Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal (1932-1941)

These flashcards cover major personalities, programs, legislation, criticisms, and social impacts of Franklin Roosevelt’s First and Second New Deals from 1932 to 1941.

What personal challenge helped make Franklin D. Roosevelt a more sympathetic figure to voters?

His paralysis from polio, contracted in 1921.

Why did Roosevelt refuse to be photographed in a wheelchair?

He feared sympathy would turn into doubt about his ability to serve as president.

Which president did Roosevelt defeat in the 1932 election, and by what margin?

He defeated Herbert Hoover in a landslide.

What was Roosevelt’s general approach to ending the Great Depression during the 1932 campaign?

He offered optimism and experimentation rather than a detailed plan.

What immediate action did Roosevelt take toward the banking crisis after taking office?

He declared a national bank holiday and promoted the Emergency Banking Act.

How did Roosevelt’s first fireside chat in March 1933 restore confidence in banks?

He assured listeners that only federally inspected, sound banks would reopen, prompting people to redeposit money.

Which 1933 law separated commercial and investment banking and created the FDIC?

The Glass-Steagall Banking Act.

Up to what amount did the original FDIC insure personal deposits?

$2,500.

What was the purpose of the Federal Emergency Relief Act (FERA)?

To give $500 million in grants to states for direct relief to the unemployed.

Which federal agency created matching funds for state employment services in 1933?

The United States Employment Service via the Wagner-Peyser Act.

Who did the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) employ, and what type of work did they do?

Unemployed young men (14-24) who planted trees, fought forest fires, and built parks and historic sites.

What main strategy did the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) use to raise farm prices?

Paid farmers to limit production, reducing supply to boost prices.

How did the National Recovery Administration (NRA) attempt to aid industry and labor?

By setting codes for minimum wages, maximum hours, and the right to collective bargaining.

What regional development project brought hydroelectric power and flood control to a multi-state area?

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

Which two major First New Deal laws were later struck down by the Supreme Court in 1935-36?

The Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) and the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA).

Name the 1935 act that resulted in the largest single peacetime appropriation yet and created the WPA.

The Emergency Relief Appropriation Act.

Approximately how many Americans found work through the Works Progress Administration (WPA)?

Over eight million.

What cultural program within the WPA employed artists, writers, musicians, and actors?

The Federal One Project.

What youth program within the WPA provided work-study jobs to students?

The National Youth Administration (NYA).

Which 1935 law established pensions for retirees and unemployment insurance?

The Social Security Act.

Who were notably excluded from the original Social Security pension coverage?

Domestic workers and agricultural laborers—jobs held largely by women and African Americans.

What 1938 law set the first federal minimum wage and maximum workweek?

The Fair Labor Standards Act.

What proposal by Dr. Francis Townsend influenced later Social Security debates?

A $200 monthly pension for every citizen over 60 who retired and spent the money within 30 days (the Townsend Plan).

Which "radio priest" founded the National Union for Social Justice and criticized Roosevelt for not nationalizing industry?

Father Charles Coughlin.

What was Huey Long’s alternative to the New Deal, and what did it promise?

The Share Our Wealth program, promising $5,000 per family and $2,500 per worker funded by confiscating large fortunes.

What was Roosevelt’s controversial attempt to change the Supreme Court called?

The "Supreme Court Packing Plan" of 1937.

How would Roosevelt’s court-packing proposal have altered the Court’s composition?

It would add one justice for every sitting justice over 70, potentially raising the bench from 9 to 15.

Despite never passing, what indirect result did the court-packing fight have on the Supreme Court?

It seemingly pressured justices to uphold later New Deal legislation like the Wagner and Social Security Acts.

Why were many African Americans initially left out of New Deal benefits?

Discriminatory hiring in relief agencies and program rules excluding tenant farmers, sharecroppers, and domestic workers.

Which New Deal agency eventually required local hiring quotas that reflected African Americans’ population share?

The Public Works Administration (PWA).

Who was the most influential advocate for women and minorities within the Roosevelt administration?

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

How did Eleanor Roosevelt respond when the DAR barred Marian Anderson from Constitution Hall?

She resigned from the DAR and arranged for Anderson to sing at the Lincoln Memorial.

What nickname did critics give the NRA that highlighted racial discrimination?

“Negro Run Around” or “Negroes Ruined Again.”

By the time it closed in 1938, what percentage of CCC workers were African American?

Nearly 11 percent (over 300,000 workers).

What term describes the overall shift in federal responsibility for economic regulation and social welfare during the New Deal?

Expansion of the modern welfare state.