The Impact of the New Deal Flashcards
1
Q
The first new deal faced much opposition:
describe opposition from the right?
A
- Many of wealthy turned against Roosevelt once they felt capitalism had been saved
- partly due to increased taxes - argued fell to heavily on them
- felt gov to involved in economy
- Republican party still associated with failures of early 1930s - thus lack of opposition to Roosevelt
- Also faced opposition from the Liberty League: was supported by members of RP and D
2
Q
The first new deal faced much opposition:
describe opposition from the right: Liberty League?
A
- organised in April 1934
- by many Conservative D as well as R to promote private property and private enterprise unregulated by law
- attacked Roosevelt throughout New Deal years
- formed basis of right wing opposition against him
- July 1936: 125,000 members
- less significant after election
3
Q
The first new deal faced much opposition:
describe opposition from the left?
A
- R more worried about left
- because they might join together to from 3rd party to challenge him in next election
- advocated radical schemes such as “Old Age Revolving Pensions Incorporated”
- some popular leaders inc Huey Long and Father Charles Coughlin
4
Q
opposition from the left: Who was Huey Long?
A
- governer of Louisiana
- organised massive public works programmed
- and ambitious adult literary schemes
- began to talk of joining forces with other radicals to form a 3rd party to oppose R in 1936 election
- a secret poll found up to 4 million people might vote for him in 1936
- gunned down in sep 1935
5
Q
The first new deal faced much opposition:
opposition from the left:
What was EPIC
A
- End Poverty in California
- Novelist Upton Sinclair came up with scheme whereby the unemployed would be put to work in state-run co-operatives
- paid currency to spend only in other co-operatives
- for a time his ideas gained credibility
6
Q
The first new deal faced much opposition:
opposition from the left:
What was ‘Share Our Wealth’
A
- 1934: Senator Huey Long moved onto national scene with this programme
- advocated that all private fortunes over $3 million - confiscated
- every family should be given enough to buy a house, car and a radio
- there should also be old-age pensions, minimum wages so that every family would be guaranteed $2000-$3000 per year + free college education
- ideas popular
- “share our wealth” clubs grew to 27,431 in number with 4.6 million members spread across the states
7
Q
The first new deal faced much opposition:
opposition from the left:
Old Age Revolving Pensions Incorporated
A
- Francis Townsend advocated old-age pensions with difference
- Everyone over 60 years of age not in paid employment should be given $200 a month - as long as all spent not saved
- idea was that it would boost consumption + production - pull US out of depression
- Soon Townsend Clubs had 500,000 members + congress lobbied to put plan into action
- totally impractical - would have needed 50% of national income
8
Q
The first new deal faced much opposition:
opposition from the left:
- Who was Father Charles Coughlin?
A
- Priest, whose radio programme, The Golden Hour of the Little Flower - enormously influential during first half of 1930s
- regularly had audience of 30-40 million + listeners contributed more than $5 million per year to his parish in Detroit
- 1934: he founded the National Union for Social Justice with aim of monetary reform + redistribution of wealth
- influence and possible alliance with Huey worried R
- However, increasingly anti-Semitic views lost him support
9
Q
What opposition did Roosevelt face from the Supreme Court?
A
- Previous 140 years supreme court found about 60 federal laws unconstitutional; 1935+36 found 11
- only supported New deal in days of crisis
10
Q
Opposition from the supreme court:
‘Black Monday’?
A
- 1935
- attacked New Deal in several ways
- found Farm Mortgage Act unconstitutional
- argued removal of a trade commissioner was responsibility of Congress not president
- Found NRA to be unconstitutional after “sick chicken” case
11
Q
What was the ‘sick chicken’ case?
A
- 1935
- the Scechter Brothers: a firm of butchers in New York were selling chicken unfit for human consumption
- Prosecuted by NIRA for breaking codes of practice: appealed to Supreme Court
- decided prosecution matter of New York courts and not fed gov
- poultry code declared illegal
- because fed gov could not prosecute individuals for breaking NIRA - the codes must all be unconstitutional
12
Q
What was the Judiciary Reform Bill?
