USA KQ4

What was the name of FDR’s advisors

The brain trust

What were the 3 Rs of the new deal

• relief

• recovery

• reform

When was the new deal, what were the alphabet agencies (9)

1933

• AAA

• FERA

• CCC

• NRA (NIRA)

• PWA

• TVA

• HOLC

• CWA

how many proposals did FDR send congress in his first 100 days?

15

How many tuned in to fireside chats?

60 million

what was the Emergency Banking act?

1st thing FDR did in office

• all banks shut the day after inauguration

• checked by government officials

• 5,000 trustworthy ones reopened 4 days later

• they were supported by government money to stay open if necessary

• $1 billion redeposited shortly after reopening

• restored confidence

AAA

• Agricultural Adjustment Agency

• set quotas to reduce farm production, increasing prices

• paid farmers to produce less

• 6 million piglets were slaughtered, 90% were wasted

How successful was AAA

• farmers 50% better off by 1936

• 1935-39, farmers income double

• didn’t help sharecroppers, farm labourers

• took land out of production → fewer workers needed, many lost jobs

FERA

• Federal emergency relief administration

• $500 million spent

• soup kitchens + clothing

• 20 mill part time/temp jobs 1933-35

• schools/nurseries so single/both parents could work

• unemployment schemes

HOLC

Home Owners Loan Corporation

• loaned money to over a million people to prevent them from losing their homes

CCC

• Civilian Conservation Corps

• employed young men (under 25)

• manual work, sense of purpose + accomodation

• 1933-1942, 2.5 million took part

• 200k african americans

• $1 a day, most sent home

How successful was CCC

• 1933-1942, 2.5 million took part

• 200k african americans (11% pop. but double the unemployment rate)

• segregated camps

NRA

National recovery administration

• increased workers wages

• better working conditions (outlawed child labour) + shorter hours

• regulated price of goods

• set sensible production levels

• over 2 million joined

• businesses used the blue eagle sign = incentivised

PWA

public works administration

• built dams, bridges + hospitals using gov. money

• $7 billion spent employing skilled men

How successful was PWA?

• 1933-1939

  • 70% schools

  • 35% hospital

• provided both long + short term employment

TVA

Tennessee valley authority

• area that cut across 7 states - made it hard to cooperate

• 33 dams

• new 650 mile waterway linking major river systems to give easy access to the area

• provides employment, combats dust bowl (irrigation) and provides electricity

• textile mills provided employment for women in the area

How successful was the TVA

• biggest electricity provider by 1950s

• created over 9,000 jobs

• displaced 15,000 families

• native american archaeological sites and cemeteries were destroyed

Securities exchange commission

regulates trading through brokers + dealers

CWA

civilian works administration

• short term scheme to get as many people into jobs

• in winter 1933-34 - 4 million

• some work useful - building roads

• sweeping leaves, actors putting on free shows gave people something to do

What were the aims of the 2nd new deal

more radical reform

help those who hadn’t been helped in 1st - sharecroppers, migrant farmers etc. help to end poverty

When was the 2nd new deal, what were the agencies?

1935

• RA

• FSA

• WPA

• wagner act

• Social security act

RA

Resettlement Administration

• helped tenants, sharecroppers and farm workers

• aimed to resettle 500k families to better land

FSA

Farm Security administration

• replaced RA in 1937

• loans to help sharecroppers and tenants to by land

• labour camps for migrants

• had photographic unit - captured some of the most striking images of the great depression

WPA

works progress administration

• work to 2 million people a year

• 7% of budget went to artists + photographers (creatives)

• built infrastructure - 16000km of trees to stop the dust bowl

The Wagner act

• forced employers to allow trade unions

• 1933 - 3 million members

• 1940 - 8-7 million

• Senator Robert wagner introduced act

Social security act

• pensions for 65+

• support disabled + mothers with dependent children

• unemployment insurance

• 1940 - $35bn spent

• 1950 - 65+ had highest poverty rate

‘too much’ Criticism of New Deal - REPUBLICANS

• TVA + NRA too communist, people dependent on government

• too expensive (WPA unnecessary)

• roosevelt acting like a dictator

‘too much’ Criticism of New Deal - BUSINESS LEADERS

• majority republican

• preferred laissez faire

• disliked trade unions + social security contributions

• formed liberty league in 1934, opposing NRA

• private companies in direct competition (TVA with electricity)

‘not enough’ Criticism of new deal - who were the 3 people

• Father Coughlin

• Huey P. Long

• Dr Townsend

Father Coughlin

• radio priest, 40mill listeners every sunday night

• FDR didn’t address poverty

• 1934 - set up National Union for Social Justice

• audience faded by 1940 after anti-semitic comments

Huey P Long

• elected gov. Louisiana in 1928

• senator 1932

• he taxed big corporations to fund rads, hospitals schools etc.

• said new deal was too complicated

  ‘SHARE OUR WEALTH’

• wanted fortunes reduced to $3mill and $4000-5000 per family

• personal income limited to $1 million per anum

• pensions, minimum wage

Dr Townsend

• every person 60+ to get $200/month pension to SPEND IF they gave up their job

• 7000 townsend clubs

Supreme court opposition to new deal

NRA

• unconstitutional - 1935

• Schecter Poultry Corporation- sold diseased chickens and mistreated workers (violation of NRA)

• lost in local court, won in supreme

• undermined power of state

AAA

• unconstitutional - 1936

• should be regulated by state

Roosevelt’s response

• 6 judges over 70, republican

• thought he could have 6 new judges

• some resigned, new ones were sympathetic

• 1937 - wagner + social security found to be constitutional

• accused of packing the courts on BOTH sides

How many votes did FDR win by in 1936

27 million

decrease in unemployment due to new deal

• 1933 - 14 million (25% of workforce)

• 1936 - 14.3%

What groups didn’t benefit from the new deal

• African Americans - unemployment rate was 50%, yet only 200,000 helped by the ccc. segregated camps. FERA - they receive less in their welfare checks

• Women not helped as much - CCC employed men, most of new deal alphabet agency jobs were construction - not given to women

What was the largest union? how much did its membership increase by?

American Federation of Labour

1933 - 2.1 mill

1936 - 3.4 mill