Relief, Recovery, and Reform through New Deal Programs The Three Rs Relief, Recovery, and Reform through New Deal Programs

FDR and the New Deal FDR was talking about how to pull the country out of the Great Depression during his campaign: “The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something. The millions who are in want will not stand by silently forever while the things to satisfy their needs are within easy reach.” Campaign speech mentioning how to deal with the economic crisis http://www.cviog.uga.edu/Projects/gainfo/FDRspeeches/FDRspeech32-1.htm

FDR’s speech was given at Oglethorpe University in 1932 – he was awarded an honorary Doctorate. http://www.cviog.uga.edu/Projects/gainfo/FDRphotos/photo32-10.htm

The Three Rs Roosevelt was elected and upon taking office would launch a large legislative agenda to help the economy and the people of the United States. He had three overarching goals for these programs: Relief Recovery Reform

Relief Imagine walking down the sidewalk and tripping over a crack. Down you go, and you end up with a broken arm. Relief is an ice pack and a couple of Tylenol to relieve your pain. Relief programs were intended to make things more tolerable but often did not offer long-term solutions.

Recovery So you’ve broken your arm and gotten some temporary relief… Now a trip to the hospital will provide you with an x-ray and a cast. With the diagnosis, treatment, and time you should have a full recovery.

Reform You’re all healed now but the cause of your injury is still out there waiting to trip someone else up… True reform finds the cause of the problem and aims to alter it to prevent the same issue in the future. Tearing out that section of sidewalk and installing a smooth new section is the reform that’s needed here.

Which R does it aim for? You will learn about many New Deal programs and should be thinking about what the goal of each was. Many programs had a primary goal but had secondary impacts. For instance, the ice was to provide relief but it also reduced the swelling, which aided in your recovery. It is possible to have more than one purpose.

The New Deal FDR addressed the nation in his second Fireside Chat on May 7, 1933 He explained the actions he had already taken to halt the banking crisis Next, he assured the country that it was possible to get through the tough time it was facing Finally, he began to describe programs… http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/050733.html Passages from this speech will be used on following slides.

CCC – The Civilian Conservation Corps (pronounced core, like an apple - if you say the p and the s it’s a dead body, a corpse) “First, we are giving opportunity of employment to one-quarter of a million of the unemployed, especially the young men who have dependents, to go into the forestry and flood prevention work. This is a big task because it means feeding, clothing and caring for nearly twice as many men as we have in the regular army itself…. This great group of men have entered upon their work on a purely voluntary basis, no military training is involved and we are conserving not only our natural resources but our human resources. One of the great values to this work is the fact that it is direct and requires the intervention of very little machinery. “

Men were issued supplies upon arrival in the camps – many were in need of clothes and food. http://newdeal.feri.org/images/lh167.gif

Men were given plenty to eat, a place to sleep, clothes, medical care, and a sense of dignity.

TVA – The Tennessee Valley Authority “Second, I have requested the Congress and have secured action upon a proposal to put the great properties owned by our Government at Muscle Shoals to work after long years of wasteful inaction, and with this a broad plan for the improvement of a vast area in the Tennessee Valley. It will add to the comfort and happiness of hundreds of thousands of people and the incident benefits will reach the entire nation. “

The TVA used CCC workers for labor in many places. This is camp #19. http://newdeal.feri.org/library/photo_details.cfm?PhotoID=3984&ProjCatID=10325&CatID=17&subCatID=1068

The TVA served not just the men who worked but their families as well The TVA served not just the men who worked but their families as well. Norris, TN was a village created for the workers on the Norris Dam. This is the school that the children of those workers attended. http://newdeal.feri.org/images/p58.gif

The HOLC – Home Owners Loan Corporation and the FCA – Farm Credit Association “Next, the Congress is about to pass legislation that will greatly ease the mortgage distress among the farmers and the home owners of the nation, by providing for the easing of the burden of debt now bearing so heavily upon millions of our people. “ http://cml.upenn.edu/redlining/C_HOLC.html

FERA – The Federal Emergency Relief Association “Our next step in seeking immediate relief is a grant of half a billion dollars to help the states, counties and municipalities in their duty to care for those who need direct and immediate relief. “

PWA – Public Works Administration “We are planning to ask the Congress for legislation to enable the Government to undertake public works, thus stimulating directly and indirectly the employment of many others in well-considered projects.”

AAA – Agricultural Adjustment Act “Further legislation has been taken up which goes much more fundamentally into our economic problems. The Farm Relief Bill seeks by the use of several methods, alone or together, to bring about an increased return to farmers for their major farm products, seeking at the same time to prevent in the days to come disastrous over-production which so often in the past has kept farm commodity prices far below a reasonable return.” Declared unconstitutional in 1936 by the Supreme Court

Wagner Act which created the NLRB – National Labor Relations Board “Well-considered and conservative measures will likewise be proposed which will attempt to give to the industrial workers of the country a more fair wage return, prevent cut-throat competition and unduly long hours for labor, and at the same time to encourage each industry to prevent over-production.”

Other New Deal Agencies Glass/Steagal Act – created the Federal Reserve FHA – Federal Housing Act/Administration SEC – Securities and Exchange Commission WPA – Works Progress Administration NIRA – National Industrial Recovery Act; created the NRA – National Recovery Administration

Still more New Deal Agencies CWA – Civil Works Administration NYA – National Youth Administration REA – Rural Electrification Administration Banking Act of 1933 – created the FDIC – Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation IRA – Indian Reorganization Act SSA – Social Security