Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal and Its Effectiveness

Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal and Its Effectiveness 

 

    Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born in 1882, on his family’s estate in Hyde Park, New York. Spending his early years at his family home, he was tutored and traveled extensively with his family, which really prevented him from spending time with friends his age. As a studious and diligent student, Roosevelt went to a prestigious preparatory boarding school and further continued his education in Harvard University. Carrying on his interests in politics, he entered the Columbia Law School, but left school after passing the New York State Bar exam in 1907. As time went on, Roosevelt found himself beginning to feel weak. His fever got worse and caused great weakness especially in his legs. Despite this paralysis, Roosevelt did not give up and continued pursuing his dream to run as the governor of New York. His misfortune had led him to become stronger and work even harder towards his goals. From an assistant secretary of the navy to governor of New York, Roosevelt then transitioned as the president of the United States, leading the United States during the Great Depression in 1932. 

 

Franklin D. Roosevelt in a wheelchair due to Polio

    Having a responsibility and duty to lead a nation at the darkest hour of the Great Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt entered the White House in 1932, promising a new deal for the American people. The new deal came to include a wide range of measures aimed at accomplishing three main goals for the Americans. The first goal was provide relief for those suffering the effects of the Great Depression, recovery of the depressed economy, and reforms that would help prevent any more serious economic crises in the future. In order to achieve these three goals, a combination of legislative reforms and acts were introduced during the first Hundred Days and the Second Hundred Days to permanently and dramatically transform the United States economically, politically, and socially. 

Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal Pin

 As unemployment was a major problem in the United States during the Great Depression, one of the many programs that focused on decreasing unemployment rates was the Civilian Conservation Corps. This agency was created in 1933 by Franklin D. Roosevelt mainly to solve unemployment problems by employing jobless single men between the ages of 18 and 25. These men employed in the Civilian Conservation Corps worked in mountains and forests, learning about forestry, flood control and fire preventions for approximately 6 months. This agency efficiently provided job opportunities for 3 million men between the years of 1933 to 1941, and relieved families by providing jobs on conservation projects to young men.

The Logo of the Civilian Conservation Corps

Young Men in the Civilian Conservation Corps taking a break

    Another New Deal Program that successfully contributed to the improvement of the living conditions of the Americans was the Tennessee Valley Authority. This act was passed in 1933 in order to develop the resources of the entire Tennessee River Valley. This valley encompassed 7 states and 40,000 square miles. The Tennessee Valley Authority built dams along the Tennessee River to control floods, aid navigation and shipping, and provide hydroelectric power for industries. Through this act, not only was the valley was successfully regenerated, but it also provided affordable electricity to thousands of rural citizens. Electricity provided then covered 80,000 square miles and was served to more than 9 million people. Electric lights made the lives of the people easier and farms more productive. Therefore, this recovery program effectively modernized and promoted changes in the region.
    

Supporting the Tennessee Valley Authority for Electricity

Dams built due to Tennessee Valley Authority

    One other New Deal Program that also was vital during the period was the Social Security Act of 1935. This act set up the first and great national old age pensions scheme to absolve the widespread poverty among the senior citizens. With the funds the workers, employers, and each state were expected to pay, the act established pensions for retirees, unemployment insurance, and aid for certain groups of low income or disabled people. The creation of the Social Security Act now allowed retired workers to no longer fear hunger and homelessness once they became too old to work. Also, as the program provided payments to workers who lost their jobs, it encouraged many to continue searching for new works. The relief program proficiently covered 35 million people despite opposition from the Republicans who thought the act rejected the ideas of socialism. In fact, this act is still in action until today for American citizens.
    

Poster supporting the Social Security Act

 

Another poster supporting the Social Security Act

  
    Again dealing with the problems of unemployment and lacking a job during the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration was established. It was established in 1935 with the goal of providing numerous public-works jobs on a wide range of projects for many of those needing relief. The Works Progress Administration was responsible for coordinating all public works schemes. The agency spent more than $10.5 billion dollars of the Federal money and employed 3.8 million men, which was 1/4 of the population of the unemployed Americans during that time period. Adding onto the numerous infrastructures built by the Works Progress Administration, the Works Progress Administration brought culture and arts back to America by numerous funding numerous artists and writers to paint and produce works.The relief agency was effective as it not only created a great number of bridges, sewers, roads, airports, schools, and other public buildings, but also created jobs for the unemployed people who were desperately in need of jobs.
    

A poster of the Works Progress Administration

Works Progress Association workers building a government storage facility

   With the creation of many acts and agencies throughout Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency, the New Deal had both its goods and bads. However, it is clear that the benefits of the New Deal outweigh the costs. In terms of relief, the New Deal definitely proved to be successful. As millions of Americans lost their jobs due to the Stock Market Crash and the Great Depression, most of the Americans were unable to find jobs that they could earn money from and sustain their lives with. However, as new agencies, such as the Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration, provided numerous job opportunities and learning opportunities, many people did not have to starve to death, which they would have without the creation of new job opportunities.
   
    In terms of reform, the New Deal did dramatically change the relationship between the capitalist market, the government, and the people. The New Deal programs provided Americans, the citizens, with security against the unpredictable market, creating an activist state for the first time in United States’ history. Whether this great alteration of the government’s responsibilities and roles had actually improved or worsened the United States’ conditions after the Great Depression, the New Deal actually has been a controversial topic even until today. Therefore, the New Deal was successful at making at least some kind of reform whether it was supported or not by the people.
    
    There can be no denying to the fact that the many acts and agencies of the New Deal provided job opportunities, funds, aids, and the creation of new infrastructures. Although these all lead to a decrease in the unemployment rate to a certain point and economic growth, throughout the decade of the 1930s, unemployment still remained extremely high and economic growth was very slight and gradual. However, the fact that there was even a slight improvement in the situations economically and socially accounts for why I believe that the New Deal was an efficient and a successful program. 

Citations

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bMq9Ek6jnA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rooseveltinwheelchair.jpg

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/72254/Franklin-D-Roosevelt-New-Deal-pin-1932 

https://www.alapark.com/desotoresort/CivilianConservationCorpsMuseum/

http://www.nps.gov/prwi/historyculture/ccc.htm

http://newdeal.feri.org/tva/ 

http://tva.com/75th/timeline.htm

http://www2.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/social_security.html

http://fdrlibrary.wordpress.com/tag/social-security/

http://kapachino.info/2009/10/currently-in-october/

http://money.howstuffworks.com/recession10.htm