A
- Roosevelt presented bill in 1936
- proposed that president could appoint a new justice whenever an existing judge reaching age 70 failed to retire within 6 months
- could also appoint 6 new justices
- Roosevelt seen as a dictator by these measures: scared congress + judges popular
- July Senate rejected by 70 votes to 20
13
Q
What act did the big businesses hate?
A
- hated Revenue Acts which raised taxes + opposed to greater gov interference
14
Q
Roosevelt stance on lynching?
A
- Called for special congressional session in Nov 1937: delayed due to debates on judicial Reform Bill
15
Q
What were the economic effects of the new deal?
A
- In 1938 deficit lower than the $2.5 billion deficit Hoover had run up in 1932
- 1929-1939
- The national total of personal income: $86 billion –> $73 billion: despite population increase of 9 million
- Wages averaged $25.03 a week –> $23.86
16
Q
What were the economic effects of the new deal?
- employment
A
- 1933 18 mill A unemployed, 1939: halved
- Roosevelt Recession of 1937 saw 19% of workforce jobless in 1938
- historians argue real reason unemployment fell:
Amendment of 1935 Neutrality Act in 1939 - meant that countries at war could buy from USA
- Within year orders for 10,800 aircraft and 13,000 aeroplane engines
17
Q
What were the political effects of the new deal?
A
- programme for reform
- economic reform to rescue capitalist system from its worst excesses
- R allowed labour unions to take their place in labour relations + recognised federal government had a role in settling industrial disputes
- Roosevelt came to realise that expansion of gov he had created to be permanent
- saw expansion of function of state and local gov
18
Q
What were the social effects of the New Deal?
A
- relief:
- greatest achievements changing + increasing role of fed gov
- particularly true of help for the less fortunate in society
- relief agencies such as FERA and WPA set up to offer hope to millions
- new departures in gov responsibilities
- amount spent inadequate for needs of population suffering
- nevertheless, important precedents set by this legislation
19
Q
What were the effects of the New Deal on women?
- in politics
- voting
A
- held more imp posts in gov during New Deal than anytime before or after until 1990s
- Mrs Roosevelt one of most politically active first ladies
- From 1933 to 1945 Frances Perkins one of many women holding gov office
- Ruth Owen: the first female ambassador in 1933
- New deal itself did little for women
- Unlike AA - did not tend to vote as a group: thus politicians didnt set out to seek their support
20
Q
What were the effects of the New Deal on women?
- legislation
A
- 1933: the Economy Act forbade members of the same family from working for federal government
- total of 75% of those who lost jobs through this measure were married women
- NRA codes allowed for unequal wages
- Some agencies such as CCC barred women entirely
- Even by 1940 about 90% of jobs filled by men
- jobs they did find tended to be low-status poorly paid
- On average during 1930s, at $525 per year, women earned half the average wage of men
21
Q
What were the effects of the New Deal on African Americans?
negative
A
- needed vote of Southern Democrats and so no civil rights legislation
- many measures - e.g the AAA- worked against AA
- Depression: AA often last to be taken on and first to be fired
- many poorly paid, menial jobs previously reserved for them now taken by whites
- NRA codes allowed for AA to be paid less than whites for doing same jobs
- CCC run by Southern racist who did little to encourage AA to join: those who did faced segregation
- Anti-lynching bill introduced to Congress in 1934 + 37 but R did nothing to support either - both defeated
22
Q
What were the effects of New Deal of AA - positive?
A
- President did employ more AA in gov: notably Mary Bethune at NYA
- Civil Service tripled N. of AA in employment between 1932 and 1941 to 150000
- some unofficial positive discrimination: in NYA where AA officials appointed in areas where AA predominated
23
Q
What were the effects of New Deal of NA?
A
- New Commissioner for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, John Collier was determined to reverse gov policy towards NA and abolish assimilation
- The Indian Reorganisation Act of 1934 recognised and encouraged NA culture
- Tribes reorganised into self-governing bodies that could vote and adopt constitutions, own police and legal systems
- they could control land on reservations
- 75 out of 245 vetoed them when asked to vote on the measures
- measures did in no way relieve NA poverty
- Officials did best to ensure NA could take advantage of New Deal
- poverty too great - effect limited
- often remained poorest people in USA
- in 1943: senate enquiry found widespread poverty among NA on reservations
