The Alphabet Agencies LO: Understand what the Alphabet Agencies were and what they did to create employment
Last Lesson We started to look at the 100 days and 3 of Roosevelt’s first actions: 1.Closing the banks for 4 days 2.Fireside chats to gain the trust and confidence of the American people 3.Ended prohibition
Today: the Alphabet Agencies The Alphabet Agencies were set up to help reverse the ‘Spiral of Depression.’ The main aim was to pump money back into the economy by giving the unemployed jobs.
Use pages of ‘The USA between the Wars ’ Complete a chart to show for each agency the key actions it took and how far it was successful (You could use two colours for this bit of the task to show positives and negatives). You can use the sheet provided or you can do you own chart/notes in your book
For Absentees or those who didn’t get notes finished See the additional table attached on Moodle. Brief points are on slides below
Homework – resource is on Moodle Q: How useful is this source in explaining how the New Deal put America back to work? Print the source and stick it in – use the Mark Scheme to help you answer the question. For Thursday 29 th.
How useful is this source in explaining how the New Deal put America back to work
Mark Scheme LevelDescription 1Simple undeveloped answer. 2Identifies key points about PWA 3Explains source – i.e how PWA put Americans back to work 4As level 3 – then goes beyond source by explaining what other agencies did to put Americans back to work 5As level 4 but gives a conclusion which answers ‘how far’
AAA = Agricultural Adjustment Agency To help farmers increase their income Paid farmers to produce less food Resulted in food prices increases Incomes doubled up to 1939 Failed to help farmworkers.
CCC = Civilian Conservation Corps Gave work to single unemployed men between 18 and 25 for a limited period. They lived in camps in the countryside clearing land,planting trees and making reservoirs. They received food, clothing, shelter and $1 a day
CWA = Civil Works Administration Lasted from Nov 1933 – March 1934 4 million people employed Mainly construction jobs Laid 12 million feet of sewer pipe Built or improved 255,00 miles of roads 40,000 schools 3700 playgrounds Nearly 1000 airports Cost $200 million per month! Paid people to sweep up leaves in the parks. Paid unemployed actors to give free shows. Hired 100 people to scare pigeons away with balloons from public buildings in Washington DC. Boondoggling critcised for wasting tax payer’s money Called ‘Boondoggling’
PWA = Public Works Administration Built 70% of USA Schools. Built 35% of USA Hospitals. Built river dams. Electrified the New York Washington railway. Built 50 military airports. Built two aircraft carriers. Built four cruisers & destroyers for the US Navy. Built a new sewage system in Chicago. PWA only provided jobs for the skilled unemployed!
What about the unskilled unemployed? In 1935, after a terrible winter FDR decided to help the unskilled unemployed by setting up WPA. The PWA continued working until 1939.
WPA = Works Progress Administration Built 11,000 schools. Built 70,000 km of roads. La Guardia airport in New York. Employed photographers to make a record of the Depression. Employed 12,000 Actors to put on plays and concerts to cheer people up! Employed artists and painters to make paintings for display in schools and public buildings. Gave work to 2 million people a year. Any ‘Boondoggles?’
FERA = Federal Emergency Relief Administration 1933 To give quick relief to hungry and homeless. $500m spent on providing soup kitchens, clothing and employment schemes. Successful in cities
NRA = National Recovery Administration Introduced codes of fair competition for industry and business. By the end of million employers had agreed to the codes
HOLC = Home Owners Loan Corporation Lent money to people who couldn’t keep up with their mortgage repayments.
TVA = Tennessee Valley Authority Aim = bring relief to the TV. Built a series of dams to provide cheap electricity and prevent flooding.