Name Date Period US History: The New Deal Offers elief, ecovery and eform Guiding Question: How much is the government responsible for helping its citizens? The Great Depression challenged the faith of Americans that democracy could handle the crisis. Faced with similar circumstances, people in Germany, Italy and Japan had turned to dictators to deliver them from despair. The New Deal had great significance because America s response to the Great Depression proved that a democratic society could overcome the challenges presented by the severe economic crisis. How did the New Deal attempt to address the problems of the depression? Franklin Delano oosevelt Takes Charge While on the campaign trail as the Democratic nominee for president in 1932, Franklin D. oosevelt pledged a new deal for the American people. He advocated for strong leadership by the federal government in promoting recovery and proving relief to Americans. The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and to try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something! FD, speech at Oglethorpe University, May 22, 1932 Unlike Hoover, oosevelt believed strongly in the federal government s ability and duty to help people. Hoover s popularity had declined as the Great Depression worsened and even long time epublicans deserted him. oosevelt with a can do attitude and a confidence that attracted voters won a landslide presidential victory for the Democratic party. oosevelt s March 1933 inauguration came at a somber moment with the U.S. economy at rock bottom and Americans wondering if they would ever find work again. With the first words of his inaugural address, FD reassured the American people: This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. - FD, first Inaugural Address, March 4, 1933 Describe the tone of oosevelt s campaign speeches and his first inaugural address. What do you think were his main goals as you spoke to the American people?
The New Deal: elief, ecovery and eform oosevelt wasted no time dealing with the nation s number one crisis. Working together, President oosevelt and Congress quickly passed many new laws to provide relief from the immediate hardships of the depression, speed economic recovery, and reform business practices. These measures, known as the New Deal programs, marked the beginning of the federal government s increasingly active role in shaping the economy and society. Your Task: Today, you will examine one of FD s New Deal programs and create a poster that would be used to advertise the program to Americans in need and sell the program to the nation as a whole. Your poster should include: the name of your assigned New Deal program ( ); an overview of the program s purpose and how it sought to provide relief, recovery or reform for Americans during the 1930s; images and symbols that will reach the American people your program seeks to help. You and your partner(s) will both research your assigned New Deal program (the program biographies provided and otehr resources of your choosing), and then will draft an outline of your poster including the key elements as outlined above. You will then display your poster around the room and we will all examine the goals of a range of major New Deal programs. Before you begin your research, take a look at the Works Progress (WPA) poster at left. This is a poster created by artists hired through the WPA, one of the largest programs to help skilled and unskilled workers find work. What do you think this poster says about the future of America and the American work ethic? Planning Your New Deal Poster Your New Deal Program: 1. When was it established, and what were the responsibilities of your New Deal program? 2. Who did the program aim to help? How?
3. What symbols or images might you use to communicate the goals and objectives of your agency?
New Deal Program Problem(s) Addressed Solution(s) Proposed Civil Works (CWA) e l i e f Public Works (PWA) Works Progress (WPA) Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) National Youth (NYA)
New Deal Program Problem(s) Addressed Solution(s) Proposed National ecovery (NA) E C O V E Y Agricultural Adjustment (AAA) National Labor elations Board (NLB) E F O M Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) Social Security (SSA)