APUSH New Deal Acts

Employment Projects

• Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) (Relief) – Supported five million households per month and funded work projects for the unemployed. Provided vaccinations and literacy classes.

• Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) (Relief) – Employed young men (18-25) in outdoor conservation projects (planting trees, fighting erosion). Paid $30/month, with most sent home to families. Provided jobs for 2.5 million young men.

• Civil Works Administration (CWA) (Relief) – Created four million jobs for public works (sewers, bridges, roads). Some projects were seen as wasteful, leading to its shutdown.

• Public Works Administration (PWA) (Relief/Recovery) – Spent $4 billion on large-scale public projects like roads, bridges, and dams (e.g., Golden Gate Bridge).

• Works Progress Administration (WPA) (Relief) – Created jobs for 8.5 million people in construction (roads, schools) and the arts (murals, guidebooks).

• National Youth Administration (NYA) (Relief) – Provided job training and part-time jobs for students.

Business Assistance and Reform

• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) (Reform) – Protected bank deposits up to $5,000 (now $100,000), ensuring trust in banks.

Labor Relations

• National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act) (Reform) – Gave workers the right to organize and collectively bargain.

• Fair Labor Standards Act (Reform) – Set minimum wage (25 cents/hour), maximum work hours (40-hour work week), and restricted child labor.

Housing

• Federal Housing Administration (FHA) (Recovery) – Provided small loans for home construction and repair.

• Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (Recovery) – Gave low-interest loans to homeowners struggling with mortgage payments.

Farm Relief and Rural Development

• Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) (Recovery) – Paid farmers to destroy crops and livestock to reduce surpluses and raise prices, but many tenant farmers were left jobless. Declared unconstitutional in 1936.

• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) (Reform) – Built dams for flood control, hydroelectric power, and agricultural development in Tennessee Valley.

• Rural Electrification Administration (REA) (Reform) – Provided low-cost electricity to rural areas, increasing access to power.

• Farm Security Administration (FSA) (Relief) – Provided temporary housing for displaced farmers ("Okies" and "Arkies").

Other Reforms

• Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) (Reform) – Reversed forced assimilation, stopped land loss, and encouraged Native American self-governance.

• Social Security Administration (SSA) (Reform) – Established a pension system, unemployment insurance, and aid for dependent individuals, becoming a major welfare program.

Would you like any section expanded or revised?

Business Assistance and Reform (Continued)

• National Recovery Administration (NRA) (Recovery) – Created by the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) in 1933 to boost economic recovery by setting fair wages, work hours, and competition rules. Temporarily restored consumer confidence but failed to stimulate industry. Declared unconstitutional in 1935.

• Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) (Reform) – Established in 1934 as a federal "watchdog" to regulate stock markets and prevent fraud, deception, and insider trading. Still exists today.