vote
How did the new deal help native Americans (3)
- 7.4m acres of land was restored to them in 1934 in the Indian Reorganisation Act
- Native Americans were given a chance to vote and govern themselves
- The new law recognised the right of Native American women to vote
How did the new deal not help native Americans (3)
- Some policies (e.g. plans to kill lots of their sheep and goats) were unpopular
- Most of them were still very poor
- Many were largely reliant on New Deal agencies, so many struggled when they closed down.
