Mr. McCormackChapter Sixteen Essentials Study Guide
American History
FDR recognized one of his most important goals was to restore confidence in the people. He assured Americans in his inaugural address that the only thing they had to fear was fear itself. After his first inauguration, Congress passed the 20th Amendment to change inauguration day from March to January.
In the first few months in office, FDR pushed Congress to pass legislation to improve the economy. He declared a bank holiday early in his administration to inspect the financial health and restore confidence in the banks.
FDR’s “brain trust” was an informal group of intellectuals who helped devise New Deal policies. The “black cabinet” was an unofficial group of African American officeholders.
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt defied tradition by actively and aggressively promoting the New Deal.She also helped the President by travelling and reporting on conditions in the country, even meeting with the Bonus Marchers in 1933.
FDR initially preferred creating jobs to distributing charity. One of his more popular jobs programs was the Civilian Conservation Corps, which gave young men an opportunity to live in remote camps and do conservation work. FDR also had programs to keep artists and musicians employed.
Many Republicans criticized the New Deal for going too far in its attempts to reform the economy. More liberal critics included Al Smith, Father Charles Coughlin, Huey Long, and Upton Sinclair. Some of FDR’s critics were called demagogues because they manipulated people with half-truths and scare tactics.
After the Supreme Court ruled several important pieces of the New Deal unconstitutional, FDR proposed adding more justices to the court. FDR’s attempt to pack the Supreme Court aroused the greatest opposition, but the proposal was eventually dropped when the Supreme Court began upholding his programs.
The massive government spending of the New Deal led to some short-term economic improvement. The Second New Deal aimed to do more for ordinary Americans by offering more social welfare benefits. FDR’s 1936 reelection was a landslide victory over Alfred Landon and he interpreted that as an approval of the New Deal.
FDR cut back on expensive relief programs and raised taxes in 1937 to reduce the rising national debt. Another recession followed.
Under the New Deal, labor unions were legalized and grew stronger as a result of the Wagner Act.John L. Lewis, leader of the United Mine Workers, broke from the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and started the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) to focus on organizing unskilled workers. Sit-down strikes were one popular union strategy to win disputes.
In the late 1930s, movies often provided a temporary escape for struggling Americans. Radio also grew in popularity, and radio stations frequently featured comedies and dramas as well as music. The most popular entertainments helped people escape the gloom of the Depression.
Many New Deal agencies (including the Tennessee Valley Authority, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Securities and Exchange Commission) survive to this day, while others (such as the Civilian Conservation Corps) have ended. Though it failed to deliver an economic recovery, the New Deal’s greatest legacy was restoring a sense of hope among the people.