Success and Significance Flashcards
The 1936 Election showing success.
The American people could show what they thought, Roosevelt won again by 27 million votes going up against Alfred Landon who was very liked.
Majority in every state but two. Thousands of letters were written to Roosevelt there was one from an old man who got his house and furniture back due to Roosevelt. In favor of the American people. W.E Leuchtenburg showed it was successful because he writes that Roosevelt actually got people’s houses back.
Sources showing significance.
New Jersey notice board 1933, said that Roosevelt had done his part now it was time for everyone to do theirs and start buying again. This shows the change in confidence which is significant. This was something he was successful with but that success was very significant to the restoration of America’s economy.
We still think of our government this way today. Another source from W.E Leuchtenburg showed the significance for black people. When Roosevelt was touring you could hear the shouts “He saved my home”, “He gave me a job” Thousands of people were willing to go stand by the railroad shouting their gratitude.
New Deal is considered a failure
Reason number 1: It didn’t help unemployment.
Roosevelt was pumping billions of dollars to try and help the unemployed but during the whole time, he did this unemployment rates never dropped below 14 percent of the workforce between 1933 and 1939. However, just when Roosevelt thought things were going well with unemployment he cut the budget of the New Deal laying off workers. Due to this unemployment spiraled up once more. Between 1938 and 1939 unemployment went up 4.7 percent to 19 percent, 14 percent was already high and now due to him it went up higher.
Reason number 2: It didn’t end discrimination
One of the big problems throughout the 1930s was discrimination especially against Black Americans, the New Deal, however, didn’t do anything to help this major problem. Since Roosevelt needed the support of the Democrats in the south, it prevented him from introducing any civil rights laws which would have been opposed. A Source by Sean Dennis Cashman, America in the Twenties and Thirties, showed how all the minorities including black people, migrant workers in agriculture, immigrants, tenant farmers, sharecroppers, women were all helped very little in the New Deal and that most of their problems were left untouched by the New Deal.
New Deal considered a Success
Reason number 1: The economy did somewhat recover. In 1933 the country’s GNP was below 60 billion dollars which was a lot less than it was before when it was at an all-time high at over 100 billion dollars. Throughout Roosevelt’s time in office, the GNP slowly but steadily increased until 1940 where it was almost back to where it was before. Right after Roosevelt came into office the GNP had already jumped back over 60 billion dollars again. The New Deal in this sense was incredibly successful when it came to one of its core aims, recovery. It managed overwhelmingly to fix the problems with the banks, the GNP, and also when it came to business failures which also went significantly down after the New Deal.
Reason number 2: Restored social confidence.
Roosevelt used the radio and his famous ‘Fireside chats’ to talk one on one with the people in a setting which they trusted, their own homes. The people felt that Roosevelt understood them and therefore gained their trust. When people started trusting Roosevelt they were convinced and trusted him enough to put their money back in the banks. One of the main aims of the New Deal was reform and what was meant by this was building a relationship with the people and making the US one working system.
